Advisory Groups & Committees

An AFOLU Expert Assessment Panel was established in 2009 to review the qualifications of potential AFOLU experts. AFOLU assessment panel members review the qualifications of AFOLU experts and recommend candidates to the VCS Program.

PANEL MEMBERS:

Bronson Griscom, The Nature Conservancy
Brian Murray, Duke University
Timothy Pearson, Winrock International
Brent Sohngen, Ohio State University
Henry Janzen, Agriculture and Agri-Good Canada
Daniel Martino, Carbosur
Keith Paustian, Colorado State University
Mike Robinson, Syngenta Foundation

The Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Steering Committee is responsible for the governance, strategic direction and ongoing development of the CCB Standards, ensuring that they stimulate and promote land management activities that credibly mitigate global climate change, improve the wellbeing and reduce the poverty of local communities, and conserve biodiversity. The CCB Steering Committee comprises representatives of each Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA) member organization and is co-chaired by Verra and the CCBA Secretariat. Read more about the CCB Standards.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

John Drexhage, International Institute for Sustainable Development and Ecoresources
Tom Evans, Wildlife Conservation Society
Lex Hovani, The Nature Conservancy
Martin Noponen, Rainforest Alliance (alternate: Jessie Baker)
Ken Newcombe, C-Quest Capital (VCS Board of Directors)
Agustin Silvani, Conservation International (alternate: Natasha Calderwood

In 2022, Verra formed a working group to focus on emerging digital technology innovations for improving measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) processes for voluntary carbon market standards. This multi-stakeholder working group will help Verra explore opportunities and barriers associated with the use of DMRV in carbon markets and prioritize the most impactful actions Verra and partners can take to implement the use of DMRV across Verra’s programs, with a particular focus on the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program.

DMRV WG MEMBERS:

Verra’s DMRV Working Group (WG) is a multi-stakeholder group that explores key barriers and opportunities for using digital technology innovations in measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) for voluntary carbon markets and the VCS Program.

The DMRV WG will help Verra identify important existing or emerging DMRV technology innovations, tools, and processes that have the potential to transform MRV for voluntary carbon market standards by increasing accuracy, efficiency, and impact of carbon projects.

The WG will discuss key themes around DMRV such as the development and use of digital projects and methodologies, guidance for and certification of DMRV platforms, and governance and oversight of a DMRV ecosystem with a particular focus on how to implement DMRV innovations within the VCS Program.

The Working Group was formed in March 2022 and will inform priority actions that Verra and partners can take within the following 12-18 months to develop guidance and processes for implementing DMRV across VCS projects. The Working Group will periodically share outputs and updates with a broader consultative group, which is comprised of additional stakeholders who can provide written feedback.

DMRV Working Group Terms of Reference (PDF)

David Baumann, Taking Root
Tom Baumann, Climate Check
Jeff Cohen, Xpansiv
Andres Espejo, World Bank/Forest Carbon Partnership Facility
Diego Saez Gil, Carlos Silva and Guy Pinjuv, Pachama
Marley Gray, Microsoft
Kaiyu Guan, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Dmitry Halbouski, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Henri Neijhorst, Bowtie Technologies
Julia Hand, Sylvera
Kyle Hemes, Amazon
Peter Konijn, SustainCert
Flora Martins, EcoAct
Wouter Oostenheert, South Pole
Fred Stolle, World Resources Institute

The development of the Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ framework is supported by the JNR Advisory Group, the Stakeholder Group and informal consultations with a number of national and subnational governments.

Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ Advisory Group

The Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ Advisory Group complements the existing JNR Stakeholder Group to strengthen Verra’s technical expertise for the development of JNR and project-level REDD+ related updates. The JNR AG provides technical guidance on specific JNR requirements such as forest reference emission level, uncertainty, monitoring, quantification and nesting.

Adam Gibbon, MSc., AXA Investment Managers
Julian Gonzalo Jimenez, World Bank
Lucio Pedroni, PhD., Carbon Decisions International
Robert O’Sullivan, LLM., GreenCollar
Till Neeff, PhD., Independent Consultant
Tim Pearson, PhD., GreenCollar

All members participate in their personal capacity.

Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ Stakeholder Group

The JNR Stakeholder Group (JNR SG, previously “JNR Expert Group”) is a multi-stakeholder group that provides feedback and guidance on the JNR updates. The group also advises on existing and prospective new requirements and tools, such as the JNR Allocation Tool and JNR Risk Mapping Tool.

