Topic

Glossary of Forest Carbon, dMRV and EUDR Terms

Updated 2026-11-02 · 2 min read · By the akar.earth specialist team

A carbon glossary for forest carbon, dMRV and EUDR: plain-English definitions of 120+ terms with an Indonesian angle, grouped by topic.

This glossary defines the terms you meet in forest carbon projects, digital MRV and EUDR compliance, in plain English and with an Indonesian angle. Each entry gives a one-sentence definition, why the term matters, how it is measured or tested, and the mistakes people make with it.

Use it when a document, contract or audit finding uses a word you are not sure of, or when you need to explain a concept to a colleague, a farmer group or a board.

How to use this glossary

Entries are short and self-contained. Each one links to related terms and to the guide or standard page where the idea is explained in depth. If you are new to the field, start with the core concepts below, then follow the links. The full alphabetical list of entries appears at the end of this page.

Terms are grouped here by the question they help answer.

Is the carbon real?

These terms are at the heart of every integrity review.

Additionality: would the reduction have happened anyway?
Baseline scenario and project scenario: what you compare against.
Leakage: emissions pushed outside the project.
Permanence, reversal and buffer pool: what happens if carbon is lost.
Overcrediting and double counting: the two failures buyers fear most.

How is it measured?

Measurement terms come up in plot design, monitoring reports and verification.

Allometric equation, above-ground biomass, wood density, DBH and carbon fraction: how a tree becomes tonnes.
Carbon pool, dead wood, litter and soil organic carbon: what counts.
Stratification, sampling error, confidence interval and uncertainty deduction: why precision affects revenue.
dMRV, remote sensing, Sentinel-2, GEDI, lidar, SAR and ground truth: the tools.

How does a credit move?

Validation, verification and VVB: the audit steps.
Issuance, vintage, serial number, registry and retirement: the life of a credit.
Removal credit vs avoidance credit, ex-ante vs ex-post: what kind of credit it is.
CCP, CCP label, ICVCM, VCMI and rating agency: the integrity layers above standards.

What does the EUDR require?

Deforestation-free, cut-off date and forest degradation: the core test.
Geolocation and polygon: how plots are described.
Due diligence statement, operator and trader: who does what.
Traceability, segregation and mass balance: chain of custody models, and why mass balance is not accepted.
Country benchmarking: how risk categories change the work.

Indonesian terms

Indonesian regulation has its own vocabulary, often used untranslated in contracts.

NEK (nilai ekonomi karbon) and SRUK, the registry that replaces SRN-PPI.
SPE-GRK offset certificates and PTBAE allowances traded on IDXCarbon.
Perhutanan sosial (social forestry), hutan adat (customary forest) and PBPH licences: who can hold land and carbon rights.
FOLU Net Sink: the national land-sector target.

People and safeguards

FPIC, benefit sharing, safeguards and grievance mechanism.
Smallholder, co-benefits and SDG.

Going further

Definitions are a starting point. For the full picture, use the topic hubs: forest carbon, standards, dMRV, EUDR and Indonesian regulation. If your team needs a structured introduction rather than a glossary, see our training for companies, government and field teams.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a carbon credit and a carbon offset?

A carbon credit is a tradable certificate for one tonne of CO2e reduced or removed. 'Offset' describes one use of that credit: cancelling out an emission elsewhere. Many buyers now use credits for contribution claims instead.

What does tCO2e mean?

Tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. It expresses all greenhouse gases in terms of the warming effect of one tonne of CO2, and it is the unit almost all carbon credits use.

Where do I find Indonesian regulatory terms?

Terms such as NEK, SRUK, SRN-PPI, SPE-GRK, PTBAE, PBPH, perhutanan sosial and hutan adat each have their own glossary entry, linked from this page.

