Dear Colleague,

Before we all take off for summer vacation, I would like to share with you a few new developments at Verra.

Broadening Our Scope

We are tremendously excited to have announced the launch of the 3R Initiative (3RI), which is named for its objectives of reducing, recovering and recycling plastic waste. The 3RI is — after the launch of the Sustainable Development Verified Impact Standard (SD VISta) — another example of how we have expanded our scope of engagement beyond carbon. We are currently recruiting the Development Committee for the 3RI Project Standard. Please take a look to see if this might interest you!

Also, last Friday, we submitted an application for VCUs to be included as eligible emissions units for the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). We are looking forward to seeing how this process plays out.

Additionally, Verra has been working to advance solutions to the challenges faced by REDD+ projects integrating or “nesting” within national and subnational jurisdictional REDD+ programs. To this end, we are developing new rules and guidance which we anticipate to be released for public consultation in late 2019. In the interim, Verra encourages VCS REDD+ projects to take steps towards nesting within existing or emerging national or sub-national REDD+ programs. We also recently released new high-level, preliminary guidance (en Español) on nesting for VCS REDD+ projects.

Let Your Voice Be Heard

We had and will have several public consultations in place which I encourage you to check out and consider engaging in. For example, we just closed two large consultations: one for Version 4 of the Verified Carbon Standard, which we anticipate launching in the fall, and one for the ICAT series of guidance, which helps countries assess the impacts of their climate policies. Next month, we will be opening the public consultation for LandScale (formerly Landscape Standard), a new standards framework designed to help drive landscape-scale sustainability, so be on the lookout for an announcement on the Verra website in the near future. To learn more about LandScale, check out this informative summary.

Also, as always, any project that begins the VCS or CCB certification process is posted for public comment here. We encourage all stakeholders to engage in this process as much as possible and greatly appreciate and take into consideration any input we receive.

In other news, our VCS portfolio of methodologies now includes a new methodology for road paving in the United States; learn more about it here.

Growing Outside and In

To reflect Verra’s broadened scope of work, we have made some important additions to the team. Specifically, we have added two new members to Verra’s Board of Directors: Jim Cannon, CEO and founder of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, and Andrea Guerrero García who currently serves as Senior Advisor at Mission 2020. We look forward to Jim’s and Andrea’s contributions to the organization.

  • Jim Cannon has worked on a wide range of fisheries, forestry, and conservation issues in Asia, Europe, and the Americas, and served as advisor to McDonald’s and Walmart on seafood sustainability since 2004. Jim also was a member of the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC’s) Technical Advisory Board from 2005 to 2008. He brings a wealth of certification and conservation experience to the organization.
  • Andrea Guerrero García brings added depth on climate change given her current role supporting Christiana Figueres’ global campaign to accelerate climate action, and also as a result of her various important climate-related positions in Colombia’s Ministry of Environment and UNDP and as a climate change negotiator for Colombia.

We have also added a number of new staff members: Julia Philpott joined as us our new Manager, Program Operations; Anna Mortimer is a new Junior Program Officer; and Christopher Daley and Matt Borden are two new Program Officers; Sneha Balasubramanian is working as Program Officer with the newly-launched 3R Initiative; Renata Lozano Giral is supporting the LandScale team as a Program Officer; Carina Bracer is our new Manager, Market Development; and Sara Mickens is Verra’s new Human Resources Generalist. We are delighted to welcome them on board!

Don’t Forget to Vote!

Every year, Environmental Finance runs a survey to rank the leading traders, project developers, service providers and voluntary standards operating in the voluntary carbon market. Let your voice be heard and vote! This year’s survey is open until Friday, July 26.

Have a Wonderful Summer!

As you can see, there is a lot happening here at Verra. With summer already in full swing here in the Northern Hemisphere, I myself am getting ready to explore a part of the Amazon – a region that is so critical and indispensable to the work we do.

Sincerely,

David Antonioli, CEO, Verra