Adam Gibbon, AXA Investment Managers
Adriana Yepes, FAO
Agustin Silvani, Conservation International
Andrea Guerrero
Beatriz Zapata, Southpole
Brian McFarland, Carbonfund.org Foundation, Inc.
Charlie Williams, Clean Air Action
Charlotte Streck, Climate Focus
Chris Smith, Fauna and Flora
Chris Stephenson, Plan Vivo
Christie Pollet-Young, SCS Global
Christine Dragisic, U.S. Department of State
Christine Schuh, Le.ef consulting group
Christopher Webb, The Nature Conesrvancy
Contanza Troppa, CONAF (Chile)
David Shoch, TerraCarbon
Diana Vargas, IDEAM (Colombia)
Edit Kiss, Revalue Nature
Edward Rumsey, Permian Global
Edwin Aalders, DNV GL
Fabiano Godoy, Conservation International
Felipe Cassarim, Winrock International
Francisco Charry, MADS (Colombia)
Freddy Argotty, MINAM (Peru)
James Eaton, Ostrya Conservation
James Smith, WBCSD
Javier Cano, International Consultant
Jennifer Henman, Plant Your Future
Joel Scriven, Shell
Jorge Torres, Paskay
Jose Maria Michel, Independent Consultant
Julian Gonzalo Jimenez, World Bank
Kelley Hamrick, The Nature Conservancy
Kenset Rosales, MARN (Guatemala)
Kyle Holland, EP Carbon
Leslie Durschinger, Terra Global Capital
Lorenzo Mandias, Shell
Lucio Pedroni, Carbon Decisions International
Martin Kaonga, Fauna and Flora
Mike Korchinsky, Wildlife Works
Nadir Pallquie, MINAM (Peru)
Natasha Calderwood, Conservation International
Pablo Llopis, Shell
Paz Lozano, Ecopartners
Pedro Soares, IDESAM (Brasil)
Robert O’Sullivan, GreenCollar Group
Sarah Walker, Wildlife Conservation Society
Scott Settelmyer, TerraCarbon
Silvia Gomez, GreenOxx
Theron Morgan, Independent Consultant
Thiago Chagas, Climate Focus
Till Neeff, Independent Consultant

Government Consultations

During the JNR Requirements update process, Verra discussed a number of issues related to jurisdictional nested REDD+ implementation with several national and subnational governments, including Peru, Cambodia, Guatemala, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, Surinam, Costa Rica, and Paraguay, among others.

Moreover, the JNR Allocation Tool design received feedback from the experiences obtained during the ongoing piloting of the tool in Peru and Cambodia, and from additional pilots that are underway in a range of countries.

A set of multi-stakeholder groups formed to explore the key barriers and opportunities for blue carbon, forest carbon and agricultural land management (ALM) projects and identify and prioritize recommendations for how standards and their supporting methodologies and tools could drive finance to these activities.

Blue Carbon Working Group

The Blue Carbon Working Group is a multi-stakeholder group formed to explore the key barriers and opportunities for blue carbon activities and identify and prioritize recommendations for how standards and their supporting methodologies and tools could drive finance to blue carbon activities. The Working Group kicked off in January 2020 and is examining key questions surrounding challenges faced by different types of blue carbon projects, considering how to streamline/improve the existing VCS Program requirements, and exploring how non-carbon benefits, potentially assessed by other Verra standards, could unlock additional finance for blue carbon project development and implementation. The Working Group is supported by an Ad Hoc Advisory Group that is occasionally asked to provide input on Working Group products.

Verra Blue Carbon Working Group (WG) Terms of Reference (PDF)

Current Members:

Blanca Bernal, Winrock International
Sara Betancur
& Juan David Mira, South Pole
Steve Crooks
& Igino Emmer, Silvestrum Climate Associates
Steve Emmett-Mattox, Strategic Collaborations, LLC
Leah Glass, Blue Ventures
Dorothee Herr, IUCN
Jen Howard, Conservation International
Edit Kiss, Althelia Ecosphere
Shawn McMahon, Aster Global
Scott Settelmyer, TerraCarbon
Stef Simpson, The Nature Conservancy
James Smith, WBCSD
Suraj Vanniarachchy, Macquarie Bank Limited

Forest Carbon Innovations Working Group

The Forest Carbon Innovations Working Group is a multi-stakeholder group formed to explore the key barriers and opportunities for forest carbon activities and identify and prioritize recommendations for how standards and their supporting methodologies and tools could drive finance to forest carbon activities. The Working Group kicked off in September 2020 and is examining key questions surrounding challenges faced by different types of forest carbon projects, considering how to streamline/improve the existing VCS Program requirements, and exploring how non-carbon benefits, potentially assessed by other Verra standards, could unlock additional finance for forest carbon project development and implementation. The Working Group is supported by an Ad Hoc Advisory Group that is occasionally asked to provide input on Working Group products.

