April 2026 Newsletter

Welcome to Verra’s April Newsletter!

This month we are celebrating a few milestones and we invite you to join us in recognizing them!

• Earlier this week, we approved the issuance of the first credits globally under our afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation (ARR) methodology, VM0047. This approval demonstrates how Verra’s methodologies enable projects to deliver real, measurable, and lasting impact—for the climate, but also for the world’s most important and most threatened ecosystems, like the Cerrado.
• We also recently learned that the Technical Advisory Board (TAB) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has included carbon credits from projects that use Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) methodology VM0051 Improved Management in Rice Production Systems, v1.0 and that are located in REDD+ countries in the first and second phases of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) (2024–2026 and 2027–2029, respectively). Projects using this methodology may be eligible to supply credits for use under CORSIA, if they have the necessary host country government authorization. Airlines can purchase these credits to meet their CORSIA offsetting requirements while supporting improved rice cultivation practices. Together, these transactions advance vital climate action.
• Finally, we are pleased to announce that three new members have been elected and appointed to the Verra Board of Directors: Derek Walker, El Hadji Mbaye Diagne, and Jennifer Park. With deep expertise in carbon markets, climate policy, sustainable finance, and institutional governance, these new members will strengthen Verra’s leadership at a critical moment for global carbon markets.

In closing, we hope you’ll join us on April 29 at 11:00 am ET for the second 2026 stakeholder update webinar, “PACM, Article 6.2, CORSIA—Oh My!” We will focus on the increasing convergence of voluntary and compliance carbon markets as a welcome evolution and discuss how Verra is at the forefront of supporting the integration of these markets. We will also share more detailed information about the following:

• The latest statistics around our initiative to speed up project reviews
• The release of our scorecards for validation/verification bodies (VVBs)
• The upcoming launch of the new Verra Registry with S&P Global Energy

• Verra Approves First Credits under VM0047 ARR Methodology
• Verra’s Rice Methodology Approved under CORSIA
• Verra Welcomes Three New Members to the Board of Directors in 2026
• “PACM, Article 6.2, CORSIA—Oh My!” April 2026 Stakeholder Update Webinar

Congratulations to the Brazil Cerrado 1 project (Verra Project 5511), which is the first project to be approved for credit issuance under Verra’s afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation (ARR) methodology, VM0047, v1.0. The project can now be issued 230,120 Verified Carbon Units (VCUs) to support its work across the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, and Minas Gerais.

Registered jointly with the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards (CCBS) Programs, the Brazil Cerrado 1 project restores degraded cattle pasture, which was previously subject to repeated clearing cycles, through a combination of native ecosystem restoration and sustainable forest management activities that are certified under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Currently, 24,119 hectares are under the project’s management, with over 15 million trees planted and 505 species identified in this biodiverse area. The project also prioritizes community engagement, including through a native seed collection program that provides training and meaningful income to local residents.

Over its first 20-year crediting period, the project is expected to remove approximately 7.0 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent (around 351,328 tonnes annually) from the atmosphere and restore up to 25,000 hectares of forest cover. In doing so, it will continue to support local communities through employment, training, and livelihood programs, as well as enhance biodiversity conservation in the Cerrado biome.

Project development is being led by NK 164 Empreendimentos e Participacoes S.A. and BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group, LLC. Aenor served as the validation/verification body (VVB).

• Verra Releases Updated Article 6 and CORSIA Label Guidance, New Buyer Resource
• Verra Publishes Revised Methodology for Grid-Connected Electricity Generation from Renewable Sources
• Consultation on Revision to Coal Plant Retirement Methodology

• Verra Publishes Coastal Resilience Asset Methodology in SD VISta Program

• Webpage: Scope 3 Standard Program FAQs

Join us on Wednesday, April 29, at 11:00 am ET, for our next stakeholder update webinar, “PACM, Article 6.2, CORSIA—Oh My!”

Mark your calendar for our other quarterly stakeholder update webinars in 2026:

• Stakeholder Update Webinar (July 2026) – Wednesday, July 29, at 11:00 am ET
• Stakeholder Update Webinar (October 2026) – Wednesday, October 28, at 11:00 am ET

Verra CEO Mandy Rambharos and other Verra staff regularly speak at and attend different events around the world to engage in important discussions that help advance the impact of carbon and other markets. For a comprehensive list of all upcoming events, please check our Events page. If you’d like to invite a Verra team member to speak at your event, please contact events@verra.org.