Assessment Status
PLEASE READ: Important explanation of information on this webpage
Readers of the information on these webpages (including relating to program and Category assessment accessed through the links below) should note that the status tables below provide information on an ongoing process that is evolving over 2024. It is the Integrity Council’s intention to process each assessment as efficiently as possible and release each Governing Board decision as soon as possible after it has been taken.
The assessment process should be understood as an ongoing process over time, with no specific decision having specific implications for any other program or Category. Some assessment processes and decisions may take longer to complete than average times; no inferences should be drawn from this. The overall approach to the assessment process means that no inference should be drawn from the sequencing contained in the tables below or the processing of decisions. The pages below will be updated as needed on normal working days to provide information on the current status of assessment but are for information only.
No reliance may be placed on these assessment status webpages. The information on these pages is evolving over time and is subject to updating, completion, revision and amendment at any time, and such information may change materially. No representation, warranty or undertaking, express or implied, is or will be made by the Integrity Council, its advisers or any other person as to the truth, accuracy, completeness, correctness or fairness of the information or opinions contained and any reliance you place on them will be at your sole risk. Without prejudice to the foregoing, neither the Integrity Council, nor any of its affiliates, associates, advisers, directors, employees or representatives accept any liability whatsoever for any loss or damage howsoever arising, directly or indirectly, from the use of, or as a result of relying on, these webpages or any other information relating to the Assessment process or otherwise arising in connection therewith.
Certain statements in the webpages may constitute forward-looking statements, projections and information (including beliefs or opinions) that are based on knowledge and information available to the Integrity Council at the date of preparation of the relevant document or webpages. These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts, and such statements can include, without limitation, estimates, commitments, plans, approaches and ambitions. Such forward-looking statements are based on the Integrity Council’s current expectations and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual results to differ materially from those described, expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other factors, changing economic, financial, business or other market conditions, and changes in environmental, geopolitical, social and physical risks. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. As a result, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. All views expressed are based on financial, economic, and other conditions as of the date hereof and the Integrity Council disclaims any obligation to update, revise or correct any forecast, opinion or expectation, or other forward-looking statement, to reflect events that occur or circumstances that arise after the date hereof. This document is provided for information only. Nothing herein should be construed as financial, legal, tax, accounting, actuarial or other specialist advice. Persons needing advice in relation to the matters discussed herein should consult an independent professional adviser.
Carbon Credit Program Assessment Status
The Integrity Council is currently assessing for adherence to the Core Carbon Principles Assessment Framework:
- Carbon-crediting programs to determine whether a carbon-crediting program can be approved as CCP-Eligible.
- Categories of carbon credits, to determine whether a Category of carbon credits may be labelled as CCP-Approved by a CCP-Eligible program.
Once assessments are complete, Programs deemed to be CCP-Eligible will be able to issue CCP-Approved carbon credits from CCP-Approved Categories of carbon credits.
The outcomes of these assessments are submitted to the Governing Board for formal decision.
The steps in the carbon-crediting program application and assessment process are as follows:
- Integrity Council confirms program application has been received via the Assessment Platform.
- Integrity Council checks that the program’s application is complete (once complete the application is published on this page).
- Integrity Council starts assessment.
- A draft evaluation report based on the assessment will be prepared by the Secretariat. The reports will be prepared in the order that assessments are completed.
- The reports are submitted to the Standard Oversight Committee which makes a recommendation to the Governing board of the Integrity Council.
- The Governing Board of the Integrity Council will meet to consider the recommendation of the Standard Oversight Committee and render a decision.
- Governing Board makes decision.
We’ve designed our rules so that programs that are already approved by the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) as CORSIA Eligible Emissions Unit Programmes (CORSIA-Eligible) need only to provide evidence to ICVCM that they meet the CCP’s additional high-integrity criteria around effective governance, credit tracking, transparency and robust, independent third-party validation and verification.
If a program isn’t already approved as CORSIA-Eligible, it can still apply for assessment, but it will need to provide evidence to ICVCM that it meets the CORSIA requirements as well as the additional ICVCM CCP criteria.
ICVCM is aware that CORSIA assessments in relation to eligibility for the 2024-2026 Compliance Period (first Phase) are ongoing. Interim or conditional approval decisions taken by relevant CORSIA and International Civil Aviation Organization Council in relation to the carbon crediting programs will be taken into account to the extent relevant for our Assessment Framework.
| Carbon Crediting Program | Application received | Completeness check | Assessment in progress | Preparing draft assessment report and recommendation | Scheduled for Governing Board consideration | Program Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACR |  | View submission | | | | CCP-Eligible Rationale for Decision |
| Architecture for REDD+ Transaction TREES (ART) | | View submission | | | | |
| Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | | View submission | | | | CCP-Eligible Rationale for Decision |
| Gold Standard | | View submission | | | | CCP-Eligible Rationale for Decision |
| Isometric | | View submission | | |||
| Social Carbon | | View submission | | |||
| Verified Carbon Standard | | View submission | | | |
Carbon Credit Category Assessment
The ICVCM Category Assessment process began in October 2023 with the convening of the Categories Working Group (CWG). The CWG has now has concluded its work (see table below), classifying Categories of carbon credits into one of three types of assessment:
- Internal assessment, undertaken by the Integrity Council Executive Secretariat staff and its Experts.
