RULES AND REQUIREMENTS
Certification to the Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Standards demonstrates that a project simultaneously addresses climate change, supports local communities and smallholders, and conserves biodiversity.
The CCB Program has three different types of program documents: Requirements, Procedural, and Templates.
These documents are updated periodically. Please check this page to be sure you are using the latest version of a given document.
| Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards, v3.1 (PDF) | Issued: 21 June 2017 The CCB Standards set out all specific requirements for developing and monitoring projects that aim to deliver net benefits to climate, community and biodiversity. Use: Must be used for all projects for which a CCB Standards validation is initiated on or after 1 July 2014. Translations: Français – CCB Normes, v3.1 (PDF) Español – CCB Estándares, v3.1 (PDF) Português – CCB Padrões, v3.1 (PDF) |
| Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards, v2.0 (PDF) | Issued: December 2008 The CCB Standards set out all specific requirements for developing and monitoring projects that aim to deliver net benefits to climate, community and biodiversity. Use: Only available for use for projects validated to the second edition of the CCB Standards. Translations: bahasa Indonesia – CCB Standards, v2.0 (PDF) 中文 – CCB 标准, v2.0 (PDF) Español – CCB Estándares, v2.0 (PDF) Français – CCB Normes, v2.0 (PDF) 日本語 – CCB 標準, v2.0 (PDF) Português – CCB Padrões, v2.0 (PDF) Tiếng Việt – CCB Tiêu chuẩn, v2.0 (PDF) |
| Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards, v1.0 (PDF) | Issued: May 2005 The CCB Standards set out all specific requirements for developing and monitoring projects that aim to deliver net benefits to climate, community and biodiversity. Use: Only available for use for projects validated to the first edition of the CCB Standards. |
| CCB Program Definitions, v3.0 (PDF) | Issued: 21 June 2017 The CCB Program Definitions provides the definitions for terms used in the CCB Program documents. |
| Verra Program Fee Schedule, v1.0 (PDF) | Issued: 16 October 2024 The Verra Program Fee Schedule sets out the fees applicable under all Verra Programs. Please continue to also refer to CCB Program Fee Schedule, v3.6 (PDF), until all revised fees have taken effect on February 1, 2025. |
| CCB Program Rules, v3.1 (PDF) | Issued: 21 June 2017 The CCB Program Rules set out all rules and requirements governing the CCB Program including validation and verification against the CCB Standards, accreditation requirements for validation/verification bodies, communications related to the CCB Standards, including use of the CCB label, and project listing information. Notice: The following corrections and clarifications to the CCBS Program Rules, v3.1 have been published and will be incorporated into the next issued version of the document. The current version of the CCB Program Rules, v3.1 must be interpreted and applied consistently with the relevant corrections and clarifications. |
| Exemption Request Procedure, v1.0 (PDF) | Issued: 27 November 2024 The Exemption Request Procedure applies to all Verra programs. It provides criteria and requirements for project proponents and validation/verification bodies that wish to submit an exemption request to a Verra program rule or requirement. |
| All Versions | |
|---|---|
| Validation Statement, v3.0 (DOC) | Issued: 21 June 2017 Validation statement template for projects pursuing certification under any version of the CCB Program. |
| Verification Statement, v3.0 (DOC) | Issued: 21 June 2017 Verification statement template for projects pursuing certification under any version of the CCB Program. |
| Exemption Request Form, v1.0 (DOC) | Issued: 27 November 2024 Form to be completed by project proponents and validation/verification bodies requesting an exemption in line with the Exemption Request Procedure. |
| CCB Version 3 | |
|---|---|
| CCB Project Description, v3.0 (DOC) | Issued: 21 June 2017 Project description template for projects pursuing certification under the CCB Program independent of a recognized GHG program. |
| CCB and VCS Project Description Template, CCB v3.0, VCS v4.4 (DOC) | Issued: 21 June 2017 Last Updated: 3 May 2024 Effective Date: 1 January 2025 Joint project description template for the CCB Project Description Template, v3.0 and the VCS Project Description Template, v4.4 |
| CCB Monitoring Report, v3.0 (DOC) | Issued: 21 June 2017 Monitoring report template for projects pursuing certification under the CCB Program, Version 3, independent of a recognized GHG program. |
| CCB and VCS Monitoring Report Template, CCB v3.0, VCS v4.4 (DOC) | Issued: 21 June 2017 Last Updated: 3 May 2024 Effective date: 1 January 2025 Joint monitoring report template for the CCB Monitoring Report Template, v3.0 and the VCS Monitoring Report Template, v4.4 Guidance for Joint Template Use with CCB 2nd Edition, v1.0 (PDF) |
| CCB Validation Report, v3.0 (DOC) | Issued: 21 June 2017 Validation report template for projects pursuing certification under the CCB Program, Version 3, independent of a recognized GHG program. |
