Vinu Jacob
Vinu works with Preferred by Nature’s Climate and Restoration Programme, specialising in carbon project validation and verification in forestry, agriculture, and broader land-use systems. She assesses projects under international standards such as Verra’s VCS and CCB, Gold Standard and Plan Vivo, bringing her experience in climate adaptation, carbon accounting and biodiversity conservation to every assignment.
Vinu’s work centres on auditing carbon projects from planning through to reporting. She leads validation and verification assignments, reviews technical project documentation and engages with stakeholders during on-site and remote assessments. She collaborates with teams developing monitoring and reporting systems and provides technical recommendations that strengthen project design and long-term performance.
Before joining Preferred by Nature, Vinu managed international AFOLU projects in both development and verification contexts. At Earthood Services, she worked as a technical area expert, conducting validation and verification audits under Verra, Gold Standard, Isometric and the International Carbon Registry. She audited projects across South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Botswana, Spain and Ghana, evaluating emissions reductions, biodiversity outcomes and stakeholder engagement.
Her previous role with Iora Ecological Solutions focused on project development. She oversaw afforestation, reforestation and revegetation initiatives, improved cookstove interventions and solar PV projects. She also coordinated feasibility studies, project design documents and capacity-building efforts, including scoping for climate-resilient tea production in Assam and technical support to forest departments in Assam and Kerala.
Vinu holds a PhD in Forestry from the Forest Research Institute University, where her research examined traditional Himalayan agroforestry systems, carbon sequestration and climate adaptation. She earned an MSc and BSc in Forestry from Kerala Agricultural University, building a technical foundation in silviculture, land-use systems, biomass carbon, ecosystem management and applied fieldwork. Throughout her academic and early career experience, she has worked closely with local communities, environmental agencies and project developers, strengthening her fluency in practical, science-based environmental solutions.
"My motivation for working with Preferred by Nature stems from my strong commitment to advancing credible, science-based climate and sustainability solutions within the AFOLU sector. Through my experience in carbon project development, validation, and verification across diverse geographies, I have seen the importance of integrity, transparency, and social safeguards in delivering real climate and nature benefits. Preferred by Nature’s holistic approach linking robust standards, policy engagement, and support to smallholders and communities closely aligns with my professional values. In my role as Senior Carbon Project Specialist, I am motivated to apply my technical expertise to strengthen high-quality project design, ensure credible claims, and contribute to nature-positive, socially responsible outcomes."
- Validation and verification of carbon projects under VCS, CCB, Gold Standard and Plan Vivo
- AFOLU sector expertise: afforestation, reforestation, sustainable land management, agroforestry
- MRV development and carbon accounting methodologies
- Technical review and detailed validation/verification reporting
- Stakeholder engagement in multi-country project settings
- Remote sensing and GIS tools for project assessment
- Research methodology and statistical analysis (SPSS)
- Languages: English, Hindi, Malayalam
