October 10, 2016

VCS is pleased to announce that Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Program documents are being updated. This update does not constitute a major revision to the CCB Standards, but will introduce templates for project reporting and streamline joint use of the CCB and VCS Programs. Please mark your calendars for early November 2016, when VCS will release the documents for public comment. Please see below for the full announcement.

VCS tiene el placer de anunciar que los documentos del Programa de Clima, Comunidad y Biodiversidad (CCB) están en proceso de actualización. Esta actualización no constituye una revisión significativa a los Estándares CCB, pero va a introducir plantillas para los informes de proyectos y armonizar el uso conjunto de los Programas VCS y CCB. Por favor marque su calendario para los principios de noviembre, cuando VCS lanzará los documentos para comentarios del público. Annuncio completo en Español.

A VCS tem a satisfação de anunciar a atualização dos documentos do Programa de Clima, Comunidade e Biodiversidade (CCB). Essa atualização não constitui uma revisão importante dos Critérios CCB, mas introduzirá modelos para relatórios de projeto e agilizar a utilização conjunta do CCB e programas VCS. Fiquem atentos, porque no início de novembro a VCS divulgará os documentos para comentários públicos. Anúncio completo en Português.

VCS est heureux d’annoncer que les documents du Programme Climat, Communauté et Biodiversité (CCB) vont être mis à jour. Cette mise à jour ne constituera pas une révision majeure ni des Standards CCB, mais présentera des modèles pour les rapports de projet et rationalisera l’utilisation conjointe de CCB et des programmes VCS. Inscrivez dès maintenant début novembre dans votre agenda, date à laquelle VCS présentera les documents pour les commentaires du public. L’annonce complète en Française.

Announcement of Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Program Update and Upcoming Public Comment Period

 VCS is pleased to announce that Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Program documents are being updated. This update will not constitute a major revision to the CCB Standards or the Rules for the Use of the CCB Standards (the Rules).

There have been no substantial updates to the Third Edition of the CCB Standards or Rules since December 2013, when they were first issued. The objectives of this update of CCB Program documents are as follows:

  • Introduce templates to standardize project and auditor reporting. This will provide a framework for projects to present their plans and achievements and for stakeholders to more easily locate information in reports. The templates will also drive consistency and enable greater quality control of project and auditor reporting.
  • Introduce metrics to support reporting of a project’s validated and verified social and environmental benefits to help project proponents explain these benefits and enable VCS to better convey and promote the achievements of CCB projects to all stakeholders.
  • Harmonize CCB Program rules, requirements and operating procedures with those of the VCS Program, including adopting VCS terms for some concepts and streamlining the review process for joint CCB and VCS audits. The ability to use the CCB Program on its own or with GHG accounting programs other than the VCS will not be negatively affected by these streamlining efforts.
  • Establish a systematic approach to implementing relatively small or single-issue program updates between full revisions of the CCB Standards or the
  • Address errata in CCB Program documents.

We invite your feedback on the CCB Program update via an upcoming 60-day public comment period that is scheduled to start around the first week of November. Unless major revisions are needed after the public comment period, the CCB Steering Committee and the VCS Board of Directors will review the updates in the first quarter of 2017.

We expect to roll out the updated documentation in the second quarter of 2017. The updated CCB Standards and Rules will be effective immediately. This means that all new projects and all projects currently using the Third Edition of the CCB Standards must use the updated version of that document going forward. All projects must use the updated Rules going forward (regardless of the edition of the CCB Standards to which they are validated). Templates will be available for immediate use, but will not be required to be used until the end of a six-month grace period.

Watch the VCS website (www.v-c-s.org) at the beginning of November, or email ccbstandards@v-c-s.org to request email notification when the public comment period begins. All comments received before the end of the public comment period will be considered and a response will be provided in due course following the conclusion of the comment period.

Please contact Julianne Baroody, CCB Program Manager at ccbstandards@v-c-s.org for more information or with questions about the CCB Program update process or the public comment period.