Consultation: Revision to Improved Forest Management Methodology

Verra is launching a public consultation on a revision to VM0045 Improved Forest Management using Dynamic Matched Baselines from National Forest Inventories, v1.2 (methodology development ID #M0289) in the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program. This is a minor revision that would expand the methodology’s applicability beyond the United States by using national forest inventories (NFIs) that meet established criteria. The consultation will run from May 12 through June 15, 2026.

VM0045 applies to a wide range of improved forest management (IFM) practices aimed at avoiding emissions or enhancing carbon sequestration. The methodology employs a dynamic performance benchmark approach based on matched control plots derived from NFI datasets to estimate changes in forest carbon stocks. To date, the methodology has relied primarily on the U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) dataset and has therefore been limited to projects in the United States.

The objective of the proposed update is to enable broader use of dynamic baseline approaches in IFM projects outside of the United States. This change would be enabled through a new appendix that establishes criteria for evaluating the suitability of any NFI, which would enable projects in countries with suitable NFIs to apply the methodology. By establishing clear procedures for evaluating NFIs and integrating them into the matching framework, the revision would be available for high-quality IFM project development in additional countries while maintaining transparency and comparability across jurisdictions.

Verra will submit version 1.3 of VM0045 to ICVCM for their assessment. Currently, VM0045, v1.2 is approved as meeting the Core Carbon Principles (CCPs).

Please see the public consultation document for the full background and details about the proposed updates.

Verra is accepting feedback through its digital public consultation platform, which is hosted on the Verra Project Hub. Stakeholders will need to use the link provided to enter their personal details, confirm their email address, and access the online consultation form. For additional guidance, please review the user guide (PDF).

Comments may be submitted electronically via the online form by 11:59 pm Anywhere on Earth (UTC-12) on June 15, 2026. If you experience issues using the digital public consultation platform or have feedback on it, please contact hubsupport@verra.org.

In addition to the public consultation, Verra is currently accepting proposals for an independent expert review of the draft VM0045, v1.3.

For more information on the scope of work, deliverables, timelines, and requisite experience and qualifications, see the Request for Proposals documents. Please submit proposals by May 22, 2026, to methodologies@verra.org.