REDD+
Protecting forests in developing countries to reduce deforestation emissions, conserve biodiversity, and support local communities
What’s the challenge?
Forests cover 31% of the world’s land mass and store approximately 861 gigatonnes of carbon, making them vital ecosystems. They are also some of the most biodiverse places on the planet, home to 75% of the world’s bird species and 68% of mammals. Protecting and restoring them is essential for tackling the twin biodiversity and climate crises.
Forests stabilise the local climate by acting as a buffer against extreme temperatures and about a fifth of the world’s population depends on forests for their livelihood.
Halting the loss and degradation of forest ecosystems and promoting their restoration has the potential to contribute at least 30% of the climate change mitigation required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and keep the global average temperature rise at or below 2 degrees Celsius.
However, destroying or damaging forests turns them into sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Approximately 15 billion trees are cut down or degraded every year, resulting in 5-10 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide being released back into the atmosphere. If deforestation were a country, it would have been the fourth-highest emitter in 2023. Other negative impacts include biodiversity and species loss, soil damage and resource scarcity impacting local livelihoods.
Meeting global climate targets requires halting deforestation by 2030, as emphasised in the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration of Forests and Land Use. Achieving this objective requires substantial financial investment, with estimates suggesting an annual need of $542 billion by 2030 to protect and restore forests globally. Without the finance unlocked through high-integrity carbon credits, achieving this level of investment will be extremely challenging.
How does REDD+ work?
REDD+ is a United Nations-backed framework that aims to curb climate change by stopping the destruction of forests. It stands for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in
Developing Countries. The “+” signifies the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. Forest protection prevents emissions from deforestation, shields stored carbon, protects biodiversity, and enables carbon sequestration.
The aim of REDD+ projects is to conserve forests and reduce deforestation through “results-based finance”. This enables countries and businesses to pay countries and communities not to cut down their forests, in exchange for carbon credits.
REDD+ projects and programs are either jurisdictional REDD+ or project-based REDD+. Each have distinct characteristics:
- Jurisdictional: Operates at a large scale, covering entire regions, states or countries. Managed by governments or regional authorities, it addresses deforestation in a coordinated, strategic way that minimises the risk of deforestation shifting from protected to unprotected areas. Jurisdictional REDD+ credits are aligned with national climate strategies, specifically contributing to Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and help meet overarching climate goals.
- Project-Based: Focuses on specific, defined areas and often managed by independent developers, NGOs or communities. Credits are generated based on localised monitoring and often independently of broader jurisdictional frameworks.
It is important to note that the sale of carbon credits from REDD+ projects on the voluntary carbon market operates separately to the UN-REDD+ mechanism under the UNFCCC.
Co-benefits of REDD+
REDD+ has the potential to deliver social and environmental benefits that go beyond the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. These include:
- Including traditional ecological knowledge into project design.
- Conserving the benefits that people and societies get from forests, including forest carbon stocks and livelihoods.
- Increasing emissions reductions and removals and local communities abilities to adapt to climate change by funding climate projects by funding projects at the local level that strengthen community resilience
- Creating material opportunities for wealth creation and well-being, such as jobs, revenue streams, infrastructure and improved educational conditions.
- Enhancing populations’ security, including land tenure security for local communities, food and water security, livelihood security, and adaptability to climate change.
- Improved forest governance and empowering individuals and communities to participate in decisions affecting local land use and development.