| CCB and VCS Validation Report Template, CCB v3.0, VCS v4.4 (DOC) | Issued: 21 June 2017 Last Updated: 3 May 2024 Effective date: 1 January 2025 Joint validation report template for the CCB Validation Report Template, v3.0 and the VCS Project Description Template, v4.4 |
| CCB Verification Report, v3.0 (DOC) | Issued: 21 June 2017 Verification report template for projects pursuing certification under the CCB Program, Version 3, independent of a recognized GHG program. |
| CCB and VCS Verification Report Template, CCB v3.0, VCS v4.4 (DOC) | Issued: 21 June 2017 Last Updated: 3 May 2024 Effective date: 1 January 2025 Joint verification report template for the CCB Verification Report Template, v3.0 and the VCS Verification Report Template, v4.4 |
| CCB Version 2 | |
|---|---|
| CCB Monitoring Report, v2.0 (DOC) | Issued: 21 June 2017 Monitoring report template for projects validated to the second edition of the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards and using the CCB Program independent of a recognized GHG program. |
| CCB and VCS Monitoring Report, CCB v2.0, VCS v3.4 (DOC) | Issued: 21 June 2017 Monitoring report template for projects validated to the second edition of the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards and using and VCS Program. |
| CCB and VCS Verification Report, CCB v2.0, VCS v3.4 (DOC) | Issued: 21 June 2017 Monitoring report template for projects validated to the second edition of the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards and using and VCS Program. |
| CCB Verification Report, v2.0 (DOC) | Issued: 21 June 2017 Verification report template for projects validated to the second edition of the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards and using the CCB Program independent of a recognized GHG program. |
| CCB Version 1 | |
|---|---|
| CCB Monitoring Report, v1.0 (DOC) | Issued: 21 June 2017 Monitoring report template for projects validated to the first edition of the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards and using the CCB Program independent of a recognized GHG program. |
| CCB and VCS Monitoring Report, CCB v1.0, VCS v3.4 (DOC) | Issued: 21 June 2017 Monitoring report template for projects CCB Verification Report, v1.0 (DOC) validated to the first edition of the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards and using and VCS Program. |
| Issued: 21 June 2017 Verification report template for projects validated to the first edition of the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards and using the CCB Program independent of a recognized GHG program. |
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| CCB and VCS Verification Report, CCB v1.0, VCS v3.4 (DOC) | Issued: 21 June 2017 Monitoring report template for projects validated to the first edition of the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards and using and VCS Program. |
| VVB | |
|---|---|
| Notice of Validation/Verification Services (NOS) form, v1.0 (DOC) | Issued: 29 August 2022 Notice of Validation/verification Services (NOS) form |
| VVB Application Form, v1.2 (DOC) | Issued: 27 July 2022 Validation/verification body application form |
| Verra VVB Agreement Template, v2.0 (DOC) | Issued: 6 March 2023 VVB agreement template |
| Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards, v3.0 (PDF) | Issued: December 2013 The CCB Standards set out all specific requirements for developing and monitoring projects that aim to deliver net benefits to climate, community and biodiversity. Use: No longer available for use for any project. Translations Español – CCB Estándares, v3.0 (PDF) Français – CCB Normes, v3.0 (PDF) Português – CCB Padrões, v3.0 (PDF) |
| Rules for the Use of the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards, v3.0 (PDF) | Issued: 12 December 2013 The Rules for the Use of the CCB Standards sets out all rules and requirements governing the CCB Program including validation and verification against the CCB Standards, accreditation requirements for validation/verification bodies, communications related to the CCB Standards, including use of the CCB label, and project listing information Use: No longer available for use for any project. |
| Rules for the Use of the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards, v2.0 (PDF) | Issued: 21 June 2010 The Rules for the Use of the CCB Standards sets out all rules and requirements governing the CCB Program including validation and verification against the CCB Standards, accreditation requirements for validation/verification bodies, communications related to the CCB Standards, including use of the CCB label, and project listing information Use: No longer available for use for any project. |
The CCB Standards provide a clear framework of issues to consider and processes to develop during design of any site-based activity that could impact local communities and the environment. Projects seeking to register in the CCB Standards Program will undergo a robust development and assessment process.