Glossary

Above-ground biomass: Definition
What is above-ground biomass (AGB)? Definition, how it is measured with plots, allometry and remote sensing, and why it drives forest carbon credits.
Additionality: Definition
What is additionality? A plain definition for forest carbon, how standards test it, and why it decides whether Indonesian credits are credible.
Afforestation: Definition
What is afforestation? Definition, how it differs from reforestation, how carbon standards treat it, and what it means for Indonesian ARR projects.
Agroforestry: Definition
What is agroforestry? Growing trees with crops or livestock, why it matters for carbon and smallholder incomes, and how it is treated under EUDR in Indonesia.
Allometric equation: Definition
What is an allometric equation? How tree diameter, height and wood density convert to biomass and carbon, with notes for Indonesian forest projects.
ALM: Definition
What is ALM (agricultural land management)? How ALM projects build soil carbon and cut farm emissions, and how they fit Indonesian smallholders.
ARR: Definition
What is ARR (afforestation, reforestation and revegetation)? How ARR carbon projects work, VM0047 measurement, and what makes ARR viable in Indonesia.
Avoidance credit: Definition
What is an avoidance credit? How avoided-emission credits like REDD+ work, how they differ from removals, and why they dominate Indonesian supply.
Basal area: Definition
What is basal area? The cross-sectional stem area per hectare, how to calculate it from DBH, and how forest carbon projects in Indonesia use it.
Baseline scenario: Definition
What is a baseline scenario in carbon projects? How baselines are set for ARR and REDD+, why they decide credit volumes, and Indonesian pitfalls.
Below-ground biomass: Definition
What is below-ground biomass (BGB)? Definition, how root biomass is estimated with root-to-shoot ratios, and how carbon projects in Indonesia account for it.
Benefit sharing: Definition
What is benefit sharing in carbon projects? How carbon revenue is split between developers, communities and government, with Indonesian rules in view.
Biochar: Definition
What is biochar? How heating biomass without oxygen stores carbon in soil, how biochar carbon removal credits work, and its potential in Indonesia.
Biodiversity credit: Definition
What is a biodiversity credit? How nature credits measure gains in species and habitats, how they differ from carbon credits, and early options in Indonesia.
Biomass expansion factor: Definition
What is a biomass expansion factor (BEF)? How it converts stem volume or biomass to whole-tree biomass, and when Indonesian projects should avoid it.
Blue carbon: Definition
What is blue carbon? Carbon stored in mangroves, seagrass and tidal marshes, how it is measured for credits, and why Indonesia is a global blue carbon leader.
Buffer pool: Definition
What is a buffer pool in carbon markets? How withheld credits insure against reversals, how contributions are set, and what it means for Indonesian projects.
Canopy cover: Definition
What is canopy cover? Definition, how it is measured from the ground, drones and satellites, and why it decides forest definitions for carbon and EUDR.
Carbon credit: Definition
What is a carbon credit? A plain definition, how credits are created, verified and retired, what drives quality and price, and how Indonesia's market works.
Carbon fraction: Definition
What is the carbon fraction of biomass? The IPCC 0.47 default, how it turns dry biomass into carbon and CO2, and when to use other values.
Carbon offset: Definition
What is a carbon offset? How offsetting with credits works, how it differs from insetting and contribution claims, and what buyers of Indonesian credits check.
Carbon pool: Definition
What is a carbon pool? The five IPCC forest carbon pools, which ones carbon methodologies require, and which matter most for Indonesian projects.
Carbon streaming: Definition
What is carbon streaming? How investors pay upfront for a long-term share of a project's carbon credits, and how it differs from offtakes and prepayments.
CCB: Definition
What is CCB? The Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards for land-based carbon projects, what the label means and when Indonesian projects use it.
CCP: Definition
What are the CCPs (Core Carbon Principles)? The ICVCM's ten integrity principles for high-quality carbon credits, and what they mean for forest projects.
CCP label: Definition
What is the CCP label? How carbon credits earn the ICVCM 'two ticks', what it signals to buyers, and what Indonesian projects need to qualify.
Co-benefits: Definition
What are co-benefits in carbon projects? The social, biodiversity and water gains beyond carbon, how they are certified, and how buyers value them.
Confidence interval: Definition
What is a confidence interval in carbon accounting? How 90% and 95% intervals express uncertainty in carbon stock estimates and trigger deductions for projects.
Control plot: Definition
What is a control plot in carbon MRV? How control plots are chosen and monitored to measure baselines under VM0047 ARR, with tips for Indonesia.
Corresponding adjustment: Definition
What is a corresponding adjustment under Article 6? How countries avoid double counting when carbon units move abroad, and what it means for Indonesian credits.
Country benchmarking: Definition
