Independent audit assessed the results of the 2020–2025 monitoring period at Fazenda São Nicolau. The process precedes the issuance of new carbon credits, which are already available for pre-sale.
ONF Brazil underwent the fourth verification of the Peugeot–ONF Carbon Sink Project from 9 to 14 August 2026. With support from ONF International and brCarbon, the verification was conducted by Verifit in the project areas at Fazenda São Nicolau, in Cotriguaçu, Mato Grosso. The independent audit assessed the results of the 2020–2025 monitoring period to verify the consistency of the information provided and support the process of issuing new carbon credits.
Registered under the Verra Program as Project ID 665, the project is monitored through periodic forest inventories, technical documents and a historical database on plantation development. During the audit, the verification body analysed these records and checked the application of the procedures adopted by ONF Brazil in the field.
The programme included visits to forest inventory plots, reviews of documents and databases, analysis of the Monitoring Report, and interviews with the team, partners and other individuals and institutions associated with the project.
Field verification
One of the main stages of the audit was the inspection of the plots used to monitor the plantations. Selected by the verification body, the visited areas allowed the conditions observed in the field to be compared with the records submitted by ONF Brazil.
During the visits, the location of the plots, tree identification, measurement procedures and consistency between the data collected and the information stored in the project database were checked.
The Carbon Sink Project comprises 416 plots distributed across 85 forest stands. Periodic measurements in these areas make it possible to monitor tree growth and changes in vegetation structure, generating information used to estimate stored carbon.
In addition to supporting the project’s calculations, the historical data series helps guide management activities, monitor restoration outcomes and support research conducted at Fazenda São Nicolau.
Documents and procedures were also assessed
The verification was not limited to field activities. Verifit also examined the procedures used to collect, organise, store and analyse information relating to the 2020–2025 period.
The analysis covered the Monitoring Report, databases, activity records and forest inventory procedures. The objective was to verify whether the reported results were consistent with the available documents and the conditions observed in the visited areas.
This cross-checking is necessary to ensure data traceability, allowing the results to be verified from field collection through to their use in carbon calculations. If any matters requiring clarification or additional information are identified, the verification body sends requests to the responsible team before the final report is prepared.
Interviews complemented the audit
The programme also included interviews with team members, partners and individuals associated with the project’s activities. This stage provided a better understanding of how the procedures are implemented, the responsibilities of those involved and how the activities described in the documents are carried out in practice.
The interviews complement the technical analyses and help verify consistency between the records provided and the implementation of activities at Fazenda São Nicolau. They also enhance the transparency of the process by incorporating different perspectives on the project’s development.
More than 25 years of history
Created in 1999, the Peugeot–ONF Carbon Sink Project marked the beginning of ONF Brazil’s activities at Fazenda São Nicolau. The initiative reforested former pasture areas and established a permanent plantation maintenance and monitoring system.
Between 1999 and 2004, more than 2.5 million seedlings were planted across approximately 2,000 hectares. Monitoring began in 2010 and, since then, the development of these areas has been tracked through periodic inventories and other field activities.
Over more than 25 years, Fazenda São Nicolau has become a hub for reforestation, biodiversity conservation, scientific research, sustainable management and local development. Continuous monitoring makes it possible to assess the project’s environmental results and improve the methods used by ONF Brazil
Carbon credit pre-sale is open
Following completion of the field phase, the verification work is continuing. ONF Brazil and brCarbon will make the necessary corrections to the Monitoring Report and submit the requested supplementary documentation, while Verifit will continue its independent analysis of the information in accordance with the established schedule.
The verification is expected to be completed and the new carbon credits issued in the first half of 2027, subject to completion of the stages and requirements of the certification programme. During this period, credits that may be issued are already available for pre-sale negotiations.
Information about the available credits, pre-sale terms and negotiation stages is provided directly to potential buyers by the team responsible for commercialisation. Interested parties may contact Alan Bernardes, Director of ONF Brazil, by email at contato@onfbrasil.com.br or by telephone at +55 (65) 3644-7787.
The fourth verification reinforces ONF Brazil’s experience in managing long-term forestry projects and its commitment to transparency, data quality and independent assessment of results.
About the companies involved
ONF International supported the entire data-processing workflow and the forest inventory calculations through Forland, a digital platform used to organise, analyse and visualise project information.
brCarbon is an ONF Brazil partner and participates throughout the verification process, from preparing the Monitoring Report to the issuance of credits by Verra.
Verifit is the company contracted to conduct the project’s independent assessment. Specialising in the validation and verification of projects, inventories and greenhouse gas statements, it has more than 17 years of experience and has assessed more than 750 projects.
Learn more about the project