High-Integrity, CCP-Approved REDD+ methodologies
| Category | Program | Methodology and Version(s) | Assessment Type | Assessment in progress | Preparing draft report and recommendation | Scheduled for Governing Board Consideration | Decision & Informal Board Observations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afforestation, Reforestation and Revegetation | ACR | ACR Afforestation and Reforestation of Degraded Lands, v 1.0-1.2 | MSWG 2 |  | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| Afforestation, Reforestation and Revegetation | ERS | M001 Quantification Methodology for Terrestrial Forest Restoration, v 1.1-1.2 | Internal Assessment | | |||
| Afforestation, Reforestation and Revegetation | Gold Standard | GS Afforestation/Reforestation (A/R) GHG Emissions Reduction & Sequestration Methodology, v 2.1 | MSWG 2 | ||||
| Afforestation, Reforestation and Revegetation | Gold Standard | GS Sustainable Management of Mangroves, v 1.0 | Internal Assessment | | |||
| Afforestation, Reforestation and Revegetation | Isometric | Reforestation, v 1.0 | Internal Assessment | | | ||
| Afforestation, Reforestation and Revegetation | Verified Carbon Standard | VM0047 Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation, v 1.0 | MSWG 2 | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| Afforestation, Reforestation and Revegetation | Verified Carbon Standard | VM0047 Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation, v 1.1 | Internal Assessment | | |||
| Avoided Grassland Conversion | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR Canada Grassland, v 1.0 | MSWG 2, Withdrawn | ||||
| Avoided Grassland Conversion | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR U.S. Grassland Protocol, v 2.1 | MSWG 2, Withdrawn | ||||
| Biochar | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR U.S. and Canada Biochar, v 1.0 | MSWG 6 | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| Biochar | Isometric | Biochar Production and Storage, v 1.0 | MSWG 6 | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| Biochar | Isometric | Biochar Production and Storage, v 1.1 | Internal Assessment | ||||
| Biochar | Puro.earth | Biochar Methodology, v 3.0 | MSWG 6 | | |||
| Biochar | Verified Carbon Standard | VM0044 Methodology for Biochar Utilization in Soil and Non-Soil Applications, v 1.0-1.1 | MSWG 6, Withdrawn | ||||
| Biochar | Verified Carbon Standard | VM0044 Methodology for Biochar Utilization in Soil and Non-Soil Applications, v 1.2 | MSWG 6 | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| Biodigesters (household) | Gold Standard | AMS-I.E. - Switch from non-renewable biomass for thermal applications by the user, v 1.0-13.0 | MSWG 5 | | | | Does not meet Board Observations |
| Biodigesters (household) | Gold Standard | AMS-I.I. - Biogas/biomass thermal applications for households/small users, v 1.0-6.0 | MSWG 5 | | | | Does not meet Board Observations |
| Biodigesters (household) | Gold Standard | GS Methodology for Animal Manure Management and Biogas Use for Thermal Energy Generation, v 1.0-1.1 | MSWG 5 | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| Biodigesters (household) | Verified Carbon Standard | AMS-I.E. - Switch from non-renewable biomass for thermal applications by the user, v 1.0-13.0 | MSWG 5 | | | | Does not meet Board Observations |
| Carbon Dioxide Removals | Gold Standard | GS Carbon mineralisation using reactive mineral waste, v 2.0 | MSWG 6 | ||||
| Carbon Dioxide Removals | Gold Standard | GS Carbon Sequestration Through Accelerated Carbonation Of Concrete Aggregate , v 1.0 | MSWG 6 | | | | |
| Carbon Dioxide Removals | Gold Standard | GS Methodology for Biomass Fermentation with Carbon Capture and Geologic Storage, v 1.0 | MSWG 6 | | | ||
| Carbon Dioxide Removals | Isometric | Bio-oil Geological Storage, v 1.0-1.1 | MSWG 6 | | | | |
| Carbon Dioxide Removals | Isometric | Biogenic Carbon Capture and Storage, v 1.0 | MSWG 6, Withdrawn | ||||