What is EUDR country benchmarking? How the EU classifies countries as low, standard or high risk, and what Indonesia's rating means for exporters.
Crediting period: Definition
What is a crediting period? How long carbon projects can earn credits, how renewal and baseline reassessment work, and what Indonesian projects should plan for.
Cut-off date: Definition
What is the EUDR cut-off date? Why 31 December 2020 is the reference point for deforestation-free checks, and how to prove land status at that date.
DBH: Definition
What is DBH (diameter at breast height)? How it is measured at 1.3 m, special cases like buttresses and stilt roots, and its role in forest carbon.
Dead wood: Definition
What is dead wood in carbon accounting? Standing and lying dead wood, how it is measured with transects, and when Indonesian projects should include it.
Deforestation-free: Definition
What does deforestation-free mean under the EUDR? The legal definition, the 31 December 2020 cut-off, and how Indonesian exporters can prove it.
dMRV: Definition
What is dMRV (digital measurement, reporting and verification)? How apps, satellites and data pipelines speed up carbon project monitoring.
Double counting: Definition
What is double counting in carbon markets? Double issuance, double use and double claiming explained, and how corresponding adjustments prevent it.
Due diligence statement: Definition
What is an EUDR due diligence statement (DDS)? What it contains, who submits it in the EU Information System, and what Indonesian suppliers must provide.
Dynamic performance benchmark: Definition
What is a dynamic performance benchmark? How VM0047 uses control plots and remote sensing to set ARR baselines and test additionality, with Indonesian notes.
Emission reduction: Definition
What is an emission reduction in carbon markets? How reductions are calculated against a baseline, how they become credits, and how Indonesia counts them.
ERPA: Definition
What is an ERPA (Emission Reductions Purchase Agreement)? How results-based carbon payments are contracted, including World Bank FCPF programmes in Indonesia.
Ex-ante: Definition
What does ex-ante mean in carbon projects? Forward-looking carbon estimates explained, how they are built and used in finance, and the risks of over-promising.
Ex-post: Definition
What does ex-post mean in carbon markets? Credits issued after verified results, why buyers and raters prefer them, and what it means for Indonesia.
FLAG: Definition
What is FLAG? Forest, Land and Agriculture emissions and removals under SBTi, why FLAG targets matter for commodity buyers sourcing from Indonesia.
FOLU Net Sink: Definition
What is Indonesia's FOLU Net Sink 2030? The forestry and land use target to absorb more carbon than the sector emits, and what it means for carbon projects.
Forest degradation: Definition
What is forest degradation? The EUDR legal definition, how it differs from deforestation, and how degradation is measured in Indonesian forests.
FPIC: Definition
What is FPIC (free, prior and informed consent)? How it applies to forest carbon projects with communities and Indigenous peoples in Indonesia.
GEDI: Definition
What is GEDI? NASA's spaceborne lidar on the International Space Station that measures forest canopy height and supports tropical biomass mapping.
Geolocation: Definition
What is geolocation under the EUDR? The coordinates of every plot where a commodity was produced, the point vs polygon rule, and how to collect it.
Grievance mechanism: Definition
What is a grievance mechanism? How carbon and agroforestry projects let communities raise and resolve complaints, and what standards expect.
Ground truth: Definition
What is ground truth in remote sensing and carbon MRV? Why field data is used to train and check satellite models, and how to collect it well.
HFLD: Definition
What is HFLD (high forest, low deforestation)? How HFLD jurisdictions earn REDD+ credits under ART TREES, why it matters, and which Indonesian provinces fit.
Hutan adat: Definition
What is hutan adat (customary forest) in Indonesia? Its legal status after the 2012 Constitutional Court ruling and its role in forestry carbon projects.
ICVCM: Definition
What is the ICVCM? The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market, which sets the Core Carbon Principles and grants the CCP label to credits.
IDXCarbon: Definition
What is IDXCarbon? Indonesia's OJK-supervised carbon exchange, what it trades, its four mechanisms and who can participate, explained in brief.
IFM: Definition
What is IFM (improved forest management)? How IFM projects change logging to store more carbon, how results are measured, and the Indonesian concession angle.
Insetting: Definition
What is insetting? How companies fund emission reductions and removals inside their own supply chains, how it differs from offsetting, and Indonesian examples.
Issuance: Definition
What is issuance of carbon credits? How verified reductions become serialised credits in a registry, what is deducted first, and Indonesia's SRUK step.
ITMO: Definition
What is an ITMO (internationally transferred mitigation outcome)? How Article 6.2 transfers and adjustments work, and what ITMOs mean for Indonesia.
Jurisdictional REDD+: Definition
What is jurisdictional REDD+? How REDD+ at province or national scale works, ART TREES and VCS JNR, and what jurisdictional approaches mean for Indonesia.
Landsat: Definition
What is Landsat? The longest-running Earth observation satellite programme, and how its archive supports forest baselines and land history checks in Indonesia.