Verra Forest Carbon Innovations Working Group (WG) Terms of Reference (PDF)

Group Members:

Simon Bird, Wildlife Works
Maria Fernanda Buitrago, South Pole
MaryKate Bullen, Forest Investment Associates
Juan Chang, Permian Global
Joel Deboer, EP Carbon
Pina Gervassi, Forest Stewardship Council
Adam Gibbon, AXA Investment Managers
Andrea Guerrero García, Transforma and Verra Board
George Kipkorir Tarus, Forestry Society of Kenya
Jose Luis Fuentes Perez, AENOR
Cam Moore, The Nature Conservancy
Jamey Mulligan, Amazon
Christie Pollet-Young, SCS Global
Matt Ramlow, World Resources Institute
Diego Saez Gil, Pachama
David Shoch, TerraCarbon
Suraj Vanniarachchy, Macquarie Bank Limited
Sarah Walker, Wildlife Conservation Society

Ad Hoc Advisory Group Members:

Diego Arango, South Pole
Nicholas Berry, The Landscapes and Livelihoods Group LLP
Anthony DeMars, GHD
James Eaton, Ostrya Conservation
Irina Fedorenko, Oxford University
Ruben Goldsztayn, Forliance
Salim Kilic, Carbon Emission (Greenhouse Gas) Reduction and Control Association
James Liu, Land Life Company
Lauren Mechak, ClimeCo
Agustín Muñoz del Guayo, Urban Health Network for Latin America and the Caribbean
Kenneth Omokhafe, Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria
Jason Schatz, Descartes Labs
James Smith, WBCSD
Caio Soares Ribeiro Gallego, Biofílica
Tara Sriram, VNV Advisory Services LLP
David Torres, Lumina Decision Systems
Anne-Kathrin Weber, Perspectives Climate Group
Jordan Wildish, Washington State Department of Ecology

Agricultural Land Management (ALM) Working Group

Agricultural Land Management (ALM) Working Group is a multi-stakeholder group formed to explore the key barriers and opportunities for ALM activities and identify and prioritize recommendations for how standards and their supporting methodologies and tools could drive finance to forest carbon activities. The Working Group kicked off in January 2020 and is examining key questions surrounding challenges faced by different types of ALM projects, considering how to streamline/improve the existing VCS Program requirements, and exploring how non-carbon benefits, potentially assessed by other Verra standards, could unlock additional finance for ALM project development and implementation. The Working Group is supported by an Ad Hoc Advisory Group that is occasionally asked to provide input on Working Group products.

Verra Agricultural Land Management (ALM) Working Group (WG) Terms of Reference (PDF)

CURRENT MEMBERS:

Annette Cowie, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries
Peter Beare, World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Deborah Bossio, The Nature Conservancy
Jeffrey Seale, Bayer US – Crop Science
Jessica Davies, Lancaster University
Johannes Lehmann, Cornell University
Karen Haugen-Kozyra, Viresco Solutions
Keith Paustian, Colorado State University
Ken Newcombe, C-Quest Capital
Leigh Winowiecki, ICRAF
Louisa Kiely, Carbon Farmers of Australia
Matthew Warnken, Agriprove: Soil Carbon Solutions
Moritz von Unger, Silvestrum Climate Associates, LLC
Paul Luu, 4 per 1000 Initiative
Rori Cowan, Climate Smart Group
Sean Penrith, Gordian Knot Strategies
Tom Stoddard, Native Energy

The Plastic Program Advisory Group is a multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral group that helps ensure that the Plastic Waste Reduction Program (Plastic Program) can best meet the needs of the plastic credit market and is well-positioned to enable the delivery of credible plastic waste reduction. The Terms of Reference for this working group can be found here.

Plastic Program Advisory Group

The Plastic Program Advisory Group is a multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral group that helps ensure that the Plastic Waste Reduction Program (Plastic Program) can best meet the needs of the plastic credit market and is well-positioned to enable the delivery of credible plastic waste reduction.

Formed in July 2021, the Plastic Program Advisory Group provides strategic guidance on the evolution of the Plastic Program, including updates to the content of the Plastic Program rules, and provides insights into the needs of a range of users of the Plastic Program. The Group also advises on existing and prospective market opportunities, such as those under extended producer responsibility schemes, voluntary corporate circularity commitments and plastic reduction commitments.