| Carbon Dioxide Removals | Isometric | Biogenic Carbon Capture and Storage, v 1.1 | MSWG 6 | | | | |
| Carbon Dioxide Removals | Isometric | Biomass Geological Storage, v 1.0-1.1 | MSWG 6 | | | | |
| Carbon Dioxide Removals | Isometric | Direct Air Capture, v 1.0 | MSWG 6, Withdrawn | ||||
| Carbon Dioxide Removals | Isometric | Direct Air Capture, v 1.1 | MSWG 6 | | | | |
| Carbon Dioxide Removals | Isometric | Subsurface Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage, v 1.0 | MSWG 6 | | | | |
| Carbon Dioxide Removals | Puro.earth | Carbonated Materials, v 2.0 | MSWG 6 | | |||
| Carbon Dioxide Removals | Puro.earth | Geologically Stored Carbon, v 1.0 | MSWG 6 | | |||
| Carbon Dioxide Removals | Puro.earth | Terrestrial Storage of Biomass, v 1.0 | MSWG 6 | | |||
| Carbon Dioxide Removals | Verified Carbon Standard | VM0049 Carbon Capture and Storage, v 1.0 | MSWG 6 | | |||
| Efficient Cookstoves | Gold Standard | AMS-II.G. - Energy efficiency measures in thermal applications of non-renewable biomass, v 1-13.1 | MSWG 5 | | | | Does not meet Board Observations |
| Efficient Cookstoves | Gold Standard | GS Emission Reductions from Safe Drinking Water Supply, v 1.0 | Internal Assessment | | |||
| Efficient Cookstoves | Gold Standard | GS Methodology for Metered & Measured Energy Cooking Devices, v 1.0-1.2 | MSWG 5 | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| Efficient Cookstoves | Gold Standard | GS The Gold Standard Simplified Methodology For Clean And Efficient Cookstoves, v 1.0-3.0 | MSWG 5 | | | | Does not meet Board Observations |
| Efficient Cookstoves | Gold Standard | GS TPDDTEC – Technologies and Practices to Displace Decentralized Thermal Energy Consumption, v 2.0-3.1 | MSWG 5 | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| Efficient Cookstoves | Gold Standard | GS TPDDTEC – Technologies and Practices to Displace Decentralized Thermal Energy Consumption, v 4.0 | MSWG 5 | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| Efficient Cookstoves | Verified Carbon Standard | VM0050 Energy Efficiency and Fuel-Switch Measures in Cookstoves, v 1.0 | Internal Assessment | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| Efficient Cookstoves | Verified Carbon Standard | VMR0006 Energy Efficiency and Fuel Switch Measures in Thermal Applications, v 1.2 | MSWG 5, Withdrawn | ||||
| Enhanced Weathering | Isometric | Enhanced Weathering in Agriculture , v 1.0-1.1 | MSWG 6 | | | ||
| Enhanced Weathering | Puro.earth | Enhanced Rock Weathering Methodology, v 1.0 | MSWG 6 | | |||
| Enteric Methane | Gold Standard | GS Methane Emissions Reduction from Enteric Fermentation in Beef Cattle Through Application of Feed Supplements, v 1.0 | MSWG 2 | | | ||
| Enteric Methane | Verified Carbon Standard | VM0041 Methodology for the Reduction of Enteric Methane Emissions from Ruminants through the Use of Feed Ingredients, v 2.0 | MSWG 2 | | | ||
| HFC Displacement | ACR | ACR Certified Reclaimed HFC Refrigerants, Propellants, and Fire Suppressants, v 1.0-2.0 | Internal Assessment | | | ||
| HFC Replacement | ACR | ACR Advanced Refrigeration Systems, v 1.0-3.0 | Internal Assessment | | | ||
| HFC Replacement | ACR | ACR Transition to Advanced Formulation Blowing Agents in Foam Manufacturing and Use, v 1.0-3.0 | Internal Assessment | | |||
| HFC-23 destruction: HFC-23 abatement from HCFC-22 production | Verified Carbon Standard | AM0001 - Decomposition of fluoroform (HFC-23) waste streams , v 1.0-5.0 | Very Unlikely To Meet | ||||
| Improved Forestry Management | ACR | ACR Improved Forest Management (IFM) on Canadian Forestlands, v 1.0 | MSWG 1 | ||||
| Improved Forestry Management | ACR | ACR Improved Forest Management (IFM) on Non-Federal U.S. Forestlands, v 2.0 | MSWG 1 | | | | |
| Improved Forestry Management | ACR | ACR Improved Forest Management (IFM) on Non-Federal U.S. Forestlands, v 2.1 | MSWG 1 | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| Improved Forestry Management | ACR | ACR Improved Forest Management (IFM) on Small Non-Industrial Private Forestlands, v 1.0 | MSWG 1 | ||||