Leakage: Definition
What is leakage in carbon projects? Activity-shifting and market leakage explained, how standards deduct it, and how it shows up in Indonesian projects.
Lidar: Definition
What is lidar in forestry? How laser scanning measures canopy height and forest structure for biomass and carbon estimates, with Indonesia examples.
Litter: Definition
What is litter in forest carbon accounting? Definition of the litter pool, how it is sampled, and why most Indonesian projects treat it as optional.
Mangrove: Definition
What is a mangrove? Why salt-tolerant coastal forests store so much carbon, how mangrove carbon is measured, and Indonesia's restoration opportunity.
Mass balance: Definition
What is mass balance in supply chains? How it works in RSPO and other schemes, and why the EUDR does not accept mass balance for deforestation-free claims.
Monitoring period: Definition
What is a monitoring period in carbon projects? The span of time a monitoring report covers before verification and credit issuance, explained.
MRV: Definition
What is MRV (measurement, reporting and verification)? How carbon projects prove emission reductions and removals, with an Indonesia focus.
NDC: Definition
What is an NDC (nationally determined contribution)? How Paris Agreement pledges work, Indonesia's NDC and forestry role, and why NDCs shape carbon markets.
NDVI: Definition
What is NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index)? How it is calculated, what it shows about vegetation, and its limits in tropical forest carbon work.
NEK: Definition
What is NEK (Nilai Ekonomi Karbon)? Indonesia's carbon pricing framework, from Perpres 98/2021 to Perpres 110/2025, and its instruments explained.
Nesting: Definition
What is nesting in REDD+? How project-level carbon accounting is aligned with jurisdictional reference levels to avoid double counting, with Indonesian context.
Net zero: Definition
What does net zero mean? The balance of emissions and removals for countries and companies, the role of carbon removals, and how Indonesia frames its target.
Non-permanence risk: Definition
What is non-permanence risk? How carbon projects score the chance of losing stored carbon, how it sets buffer contributions, and key Indonesian factors.
Offtake agreement: Definition
What is a carbon offtake agreement? How buyers commit to purchase future credits from a project, the key terms, and the risks for Indonesian developers.
Operator: Definition
What is an operator under the EUDR? Who counts as an operator, what due diligence they owe, and how this differs from a trader for Indonesian supply chains.
Overcrediting: Definition
What is overcrediting? When carbon projects issue more credits than real climate impact, the main causes in REDD+ and ARR, and how to avoid it.
PBPH: Definition
What is PBPH (Perizinan Berusaha Pemanfaatan Hutan)? Indonesia's forest utilisation business licence, multi-business forestry and its role in carbon projects.
Peatland: Definition
What is peatland? How tropical peat stores carbon, why drained peat burns and emits, how peat carbon is measured, and Indonesia's peat rules and projects.
Perhutanan sosial: Definition
What is perhutanan sosial (social forestry) in Indonesia? The five schemes, how communities get forest access rights, and how it links to carbon projects.
Permanence: Definition
What is permanence in carbon credits? Why stored forest carbon can be lost, how buffer pools and monitoring manage reversal risk, and Indonesian risks.
Polygon: Definition
What is a polygon under the EUDR? The boundary of a production plot, when it is required instead of a single point, and how to map one correctly.
Prepayment: Definition
What is a carbon credit prepayment? How buyers pay upfront for future credits to fund project start-up, the typical terms, and the risks on both sides.
Project scenario: Definition
What is a project scenario in carbon accounting? How project emissions and removals are monitored and compared with the baseline to calculate credits.
Project start date: Definition
What is a project start date in carbon standards? How it is defined for ARR and REDD+, why validation deadlines depend on it, and common evidence gaps.
PTBAE: Definition
What is PTBAE? Indonesia's emission cap approval for compliance companies, PTBAE-PU allowances traded on IDXCarbon, and how they relate to offsets.
Rating agency: Definition
What is a carbon credit rating agency? How independent raters grade project quality, how ratings affect price, and what Indonesian ratings show.
REDD+: Definition
What is REDD+? Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation explained: project vs jurisdictional approaches, methodologies and Indonesia's role.
Registry: Definition
What is a carbon registry? How registries record issuance, transfers and retirements of credits, and how Indonesia's SRUK sits beside Verra and ART.
Remote sensing: Definition
What is remote sensing in forest carbon? How satellites, aircraft and drones measure forest cover and biomass, and where field data is still needed.
Removal credit: Definition
What is a removal credit? How carbon removal credits differ from avoidance credits, which Indonesian project types generate them, and why buyers pay more.
Retirement: Definition
What is carbon credit retirement? How credits are permanently removed from circulation to back a claim, what the record shows, and Indonesian notes.
