On August 11, 2026, the Ministry of Science and Technology issued Decision No. 3429/QĐ-BKHCN announcing National Standard TCVN 14682:2026, Forest Carbon Credits – Requirements. This is Vietnam’s first national standard to establish requirements serving as a basis for the development and establishment of forest carbon credit projects.

TCVN 14682:2026 provides a technical basis for developing and implementing forest carbon projects in the forestry and land-use sectors. It also sets out requirements relating to the development, validation, verification, and issuance of carbon credits.

Key Contents of TCVN 14682:2026

TCVN 14682:2026 comprises six main sections:

• Scope;
• Normative references;
• Terms and definitions;
• Requirements for forest carbon credits;
• Requirements for forest carbon projects;
• Requirements for validation, verification, registration, and issuance of carbon credits.

Types of Forest Carbon Projects under TCVN 14682:2026

Under TCVN 14682:2026, a forest carbon project must include at least one of the following greenhouse gas emission reduction measures:

• Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, sustainable forest management, forest conservation, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+);
• Afforestation and assisted natural regeneration on non-forest land (A/R);
• Tending natural forests and forest enrichment (IFM-N);
• Improving forest productivity and extending forest rotation periods (IFM-P);
• Agroforestry and dispersed tree planting (AFP).

Việc xác định rõ các nhóm biện pháp giảm phát thải là cơ sở để doanh nghiệp và các chủ thể liên quan lựa chọn loại hình dự án phù hợp với điều kiện thực tế của khu vực rừng và mục tiêu giảm phát thải, tăng hấp thụ các-bon.

Clearly defining these categories of emission reduction measures provides a basis for businesses and other relevant stakeholders to select project types suited to the actual conditions of the forest area and their objectives for reducing emissions and increasing carbon removals.

Requirements for Forest Carbon Projects

In addition to general requirements for the development, registration, amendment, and cancellation of registration of forest carbon projects, TCVN 14682:2026 establishes requirements relating to land and forest use rights; land management and use; forest protection and development; biodiversity and environmental protection; additionality; and the avoidance of double counting. The standard specifies requirements for each emission reduction measure, including:

• Requirements concerning the land and forest areas covered by the project, the crediting period, and the maintenance period;
• Intervention measures and silvicultural measures applied in the project;
• Measurement and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon removals;
• Environmental and social safeguards;
• Development, implementation, reporting, and recordkeeping for forest carbon projects.
• These requirements provide a basis for projects to be developed, implemented, and managed through a systematic process, while also supplying the data and documentation necessary for the validation and verification of emission reduction results and carbon credit quantities.

Requirements for Validation, Verification, Registration, and Issuance of Carbon Credits

TCVN 14682:2026 also specifies requirements for validation and verification bodies, as well as the documentation, content, and procedures for validating project design documents and for validating and verifying project emission reduction results and carbon credit quantities.

TCVN 14682:2026 establishes a consistent technical framework for the conditions, data, measurement, reporting and verification (MRV), validation, and verification of domestic forest carbon credit projects. Accordingly, businesses can refer to the standard’s requirements from the early stages of project development to assess feasibility, design projects, establish MRV systems, and prepare documentation for the validation and verification of forest carbon credits.