| Improved Forestry Management | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR Mexico Forest Protocol, v 2.0 | MSWG 1 | | |||
| Improved Forestry Management | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR Mexico Forest Protocol, v 3.0 | MSWG 1 | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| Improved Forestry Management | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR U.S. Forest Protocol, v 5.1 | MSWG 1 | ||||
| Improved Forestry Management | Verified Carbon Standard | VM0005 Methodology for Conversion of Low-Productive Forest to High-Productive Forest, v 1.2 | MSWG 1 | ||||
| Improved Forestry Management | Verified Carbon Standard | VM0012 Improved Forest Management in Temperate and Boreal Forests (LtPF), v 1.2 | MSWG 1 | ||||
| Improved Forestry Management | Verified Carbon Standard | VM0035 Methodology for Improved Forest Management through Reduced Impact Logging, v 1.0 | MSWG 1 | ||||
| Improved Forestry Management | Verified Carbon Standard | VM0045 Improved Forest Management Methodology Using Dynamic Matched Baselines from National Forest Inventories, v 1.0-1.1 | MSWG 1, Withdrawn | ||||
| Improved Forestry Management | Verified Carbon Standard | VM0045 Improved Forest Management Methodology Using Dynamic Matched Baselines from National Forest Inventories, v 1.2 | MSWG 1 | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| Industrial Biodigesters | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR Argentina Livestock, v 1.0 | Internal Assessment | | | ||
| Industrial Biodigesters | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR Dominican Republic Livestock, v 1.0 | Internal Assessment | | | ||
| Industrial Biodigesters | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR Mexico Livestock Protocol, v 2.0 | Internal Assessment | | | ||
| Industrial Biodigesters | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR U.S. Livestock Protocol, v 1.0-4.0 | Internal Assessment | | | ||
| Industrial Energy efficiency (Supply side) | Verified Carbon Standard | AM0017 - Steam system efficiency improvements by replacing steam traps and returning condensate, v 1.0-2.0 | Very Unlikely To Meet | ||||
| Industrial Energy efficiency (Supply side) | Verified Carbon Standard | AM0018 - Baseline methodology for steam optimization systems , v 1.0-4.0 | Very Unlikely To Meet | ||||
| Industrial Energy efficiency (Supply side) | Verified Carbon Standard | AM0020 - Baseline methodology for water pumping efficiency improvements, v 1.0-2.0 | Very Unlikely To Meet | ||||
| Just Transition | Verified Carbon Standard | VM0052 - Accelerated Retirement of Coal-Fired Power Plants Using a Just Transition, v 1.0 | Internal Assessment | ||||
| Landfill Avoidance | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR U.S. Organic Waste Composting Protocol, v 1.0-1.1 | Internal Assessment | | | ||
| Landfill Avoidance | Gold Standard | GS Methodology for Collection of Macroalgae to Avoid Emissions from Decomposition, v 1.0 | Internal Assessment | | | ||
| Landfill Gas Capture & Utilisation | ACR | ACR Landfill Gas Destruction and Beneficial Use Projects, v 1.0-2.0 | Internal Assessment | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| Landfill Gas Capture & Utilisation | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR Mexico Landfill Protocol, v 2.0 | Internal Assessment | | |||
| Landfill Gas Capture & Utilisation | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR U.S. Landfill Protocol, v 4.0 | Internal Assessment, Withdrawn | ||||
| Landfill Gas Capture & Utilisation | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR U.S. Landfill Protocol, v 5.0 | Internal Assessment | | | ||