Reversal: Definition
What is a reversal in carbon credits? Avoidable and unavoidable reversals, how buffer pools compensate, and the main reversal risks in Indonesian forests.
Root-to-shoot ratio: Definition
What is a root-to-shoot ratio? How it converts above-ground biomass to root biomass in forest carbon accounting, and how to pick one for Indonesia.
RTK GNSS: Definition
What is RTK GNSS? How real-time kinematic positioning gives centimetre-level accuracy for plot mapping, EUDR polygons and carbon project boundaries.
Safeguards: Definition
What are safeguards in forest carbon and REDD+? The social and environmental protections projects must apply, and how they are monitored in Indonesia.
Sampling error: Definition
What is sampling error in carbon inventories? How plot sampling creates uncertainty, how it is calculated and reduced, and why it cuts credit volumes.
SAR: Definition
What is SAR (synthetic aperture radar)? How radar satellites see through cloud to monitor tropical forests, peat and mangroves in Indonesia.
SBTi: Definition
What is SBTi? The Science Based Targets initiative, how it validates corporate climate targets, and what it means for land-based carbon and FLAG emissions.
Scope 3: Definition
What are Scope 3 emissions? Value chain emissions under the GHG Protocol, why they dominate many footprints, and how land-based supply chains affect them.
SDG: Definition
What are the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)? How carbon and nature projects map impacts to the 17 goals, and how SDG claims are verified.
Seagrass: Definition
What is seagrass? How seagrass meadows store blue carbon in sediments, why seagrass credits are still rare, and what Indonesia's meadows mean.
Segregation: Definition
What is segregation in supply chains? How keeping compliant commodities physically separate supports EUDR traceability for palm oil, coffee and cocoa.
Sentinel-2: Definition
What is Sentinel-2? The free Copernicus optical satellite mission used for forest monitoring, EUDR checks and carbon project baselines in Indonesia.
Serial number: Definition
What is a carbon credit serial number? How unique serials track each tonne from issuance to retirement, what they encode, and why they prevent double counting.
Smallholder: Definition
What is a smallholder? How smallholder farmers are defined in Indonesia, and why they matter for agroforestry carbon projects and EUDR compliance.
Soil organic carbon: Definition
What is soil organic carbon (SOC)? Definition, how SOC stocks are sampled and calculated, and how agroforestry and peat projects in Indonesia use it.
SPE-GRK: Definition
What is SPE-GRK? Indonesia's greenhouse gas emission reduction certificate, how it is issued and traded on IDXCarbon, and how forest projects qualify.
SRN-PPI: Definition
What is SRN-PPI? Indonesia's national climate change registry, its role in carbon trading before SRUK, and what projects need to know about the transition.
SRUK: Definition
What is SRUK (Sistem Registri Unit Karbon)? Indonesia's carbon unit registry that replaces SRN-PPI for tradable units, and what it means for projects.
Stratification: Definition
What is stratification in forest carbon inventory? How dividing a project into similar strata cuts sampling error and cost, with Indonesian tips.
tCO2e: Definition
What is tCO2e (tonne of CO2 equivalent)? How gases are converted with global warming potentials, how to turn carbon into CO2, and common unit errors.
TNFD: Definition
What is TNFD? The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, its LEAP approach, and what it means for land and commodity companies in Indonesia.
Traceability: Definition
What is traceability in commodity supply chains? How products are linked back to production plots for EUDR, and the challenge for Indonesian smallholders.
Trader: Definition
What is a trader under the EUDR? How traders differ from operators, what records they must keep, and what it means for Indonesian commodity supply chains.
Uncertainty deduction: Definition
What is an uncertainty deduction? How carbon methodologies cut credited tonnes when measurement error is high, and how to keep the deduction small.
Validation: Definition
What is validation in carbon projects? How an independent auditor checks the project design before registration, what it covers, and tips for Indonesia.
VCMI: Definition
What is VCMI? The Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative and its Claims Code, which guides how companies credibly claim the use of carbon credits.
Verification: Definition
What is verification in carbon markets? How an independent auditor checks monitored results before credits are issued, and what Indonesian projects need.
Vintage: Definition
What is a carbon credit vintage? Definition of vintage year, why older vintages trade at a discount, and how vintage affects Indonesian forest credits.
VVB: Definition
What is a VVB (validation and verification body)? Who accredits carbon auditors, what they check, and how Indonesian projects should choose and prepare for one.
Wood density: Definition
What is wood density? Definition of basic wood density, why it matters in allometric biomass models, and typical ranges for Indonesian tree species.
WRC: Definition
What is WRC (wetlands restoration and conservation)? How WRC carbon projects restore peat and tidal wetlands, which methodologies apply, and Indonesian fit.