Integrity Council confirms Isometric meets its high-integrity criteria
Written by ICVCM
Published
Verra’s VM0047 ARR methodology also becomes CCP Approved in latest assessment decisions
Isometric, a carbon crediting standard focused on carbon dioxide removal (CDR), has been approved as CCP-Eligible, the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market announced today as it published its latest assessment decisions. Isometric joins ACR, ART, CAR, Gold Standard and Verra as the CCP-Eligible Programs under the ICVCM.
CCP-Eligible status means the programs have demonstrated that they meet the rigorous Core Carbon Principles (CCP™) criteria for effective governance, transparency, tracking and robust independent third-party validation and verification. They have also met the CCPs’ program-related rules on robust quantification of emission reductions and removals, no double counting and sustainable development benefits and safeguards.
Programs approved by the Integrity Council have all made changes to the way they operate to comply with the high-integrity CCP criteria. For example, Isometric has provided evidence of the independence of its Board and strengthened its transparency, social safeguard and grievance procedures. Full details of changes made by programs are published on the ICVCM website.
Eamon Jubbawy, Founder and CEO, Isometric, said: “We’re delighted to be recognized by the ICVCM for our work in setting and upholding scientifically rigorous standards for carbon removal. Isometric’s mission is to help carbon removal scale to the level the planet needs. This requires building trust in carbon markets by issuing only the highest quality carbon removal credits. This endorsement from ICVCM demonstrates to the market that Isometric is raising the bar for high integrity credits.”
The Integrity Council Governing Board also announced that VM0047, VCS’ methodology for Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) projects, has been CCP-Approved. No carbon credits have yet been issued under this methodology, but the approval decision paves the way for CCP-labelled ARR credits to enter the market.
Daniel Ortega-Pacheco, Co-Chair of the Integrity Council Expert Panel, said: “ARR methodologies are pivotal for global climate resilience, providing essential tools for sustainable development through significant carbon sequestration and positive social contributions. Academic research shows that ARR initiatives are among the most cost-effective climate mitigation strategies and could sequester up to 10 GtCO₂ annually by 2050.”
Annette Nazareth, Chair of the Integrity Council Governing Board, said: “We congratulate Isometric on meeting our rigorous criteria and becoming the sixth carbon crediting programme to be approved as CCP-Eligible. The approval of the first ARR methodology is another significant step toward mobilizing private finance for impactful climate action, particularly in the Global South.
We are pleased to see how the market has responded to our assessment decisions this year, with demand for CCP-labelled credits at a premium and new methodologies and projects being developed in line with our framework. We look forward to seeing the impact that this new generation of high integrity credits will have on confidence, investment and climate action.”
ART TREES’ HFLD and removals modules, as well as methodologies relating to clean cookstove projects, remain under assessment and are expected in early 2025.
The Integrity Council will publish decisions and make announcements after each Governing Board meeting. In line with its commitment to transparency it is regularly updating its website with the progress of assessments.
Ends.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
For more information and to arrange interviews please contact:
Conor Quinn – [email protected] | +44 7444 696 214
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 a just transition to 1.5°C.
The Integrity Council aims to set and maintain a voluntary global threshold standard for quality in the voluntary carbon market. The threshold standard 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 a threshold standard and label that provide a credible, rigorous, and readily accessible means of identifying high-quality carbon credits.
Updates on the progress of assessment decisions are available here: Assessment Status.