Plastic Program Advisory Group Terms of Reference (PDF)

MEMBERS:

Tobias Becker, Parley for the Oceans
Jim Cannon, Verra Board
Alexander Cramwinckel, Danone
Emilie Devenport, South Pole
Pranav Goenka, Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW)
Justin Guest, Archipelago Eco Investors
Steve Hardman, Plastic Collective
Ian Hayes, Australian Food & Grocery Council
Ann Howard, ANSI National Accreditation Board
Anne Johnson, Resource Recycling Systems (RRS)
Mark Kenber, Verra Board
Tristan Lecomte, Second Life
Michael Maggio, Inclusive Waste Recycling Consortium (iWrc)
Ellen Martin, The Circulate Initiative
Iván Darío López Gómez, ICIPC
Arne Ragossnig, ISWA
Amy Tsui, ENGIE Impact
Rutger de Witt Wijnen, The Ocean Cleanup

MEETING MINUTES

October 2021 Advisory Group Meeting – Minutes (PDF)

The Scope 3 Initiative investigates key barriers to implementing and scaling supply chain climate action in organizational Scope 3 emissions inventories, and how Verra could facilitate greater climate action in this area. The multi-stakeholder group explores how the Verified Carbon Standard’s (VCS) market reach, carbon crediting methodologies, audit process, and registry could support robust accounting of GHG interventions in corporate inventories, prevent double-counting, and establish flexibility for companies to generate carbon credits or Scope 3 interventions.

Scope 3 Initiative Working Group

Formed in May 2022, the Scope 3 Initiative investigates key barriers to implementing and scaling supply chain climate action in organizational Scope 3 emissions inventories, and how Verra could facilitate greater climate action in this area. The initiative encompasses a multi-stakeholder Working Group, which includes a Pilot Project Group, a broader consultative group, and one-on-one exchanges with stakeholders.

The multi-stakeholder group investigates key barriers to implementing and scaling climate action in organizational Scope 3 emissions inventories. It also explores how the Verified Carbon Standard’s (VCS) market reach, carbon crediting methodologies, audit process, and registry could support robust accounting of GHG interventions in corporate inventories, prevent double-counting, and establish flexibility for companies to generate carbon credits or Scope 3 interventions.

The Working Group will discuss key themes (such as accounting approaches, potential for market mechanisms, ownership, and allocation, assurance, and reporting), and a subset of the Working Group, the Pilot Project Group, will examine approaches and methods being used in ongoing supply chain mitigation projects. The Working Group will periodically share progress updates with a broader consultative group with the invitation to provide written feedback.

Scope 3 Working Group – Terms of Reference (PDF)

Scope 3 Working Group Members:

Brendan Dore, Restora
Hannes Etter, South Pole
Tanja Havemann, Clarmondial
Alicia Klepfer, Blue Ocean Barns
Katerina Kolaciova, Strive
Devon Lake, Meta
Jessica Langley, JBS
Steve Lemeshow, CIBO
Gabe McNunn, EcoPractices
Paul Nicholson, Olam
Katherine Pickus, Tyson Foods
Guy Pinjuv, Indigo Ag
Kelly Ann Ross, Barry Callebaut
Sri Sukhi, Johnson Controls
Dave Rimkus, EmitZero

Scope 3 Pilot Project Group Members:

Mark Graeme, NatureCo
Janet Joynt, Blue Source
Andika Putraditama, Lestari Capital
Vanessa Maire, Diageo
Lola Menigaux, Sodexo
Pablo Reed, 12Tree
Quinn Sanford, 3M
Nate Truitt, American Forest Foundation

The Sustainable Development Advisory Group is a multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral group that helps ensure that Verra’s frameworks promote and advance sustainable development through results-based market mechanisms. The Terms of Reference for this working group can be found here.

The Sustainable Development Advisory Group is a multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral group that helps ensure that Verra’s standards and frameworks promote and advance sustainable development through results-based market mechanisms.

Formed in July 2021, the Sustainable Development Advisory Group offers technical support on guidance and rules for the implementation and monitoring of activities that contribute to the SDGs, strategic guidance on the evolution and positioning of Verra’s standards and frameworks that assess sustainable development benefits, and advice on existing and prospective market opportunities for projects with sustainable development impacts. The SDAG will primarily focus on the Sustainable Development Verified Impact Standard (SD VISta) Program, Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Program, and the Sustainable Development Contributions Report (SD Contributions Report). A secondary focus of the SDAG will be to review how Verra’s remaining standards programs could more strongly catalyze measurable sustainable development outcomes by driving investment into activities that reduce emissions, improve livelihoods, and/or protect the natural environment.