The CCB Standards provide a clear framework of issues to consider and processes to develop during design of any site-based activity that could impact local communities and the environment. Explore current CCB projects.
Projects interested in using the CCB Standards should start by consulting our requirements documents.
Combining with Other Standards
The CCB Program can be combined effectively with a recognized GHG program such as the VCS Program. Validation and verification to the CCB Standards provide assurances of the social and environmental quality of the project’s implementation, while the GHG program enables delivery of credits for quantified greenhouse gas emissions reductions or removals.
Streamlined Process: Combining with the Verified Carbon Standard
Use of the VCS together with the CCB Standards has been streamlined for both project developers and auditors. Project documentation and validation and verification report templates are available to make it easier and more cost effective to combine CCB Standards and VCS through all stages of project development and implementation. The use of the combined templates is required when using both standards. Please note that the CCB v3, VCS v3 templates are still compatible with VCS v4.
The CCB Label on GHG Credits
CCB-verified projects that also issue GHG credits with a recognized program must use a label to distinguish those credits. The CCB label is a permanent marker added to a GHG credit’s unique carbon registry identification code that allows offset buyers to identify credits from a project that has met the CCB Standards. Projects that have only earned validation to the CCB Standards are not yet eligible for the CCB label. See the Rules for the Use of the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards for more details.
VCS registry operators can add the CCB label to Verified Carbon Units. A CCB label fee is collected by the registries on behalf of Verra at the time the label is applied. This fee is used to support the management of the CCB Program. See the CCB Program Fee Schedule for more information.
Waiver of Climate Section of CCB Standards Third Edition
The climate section of the CCB Standards Third Edition is used to demonstrate a project’s net positive climate benefits and not for claiming GHG credits. The climate section is not required for projects using the Third Edition that have met the requirements of a recognized GHG program. Currently, the VCS Program is the only program that meets the requirements to be a recognized GHG program. Waiver of the climate section is not possible for use with the CCB Standards First and Second Editions.
VALIDATION AND VERIFICATION
Projects using the CCB Standards must be certified through a two-step process performed by independent, third-party auditors that includes
- Validation, which demonstrates that a project is designed to meet the requirements of the CCB Standards and will generate significant climate, community and biodiversity benefits; and
- Verification, which ensures that a project is being implemented according to the project design and, therefore, has provided climate, community, and biodiversity benefits.
VERRA REGISTRY
The Verra Registry is the cornerstone for the implementation of Verra’s standards and programs. It facilitates the transparent listing of information on registered projects and projects pursuing registration, issued and retired units, and enables the trading of units. It is the central repository for all information and documentation relating to Verra projects and credits. The Verra Registry also ensures the uniqueness of projects and credits in the system.
Verra Project Hub
The Verra Project Hub is an online platform that serves as a comprehensive tool for listing, registering, and managing projects in Verra’s standards programs.
It enables the submission and review of documentation for project validation, verification, and monitoring. Project proponents can use it to track progress, milestones, and deliverables. This enhances transparency and accessibility of project information and facilitates communication and collaboration among proponents, validation/verification bodies, and other stakeholders.
Note: Please note that the link below requires login details.
GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT
The CCB Standards were developed by the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA). Verra assumed management of the CCB Standards in November of 2014. Verra is committed to ensuring that the CCB Standards promote the generation of significant social and environmental benefits while adhering to good practices for the development and use of international social and environmental standards.
For a running catalog of all updates, see the Updates to the CCB Standards Version 3.
Grievance Redress Policy
Verra provides a Grievance Redress Policy that applies to all standards and programs managed by Verra.
FAQs for Review Procedures
This frequently asked questions (FAQ) document addresses review procedures in the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program; the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards (CCBS) Program; the Plastic Waste Reduction Program (Plastic Program); and the Sustainable Development Verified Impact Standard (SD VISta) Program.
Disclaimer: This FAQ document is current as of November 28, 2023. This FAQ document is provided for informational purposes only. The scope and nature of every review depends on the underlying facts and circumstances.