| Landfill Gas Capture & Utilisation | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR U.S. Landfill Protocol, v 6.0 | Internal Assessment | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| Landfill Gas Capture & Utilisation | Gold Standard | ACM0001 - Flaring or use of landfill gas, v 15.0-19.0 | Internal Assessment | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| Landfill Gas Capture & Utilisation | Gold Standard | AMS-III.G. - Landfill methane recovery, v 9.0-10.0 | Internal Assessment | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| Landfill Gas Capture & Utilisation | Verified Carbon Standard | ACM0001 - Flaring or use of landfill gas, v 15.0-19.0 | Internal Assessment | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| Landfill Gas Capture & Utilisation | Verified Carbon Standard | AMS-III.G. - Landfill methane recovery, v 9.0-10.0 | Internal Assessment | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| Landfill Gas Capture & Utilisation | Verified Carbon Standard | CAR U.S. Landfill Protocol, v 6.0 | Internal Assessment | ||||
| Leak Detection/Repair in Gas Systems | Verified Carbon Standard | AM0023 - Leak detection and repair in gas production, processing, transmission, storage and distribution systems and in refinery facilities, v 4.0 | Internal Assessment | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| Marine Carbon Dioxide Removals | Isometric | Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement from Coastal Outfalls, v 1.0 | MSWG 6 | | | ||
| Mine Methane Capture and Utilization for Energy | ACR | ACR Capturing and Destroying Methane from Coal and Trona Mines in North America, v 1.0-1.1 | Internal Assessment | | | ||
| Mine Methane Capture and Utilization for Energy | Verified Carbon Standard | ACM0008 - Abatement of methane from coal mines, v 6.0-8.0 | Internal Assessment | | | ||
| N₂O Abatement in Adipic Acid Production | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR China Adipic Acid Production Protocol, v 1.0 | Internal Assessment | | | | CCP-Approved |
| N₂O Abatement in Adipic Acid Production | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR U.S. Adipic Acid Production Protocol, v 1.0 | Internal Assessment | | | | CCP-Approved |
| N₂O Abatement in Nitric Acid Production | Verified Carbon Standard | AM0028 - N2O destruction in the tail gas of Caprolactam production plants, v 1.0-6.0 | Very Unlikely To Meet | ||||
| N₂O Abatement in Nitric Acid Production | Verified Carbon Standard | AM0034 - Catalytic reduction of N2O inside the ammonia burner of nitric acid plants, v 1.0-5.1.1 | Very Unlikely To Meet | ||||
| N₂O Abatement in Nitric Acid Production | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR U.S. Nitric Acid Production Protocol, v 2.2 | Internal Assessment, Withdrawn | ||||
| N₂O Abatement in Nitric Acid Production | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR U.S. Nitric Acid Production Protocol, v 3.0 | Internal Assessment | ||||
| New Natural Gas Power | Verified Carbon Standard | ACM0025 - Construction of a new natural gas power plant, v 1.0-2.0 | Very Unlikely To Meet | ||||
| New Natural Gas Power | Verified Carbon Standard | AM0107 - New natural gas based cogeneration plant, v 1.0-4.0 | Very Unlikely To Meet | ||||
| ODS Destruction | ACR | ACR Destruction of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) and High-Global Warming Potential (GWP) Foam, v 1.0-2.0 | Internal Assessment | | | ||
| ODS Destruction | ACR | ACR Destruction of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) from International Sources, v 1.0 | Internal Assessment | | | | CCP-Approved |
| ODS Destruction | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR Article 5 Ozone Depleting Substances Protocol, v 1.0-2.0 | Internal Assessment | | | | CCP-Approved |
| ODS Destruction | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR U.S. Ozone Depleting Substances Protocol, v 1.0-2.0 | Internal Assessment | | | | CCP-Approved |
| REDD+ (Jurisdictional) | Architecture for REDD+ Transaction TREES (ART) | ART The REDD+ Environmental Excellence Standard (TREES) - HFLD, v 2.0 | MSWG 4 | | | | |
