Integrity Council announces new batch of assessment decisions

• Global Carbon Council (GCC) ICVCM Standard v2: CCP-Eligible
• VCS Renewables: CCP-Approved with conditions
• ART TREES HFLD and Removals: Remedial Actions required to methodology

The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market has announced its latest batch of assessment decisions, as follows:

Program decisions:

• Global Carbon Council (GCC) – CCP-Eligible (applies to GCC 2.0 and projects following the Standard on ICVCM Eligibility of Projects and Issuances v1.1 or later)

Methodology decisions:

• VCS VMR0017 v1.0 – CCP-Approved (Conditional)
• ART TREES v2.0: HFLD Crediting Level – Remedial Actions
• ART TREES v2.0: Removals Crediting Level – Remedial Actions
• Isometric Mangrove Restoration Protocol v1.0 – CCP-Approved
• VCS ACM0008 (Versions 6-8) – CCP-Approved (Conditional)

Annette Nazareth, Chair of the Integrity Council, said: “This latest batch of decisions continues to demonstrate our commitment to independent, technical and thorough assessment of programs and methodologies for adherence to our high integrity CCP Assessment Framework.

The difficult decisions we have taken to date are charting a path towards increased methodological rigour, as demonstrated by the approval of a new generation of more robust renewable energy methodologies.”

Program: Global Carbon Council (GCC) Standard on ICVCM Eligibility of Projects and Issuances v1.1

GCC is a carbon crediting program established in Qatar in 2016 by the Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (GORD). Its governance, regulatory, and registry frameworks are outlined in the GCC 2.0 Program Framework, while core project-level requirements are defined in the GCC 2.0 Project Standard. GCC also offers optional Standards for specific international markets or frameworks that require projects to meet additional criteria.

For ICVCM CCP eligibility, project requirements are set out in the GCC Standard on ICVCM Eligibility of Projects and Issuances v1.1, which ICVCM has now approved as CCP-Eligible. This incorporates strengthened provisions that were introduced in order to meet the CCP requirements, such as:

• Strengthened rules on handling, protection, and disclosure of confidential information
• Strengthened non-permanence risk assessment tools and notification procedures
• Clarified and strengthened requirements regarding crediting period renewal assessment
• Strengthened requirements on addressing uncertainty
• Clarified safeguard assessment procedures

ICVCM found that the standard meets the relevant criteria for CCP-Eligibility, provided that projects are registered under GCC 2.0 and follow the Standard on ICVCM Eligibility of Projects and Issuances v1.1 or later.

Now that GCC is CCP-Eligible, its methodologies can be assessed in line with the ICVCM’s two-tick assessment process. Only credits issued using CCP-Approved methodologies and the GCC’s Standard on ICVCM Eligibility of Projects and Issuances v1.1 or later will be able to receive the CCP-label.

Dr. Yousef Alhorr, Founding Chairman, Global Carbon Council (GCC), said: “We welcome this landmark recognition from the ICVCM, which affirms the GCC Program’s standing as a high-integrity carbon crediting program on the international stage. We stand ready to deliver high-integrity carbon credits that are recognised and traded across international carbon markets, driving meaningful progress toward global climate goals.

For project owners and stakeholders, this approval provides access to a broader pool of high-quality buyers, stronger demand, and enduring market value for the credits they generate. We are proud to have reached this milestone and remain committed to advancing a transparent, efficient, and high-integrity voluntary carbon market that drives transformative climate action at scale.”

VCS VMR0017 Grid-Connected Electricity Generation from Renewable Sources (ACM0002 Revision) v 1.0

VCS VMR0017 is a revision to a CDM methodology that displaces emissions from electricity generation via the installation of grid-connected renewable technologies. Project types include wind, solar, geothermal, small-scale hydro and wave or tidal power. Battery energy storage and pumped storage systems can also be integrated into such projects under certain conditions specified by the methodology.

In July 2024, the ICVCM Governing Board took a decision that several renewable energy methodologies did not meet the relevant criteria required for CCP Approval. At the time, it called for programs to revise or update methodologies and tools to take a more reliable approach to assessing additionality. VMR0017 is a revision of one of these renewable energy methodologies.

ICVCM’s assessment found that the methodology meets the relevant criteria for CCP Approval, provided that a benchmark analysis (which must be conducted using Verra’s updated additionality tool) shows that the economic performance of the project increases decisively through carbon credit revenues and equals or exceeds the financial viability benchmark.

In addition, the grid emission factor and electricity consumption tools applied by this methodology have been strengthened in line with the Assessment Framework and there are now several safeguards to ensure that conservativeness is maintained in relation to uncertainty.

No historical issuances will be CCP-Approved, however, there is considerable market interest in high integrity renewable energy projects and a large expected pipeline. ICVCM recognises the importance of incentivising the renewable energy transition through carbon markets and is pleased to see the next generation of high integrity grid-connected renewable energy methodologies coming online.

