Verra sets the world’s leading standards for climate action and sustainable development.
→ We build standards for activities as diverse as reducing deforestation, to improving agricultural practices, to addressing plastic waste, and to achieving gender equality.
→ We manage programs to certify that these activities achieve measurable high-integrity outcomes.
→ And we work with governments, businesses, and civil society to advance the use of these standards, including through the development of markets.
Everything we do is in service of increasingly ambitious climate and sustainable development goals – and an accelerated transition to a sustainable future.
Kasigau Corridor Kenya REDD+ Project. Photo by Lisa Kristine
The Organization
Verra was founded in 2007 by environmental and business leaders who saw the need for greater quality assurance in voluntary carbon markets. We now manage the world’s leading voluntary carbon markets program, the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program, as well as a suite of other programs, incubate new ideas to generate meaningful environmental and social value at scale, and advance the use of these programs worldwide.
The strategic direction of Verra is set by Verra’s Board of Directors and staff. Our staff work globally, with headquarters in Washington, DC.
Verra is registered as a nonprofit corporation under the laws of the District of Columbia (Washington, DC, USA) and is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.
The following documents set out the overall governance of Verra.
The Articles of Incorporation contain basic structural information, organizational objectives, and a statement of our tax-exempt purpose. They also establish that the organization shall be governed by a Board of Directors appointed or elected under the rules provided by the Bylaws.
The Bylaws identify how the organization is governed, including the selection of Directors, the actions requiring Board approval, the establishment of Board committees, as well as outside advisory and steering committees, the titles, roles and terms of officers, and financial reporting requirements.
Additionally, the following key policies govern various aspects of Verra’s operations:
Verra requires all Board members and employees to comply with strict conflict of interest policies and to declare annually that they have not engaged in any conduct that violates Verra’s Conflict of Interest Policy. In addition, Board members are required to report any potential conflicts of interest at each meeting of the Board and to recuse themselves where any conflicts exist. Finally, employees are required to annually disclose any gifts (regardless of value) received over the prior year from anyone who is doing business, has done business, or is seeking to do business with Verra.
Verra has a Whistleblower Policy to encourage and enable employees and others to raise concerns about any violations of misconduct or unethical behavior by any Verra employee, director, or officer.
Advisory Committees
Verra convenes advisory groups and committees to guide and support its programs and specific aspects of its work. These advisory bodies are cross-sectoral and multi-stakeholder, representing a broad range of perspectives and areas of expertise. Their input helps ensure that Verra’s standards programs maintain the highest quality and integrity.