| REDD+ (Jurisdictional) | Architecture for REDD+ Transaction TREES (ART) | ART The REDD+ Environmental Excellence Standard (TREES) - non HFLD, v 2.0 | MSWG 4 | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| REDD+ (Jurisdictional) | Architecture for REDD+ Transaction TREES (ART) | ART The REDD+ Environmental Excellence Standard (TREES) - Removals, v 2.0 | MSWG 4 | | | | |
| REDD+ (Jurisdictional) | Verified Carbon Standard | VCS Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ (JNR) Framework, v 4.1 | MSWG 4 | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| REDD+ (Project) | ACR | ACR Active Conservation and Sustainable Management on U.S. Forestlands, v 1.0 | MSWG 4 | | | | |
| REDD+ (Project) | Verified Carbon Standard | VM0048 Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, v 1.0 | MSWG 4 | | | | CCP-Approved Board Observations |
| Renewable Energy (Grid Connected) | Gold Standard | ACM0002 - Grid-connected electricity generation from renewable sources, v 1.0-21.0 | MSWG 3 | | | | Does not meet Board Observations |
| Renewable Energy (Grid Connected) | Gold Standard | ACM0006 - Electricity and heat generation from biomass, v 1.0-16.0 | MSWG 3 | | | | Does not meet Board Observations |
| Renewable Energy (Grid Connected) | Gold Standard | ACM0018 - Electricity generation from biomass in power-only plants, v 1.0-6.0 | MSWG 3 | | | | Does not meet Board Observations |
| Renewable Energy (Grid Connected) | Gold Standard | AM0123 - Renewable energy generation for captive use, v 1.0 | MSWG 3 | ||||
| Renewable Energy (Grid Connected) | Gold Standard | AMS-I.D. - Grid connected renewable electricity generation, v 1.0-18.0 | MSWG 3 | | | | Does not meet Board Observations |
| Renewable Energy (Grid Connected) | Verified Carbon Standard | ACM0002 - Grid-connected electricity generation from renewable sources, v 1.0-21.0 | MSWG 3 | | | | Does not meet Board Observations |
| Renewable Energy (Grid Connected) | Verified Carbon Standard | ACM0006 - Electricity and heat generation from biomass, v 1.0-16.0 | MSWG 3 | | | | Does not meet Board Observations |
| Renewable Energy (Grid Connected) | Verified Carbon Standard | ACM0018 - Electricity generation from biomass in power-only plants, v 1.0-6.0 | MSWG 3 | | | | Does not meet Board Observations |
| Renewable Energy (Grid Connected) | Verified Carbon Standard | AM0123 - Renewable energy generation for captive use, v 1.0 | MSWG 3 | ||||
| Renewable Energy (Grid Connected) | Verified Carbon Standard | AMS-I.D. - Grid connected renewable electricity generation, v 1.0-18.0 | MSWG 3 | | | | Does not meet Board Observations |
| Renewable Energy (Grid Connected/Thermal) | Gold Standard | AMS-I.C. - Thermal energy production with or without electricity, v 1.0-22.0 | MSWG 3 | ||||
| Renewable Energy (Grid Connected/Thermal) | Verified Carbon Standard | AMS-I.C. - Thermal energy production with or without electricity, v 1.0-22.0 | MSWG 3 | ||||
| Renewable Energy (Mini-Grids) | Gold Standard | AMS-I.L. - Electrification of rural communities using renewable energy, v 1.0-4.0 | MSWG 3 | | | | Does not meet Board Observations |
| Renewable Energy (Mini-Grids) | Verified Carbon Standard | AMS-I.L. - Electrification of rural communities using renewable energy, v 1.0-4.0 | MSWG 3 | | | | Does not meet Board Observations |
| Renewable Energy (Off-grid) | Gold Standard | AMS-I.A. - Electricity generation by the user, v 1.0-19.0 | MSWG 3 | | | | Does not meet Board Observations |
| Renewable Energy (Off-grid) | Verified Carbon Standard | AMS-I.A. - Electricity generation by the user, v 1.0-19.0 | MSWG 3 | | | | Does not meet Board Observations |
| Renewable Energy (Thermal) | Gold Standard | AM0036 - Use of biomass in heat generation equipment, v 1.0-7.0 | MSWG 3 | | | | Does not meet Board Observations |
| Renewable Energy (Thermal) | Gold Standard | AM0072 - Fossil Fuel Displacement by Geothermal Resources for Space Heating, v 1.0-3.0 | MSWG 3 | | | | Does not meet Board Observations |
| Renewable Energy (Thermal) | Verified Carbon Standard | AM0036 - Use of biomass in heat generation equipment, v 1.0-7.0 | MSWG 3 | | | | Does not meet Board Observations |