- Multistakeholder assessment, an assessment undertaken by one of six multistakeholder working groups (MSWGs) which include carbon crediting methodology experts from within and outside the Integrity Council and from the Integrity Council’s Standard Oversight Committee (a sub-committee of the Governing Board).
- Considered by the Categories Working Group to be very unlikely to meet the criteria and requirements of the Assessment Framework. Category is deprioritised in the scheduling of assessment and will be assessed for adherence to the criteria and requirements of the Assessment Framework when other Category assessments are completed.
The steps in the Category assessment process are summarised as follows:
- Internal or MSWG assessment has been scheduled or is in progress.
- Internal or MSWG assessment is complete.
- A draft evaluation report based on the assessment will be prepared by the Secretariat for each Category. The reports will be prepared in the order that assessments are completed.
- The reports are submitted to the Standard Oversight Committee which makes a recommendation to the Governing board of the Integrity Council.
- The Governing Board of the Integrity Council will meet to consider the recommendation of the Standard Oversight Committee and render a decision.
- Governing Board makes decision.
| Category | Methodologies within this category | Assessment Track | In progress | Preparing draft evaluation report and recommendation | Scheduled for Governing Board consideration | Decision – CCP Approved | Decision – Requiring Remedial Action | Decision – Rejected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afforestation, Reforestation and Revegetation (Including Natural Forest Establishment and Agroforestry) | ACR Afforestation and Reforestation of Degraded Lands Gold Standard Afforestation/Reforestation (A/R) GHG Emissions Reduction & Sequestration Methodology AR-ACM0003 – Afforestation and reforestation of lands except wetlands VM0047 Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation | Multi-stakeholder assessment | MSWG 2 (In progress) | | ||||
| Biodigesters (household) | AMS-I.E. – Switch from non-renewable biomass for thermal applications by the user | Multi-stakeholder assessment | MSWG 5 | |||||
| Brick Manufacturing | AMS-III.Z. – Fuel Switch, process improvement and energy efficiency in brick manufacture | Multi-stakeholder assessment | MSWG 6 | |||||
| Buffer Practices (Field Borders, Riparian Buffers, Grass Waterways) | VM0042 Methodology for Improved Agricultural Land Management | Multi-stakeholder assessment | MSWG 2 (In progress) | | ||||
| China Adipic Acid | CAR China Adipic Acid Production Protocol | Internal Assessment | In progress | |||||
| Direct Air Capture | Pending (no relevant methodologies) | Internal Assessment | In progress | |||||
| Efficient Cookstoves | GS methodology for metered and measured energy cooking devices GS The Gold Standard Simplified Methodology For Clean And Efficient Cookstoves AMS-II.G. – Energy efficiency measures in thermal applications of non-renewable biomass VCS Methodology for Improved Thermal Energy Generation Units (will replace VMR0006) GS TPDDTEC – reduced emissions from cooking and heating – technologies and practices to displace decentralized thermal energy consumption VMR0006 Energy Efficiency and Fuel Switch Measures in Thermal Applications [v 1.2 only] | Multi-stakeholder assessment | MSWG 5 | |||||
| Grid-Connected Renewable Energy | ACM0002 – Grid-connected electricity generation from renewable sources AMS-I.D. – Grid connected renewable electricity generation ACM0006 – Electricity and heat generation from biomass AMS-I.C. – Thermal energy production with or without electricity AM0123 – Renewable energy generation for captive use | Multi-stakeholder assessment | MSWG 3 (In progress) | | ||||
| HFC-23 destruction: HFC-23 abatement from HCFC-22 production - Part 1 | AM0001 – Decomposition of fluoroform (HFC-23) waste streams [V 6.0.0 only] | Internal Assessment | In progress | |||||
| HFC-23 destruction: HFC-23 abatement from HCFC-22 production – Part 2 | AM0001 – Decomposition of fluoroform (HFC-23) waste streams [V 1-5 only] | Deprioritised | Deprioritised | |||||
| Improved Forest Management | CAR U.S. Forest Protocol VM0012 Improved Forest Management in Temperate and Boreal Forests (LtPF) ACR Improved Forest Management (IFM) on Non-Federal U.S. Forestlands CAR Mexico Forest Protocol VM0035 Methodology for Improved Forest Management through Reduced Impact Logging VM0045 Improved Forest Management Methodology Using Dynamic Matched Baselines from National Forest Inventories | Multi-stakeholder assessment | MSWG 1 (In progress) | | ||||
| Industrial Biodigesters | AMS-III.D. – Methane recovery in animal manure management systems ACM0010 – GHG emission reductions from manure management systems CAR U.S. Livestock Protocol CAR Dominican Republic Livestock | Multi-stakeholder assessment | MSWG 6 | |||||
| Industrial Energy Efficiency (supply side) | AM0017 – Steam system efficiency improvements by replacing steam traps and returning condensate AM0018 – Baseline methodology for steam optimization systems AM0020 – Baseline methodology for water pumping efficiency improvements | Deprioritised | Deprioritised | |||||