Sustainable Development Advisory Group Terms of Reference (PDF)

MEMBERS:

Sandeep Roy Choudhury, Value Network Ventures Advisory Services Pte. Ltd.
Jeannette Gurung, WOCAN
Estelle Levin-Nally, Levin Sources
Nordica A. MacCarty, Oregon State University
Ben Massie, Blue Source
Ken Newcombe, C-Quest Capital
Chris Parker, ClimeCo

The SD VISta Nature Framework Advisory Group (AG) launched to guide the development of a framework that will outline the key components of a scientifically robust, pragmatic, and scalable methodology. The AG will also support the development of the biodiversity methodology for assessing and quantifying the benefits from conservation and restoration activities.

The framework and methodology will be developed under Verra’s Sustainable Development Verified Impact Standard (SD VISta) Program and drive much-needed investment to high-quality, nature-positive efforts, as supported by other nature-related frameworks and initiatives (e.g., Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures and Science Based Targets Network).

The AG is a diverse multi-stakeholder group, whose 25 members were selected through an open application process. They represent a broad range of geographies and sectors and bring expertise related to the following areas:

• Market demand and drivers,
• Technologies, methods, or indicators for biodiversity measurement,
• Nature-related frameworks,
• Financial instruments for investing in biodiversity outcomes, and
• Biodiversity-focused pilot projects.

Verra will share progress on the Nature Framework during the 15th Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties (CBD COP15), 7-19 December 2022, in Montréal, Canada.

Complete Verra’s SD VISta Nature Framework Distribution List to receive updates on Verra’s Nature Framework.

SD VISta – Nature Framework Advisory Group Terms of Reference (PDF)

CURRENT MEMBERS:

Alex Grais, Technical Design Director of Nature Based Projects, Revalue Nature
Anna Willingshofer, Policy Advisor Sustainable Infrastructure & Biodiversity, The Nature Conservancy
Chrissy Elmer, Science & Technology Program Manager, Accounting for Nature
Dilys Roe, Principal Researcher and Biodiversity Lead, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
Fabien Quétier, Co-chair of the Thematic Group Impact Mitigation and Ecological Compensation (IMEC) of IUCN’s Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM)
Giulia Carbone, Director, Nature Climate Solutions Alliance, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
Hassan Sachedina, Founder and Director, BioCarbon Partners
Helen Crowley, Managing Director, Pollination Capital Partners
Jamie Mansfield, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Finance Earth
Jeff Milder, Director of Global Policy & Coalitions, Rainforest Alliance
Jonathan F.P. Rose, Founder and Chairman, The Garrison Institute
Jonathan Hughes, WCMC Chief Executive Officer, United Nations Environment Program-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC)
Letícia Larcher de Carvalho, Director, ERA Brazil
Marc Baker, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Carbon Tanzania
Marcello Hernández-Blanco, Ecological Economist, Conservation Strategy Fund
Mariana Sarmiento, Founder and CEO, Terrasos
Mark Harding, Head of Projects, Bioeconomy
Martine Maron, Chair, IMEC of IUCN’s CEM and Professor of Environmental Management, The University of Queensland, Australia
Ray Victurine, Director Business and Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
Sam Lampert, Investment Director, Natural Capital, Mirova
Scott Settelmyer, Co-Founder and Managing Director, TerraCarbon
Simon Bird, Director of Forest Science, Wildlife Works Carbon
Tim Coles, Project Director and Founder, Operation Wallacea
William Vine, Executive Director, Rebalance Earth
Zoe Balmforth, Co-founder and Director, Pivotal Future

Verra is relaunching the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program Advisory Group to help align the VCS Program with the global ambition to halve global GHG emissions by 2030 and reach net zero global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by mid-century. The VCS Program Advisory Group will be a strategic resource to support the near- and long-term progress of the VCS Program in meeting the integrity needs of the evolving carbon market and achieving greater impact.

More information about desired qualifications, group composition and operation, time commitments, and application instructions can be found in the VCS Program Advisory Group Terms of Reference (PDF).

VCS Program Advisory Group Application Form

Applications for group membership (external site) will be accepted from 27 February until 27 March 2023.

Verra will aim to finalize selection of VCS Program Advisory Group members by mid-April 2023 and convene the first meeting soon thereafter.

Please send any questions to programupdates@verra.org.