| Renewable Energy (Thermal) | Verified Carbon Standard | AM0072 - Fossil Fuel Displacement by Geothermal Resources for Space Heating, v 1.0-3.0 | MSWG 3 | | | | Does not meet Board Observations |
| Rice Cultivation Methane Avoidance | Gold Standard | GS Methodology for Methane Emission Reduction by Adjusted Water Management Practice in Rice Cultivation, v 1.0 | MSWG 2 | | | ||
| Rice Cultivation Methane Avoidance | Verified Carbon Standard | VM0051 Improved Management in Rice Production Systems, v 1.0 | Internal Assessment | | | ||
| SF6 Avoidance | Verified Carbon Standard | AM0065 - Replacement of SF6 with alternate cover gas in the magnesium industry, v 2.1 | Internal Assessment | | | | Does not meet |
| Sustainable Agriculture (Rotational Crops, Low Till/No Tillage etc) | Climate Action Reserve (CAR) | CAR U.S. Soil Enrichment Protocol, v 1.1 | MSWG 2 | | | ||
| Sustainable Agriculture (Rotational Crops, Low Till/No Tillage etc) | Gold Standard | GS Soil Organic Carbon Framework Methodology, v 1.0 | MSWG 2 | ||||
| Sustainable Agriculture (Rotational Crops, Low Till/No Tillage etc) | Verified Carbon Standard | VM0042 Methodology for Improved Agricultural Land Management, v 2.0 | MSWG 2 | | | ||
| Waste Heat Recovery | Verified Carbon Standard | ACM0012 - Waste energy recovery, v 1.0-6.0 | Very Unlikely To Meet | ||||
| Waste Heat Recovery | Verified Carbon Standard | AM0066 - GHG emission reductions through waste heat utilisation for pre-heating of raw materials in sponge iron manufacturing process, v 1.0 | Very Unlikely To Meet | ||||
| Waste Heat Recovery | Verified Carbon Standard | AMS-III.Q. - Waste energy recovery, v 1.0-6.1 | Very Unlikely To Meet |
With CCP approval, REDD+ credits under these methodologies can now provide buyers with confidence that they meet the highest standards of integrity, encouraging much-needed private sector investment in forest protection.
These methodologies adhere to the Integrity Council’s stringent social safeguards, ensuring projects assess and mitigate risks to Indigenous Peoples and/or local communities, while promoting equitable benefit-sharing and respecting free, prior and informed consent principles.
In response to concerns about past REDD+ methodologies, stricter baseline setting and robust monitoring processes have been included. By removing developer discretion in selecting reference areas, the methodology significantly reduces the risk of over-crediting.
CCP approval marks the beginning, not the end, of efforts to ensure integrity in REDD+ methodologies. Through ongoing monitoring and Continuous Improvement Work Programmes, the Integrity Council will – in time – further strengthen methodologies and address evolving challenges to ensure high-integrity outcomes.
Decisions on two further ART methodological modules – ART TREES (HFLD) and ART TREES (Removals) – are under active consideration and will be published in due course.
A full list of all CCP-Approved methodologies, along with those still in assessment, can be found in our assessment status table.
What percentage of credits do CCP approved REDD+ methodologies represent?
Since these are new methodologies, no credits have yet been issued under them. However, a number of projects and programs are being developed now and are expected to start generating credits tagged with the high-integrity CCP-label in early 2025.
- 11 projects under (VCS) VM0048 Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation v1.0
- 3 projects under (VCS) Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ (JNR) Framework v4.1
- 21 programs under (ART) The REDD+ Environmental Excellence Standard (TREES) v2.0, TREES Crediting Level
The volume of CCP-labelled credits will be small in the short term, but it will grow as programs and project developers respond develop new projects under approved methodologies.
How we assess categories of carbon credits:
Learn about the other part of the ICVCM’s two tick process – the assessment of categories of carbon credits.