| Landfill Gas Capture and Utilization | ACR Landfill Gas Destruction and Beneficial Use Projects AMS-III.G. – Landfill methane recovery CAR U.S. Landfill Protocol ACM0001 – Flaring or use of landfill gas | Internal Assessment | In progress | | ||||
| Leak Detection/Repair in Gas Systems | Low market share | Internal Assessment | In progress | |||||
| Lighting Efficiency | Low market share | Multi-stakeholder assessment | MSWG 5 | |||||
| Low-Carbon Transport/Electric Vehicles | VM0038 Methodology for Electric Vehicle Charging Systems AMS-III.BM – Lightweight two and three wheeled personal transportation GS two and three wheeled personal transportation | Multi-stakeholder assessment | MSWG 6 | |||||
| Mine Methane Capture and Utilization for Energy | ACM0008 – Abatement of methane from coal mines ACR Capturing and Destroying Methane from Coal and Trona Mines in North America | Internal Assessment | In progress | |||||
| Mini-Grids | AMS-I.L. – Electrification of rural communities using renewable energy Other methodologies: low market share | Multi-stakeholder assessment | MSWG 3 (In progress) | | ||||
| N20 Abatement in Adipic Acid Production – Part 1 | N2O Abatement in Adipic Acid Production – CDM AM0021 v. 2&3 CAR U.S. Adipic Acid Production Protocol | Internal Assessment | In progress | | ||||
| N20 Abatement in Adipic Acid Production – Part 2 | AM0021 – Baseline Methodology for decomposition of N2O from existing adipic acid production plants [v1 only]h | Deprioritised | Deprioritised | |||||
| N20 Abatement in Nitric Acid Production – Part 1 | AM0034 – Catalytic reduction of N2O inside the ammonia burner of nitric acid plants AM0028 – N2O destruction in the tail gas of Caprolactam production plants | Deprioritised | Deprioritised | |||||
| N20 Abatement in Nitric Acid Production – Part 2 | N2O Abatement in Nitric Acid Production – ACM0019 CAR U.S. Nitric Acid Production Protocol | Internal Assessment | In progress | | ||||
| New Natural Gas Power | AM0107 – New natural gas based cogeneration plant ACM0025 – Construction of a new natural gas power plant | Deprioritised | Deprioritised | |||||
| Nutrient/Nitrogen Management | Low market share and program exclusions | Multi-stakeholder assessment | MSWG 2 (In progress) | | ||||
| Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) | ACR Destruction of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) from International Sources ACR Destruction of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) and High-Global Warming Potential (GWP) Foam CAR Article 5 Ozone Depleting Substances Protocol | Internal Assessment | In progress | | ||||
| Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation+ (Jurisdictional) | ART The REDD+ Environmental Excellence Standard (TREES) FCPF The World Bank Forest Carbon Partnership Facility methodology VCS Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ (JNR) Framework | Multi-stakeholder assessment | MSWG4 (In progress) | |||||
| Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation+ (Project) | See program exclusions | Multi-stakeholder assessment | MSWG4 (In progress) | |||||
| Renewable Energy (Offgrid) | AMS-I.A. – Electricity generation by the user | Multi-stakeholder assessment | MSWG 3 (In progress) | | ||||
| Rice Cultivation Methane Avoidance | AMS-III.AU. – Methane emission reduction by adjusted water management practice in rice cultivation Methodology for methane emission reduction by adjusted water management practice in rice cultivation | Multi-stakeholder assessment | MSWG 2 (In progress) | | ||||
| SF6 Avoidance | AM0065 – Replacement of SF6 with alternate cover gas in the magnesium industry AM0119 – SF6 emission reductions in gas insulated metal enclosed switchgear | Internal Assessment | In progress | |||||
| Sustainable Agriculture (Rotational Crops, Low Till/No Tillage, Structural & Vegetative Practices etc.) | GS Soil Organic Carbon Framework Methodology CAR U.S. Soil Enrichment Protocol | Multi-stakeholder assessment | MSWG 2 (In progress) | | ||||
| Technology-based Carbon Capture and Storage | Pending (no relevant methodologies) | Multi-stakeholder assessment | MSWG 6 (In progress) | |||||
| Waste Heat Recovery | ACM0012 – Waste energy recovery AMS-III.Q. – Waste energy recovery AM0066 – GHG emission reductions through waste heat utilisation for pre-heating of raw materials in sponge iron manufacturing process | Deprioritised | Deprioritised | |||||
| Water Purification | GS emission reductions from safe drinking water supply | Multi-stakeholder assessment | MSWG 5 |
Carbon-crediting programs that apply to the ICVCM may choose to exclude from assessment one or more of its own methodologies or versions thereof. These excluded methodologies or versions thereof are listed in the carbon-crediting program application. Carbon crediting programs may also withdraw methodologies or versions thereof during the ICVCM assessment process. These withdrawn methodologies or versions thereof will be listed here, and no Decision will be taken in relation to such methodologies or versions thereof.