ART TREES v2.0: HFLD Crediting Level 1

High Forest Cover, Low Deforestation (HFLD) mitigation activities reduce emissions from forest loss and degradation in specially designated areas that historically have had both high levels of forest cover and low rates of deforestation.

The Integrity Council’s assessment found that the v2.0 HFLD Crediting Level in its current form does not meet the relevant criteria for CCP Approval. The Governing Board has set out several significant remedial actions2 that ART must take for the v2.0 HFLD Crediting Level to become CCP-Approved. For example, it must require HFLD Participants to supply evidence that historical emissions during the baseline period significantly underestimate likely future emissions and require VVBs to assess whether this evidence confirms a significant threat of increased emissions in the first crediting period.

58.4 million credits have been issued under the v2.0 HFLD Crediting Level to date. None of these credits are eligible for CCP labels.

In order for the v2.0 HFLD Crediting Level to become CCP-Approved, the ICVCM will need to review the implementation of the remedial actions, to assess whether those changes mean the methodology meets the CCP Assessment Framework. The assessment of the implementation of the remedial actions follows the usual methodology assessment process, including input from ICVCM’s Expert Panel and Standards Oversight Committee before going to the Governing Board for a decision. If the Governing Board decides that the remedial actions have been implemented to its satisfaction, the revised methodology will become CCP-Approved. Issuances using the revised version of v2.0 would then become eligible to be CCP labelled.

ART TREES v2.0: Removals Crediting Level3

The Integrity Council’s assessment found that the v2.0 Removals Crediting Level in its current form does not meet the relevant criteria for CCP Approval. ICVCM has therefore set out a series of remedial actions2 that ART must take for this Crediting Level to become CCP-Approved.

As mentioned above, in order for this Crediting Level to become CCP-Approved, the ICVCM Governing Board will need to take another decision to confirm all remedial actions have been completed to its satisfaction.

No credits have yet been issued under v2.0 Removals Crediting Level.

Isometric Mangrove Restoration Protocol v1.0 – CCP-Approved

Mangrove restoration projects support the reestablishment and recovery of mangrove ecosystems in areas where they have been degraded or lost, thereby restoring ecological function and enhancing carbon storage capacity.

The Integrity Council’s assessment found that the methodology meets the relevant criteria for CCP Approval, noting the rigour of its additionality test and dynamic baseline, which help ensure robust carbon accounting.

This is a new methodology, published in December 2025; there are three signed projects to date, with the potential to issue up to 2 million carbon removal credits by 2030, according to Isometric.

VCS ACM0008 Abatement of methane from coal mines (Versions 6-8)

Mine methane abatement projects support the capture and utilisation of mine methane that would otherwise be emitted to the atmosphere from both active and abandoned mines.

The Integrity Council’s assessment found that these methodology versions meet the relevant criteria and requirements for CCP approval for Ventilation Air Methane and Coal Mine Methane activities only.

In addition, these projects must apply Verra’s updated baseline and additionality tool to demonstrate additionality and, where a benchmark analysis is used, they must also show that the economic performance of the abatement project increases decisively through carbon credit revenues and equals or exceeds the financial viability benchmark.

Approximately 6.44 million credits have been issued under the approved methodology versions, but the approval conditions mean that few are expected to be eligible for CCP labels.

NOTES TO EDITORS

For more information and to arrange interviews please contact:

Conor Quinn conor.quinn@greenhouse.agency
Greenhouse Communications icvcm@greenhouse.agency

¹ Full title: Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART) THE REDD+ ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE STANDARD (TREES) – version 2.0: HFLD Crediting Level
² Full decision texts, conditions, remedial actions and board observations can be found on the Assessment Status page.
³ Full title: Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART) THE REDD+ ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE STANDARD (TREES) – version 2.0: Removals Crediting Level

ICVCM assessments and approvals to date

Since taking its first Decisions on Programs in March 2024, ICVCM has approved nine Carbon Crediting Programs as CCP Eligible: ACR, ART TREES, CAR, Equitable Earth, Gold Standard, GSS, Isometric, Puro.Earth, Rainbow and Verra.

Since taking its first Decisions on Categories in May 2024, the ICVCM Governing Board has approved 40 carbon crediting methodologies as meeting the requirements of the Assessment Framework and found that 25 methodologies did not.

As a result of the assessment decisions to date, an estimated 107 million credits have been approved to use the CCP label. An estimated 63 million of these appear available in the market; 44 million have been retired or cancelled. Source: MSCI, accessed 20th April 2026.

About the Integrity Council

The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (Integrity Council) is an independent, non-profit governance body for the voluntary carbon market, which aims to ensure the voluntary carbon market accelerates climate action.

The Integrity Council sets and maintains a global threshold for quality in the voluntary carbon market. The threshold is based on the Integrity Council’s Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) and is implemented through an Assessment Framework that sets out what high quality means by reference to those principles. The result is the CCP label which provides a credible, rigorous, and readily accessible means of identifying high-quality carbon credits. The Assurance process ensures continued adherence to the requirements of the Assessment Framework and related procedure.