VCS Program Version 5 Resources

The VCS Version 5: Overview of VCS Program Updates and Effective Dates (PDF) document provides a list of all VCS Version 5 updates and their effective dates. This should be the first document that stakeholders refer to when they have questions about program updates.

In this document, updates are given a unique ID number to enable easy cross-reference. They are grouped in three categories: updates affecting project design, updates related to procedures, and updates related to methodology development. Stakeholders should note the following:

• Some updates apply to all projects, and some updates apply only to certain projects
• Effective dates are typically based on date of submission of a project request (e.g., listing request, registration request, verification approval request)

In October 2026, Verra changed the effective dates of most VCS Version 5 requirements from January 1, 2027, to July 1, 2027.

Most VCS Version 5 requirements become effective from 1 January 2027. If your project start date occurs before 1 January 2027, certain VCS Version 5 requirements do not yet apply until the next crediting period renewal or verification approval that includes a baseline reassessment submitted after 1 January 2030 (i.e., updates related to demonstrating the right to reductions and removals and the right to operate [V5#14], updates related to stakeholder engagement [V5#16, V5#58], and updates related to social and environmental safeguards [V5#17, V5#23]).

In October 2026, Verra changed the effective date for most VCS Version 5 requirements and the mandatory use of VCS Version 5 project template from January 1, 2027, to July 1, 2027.

Verra implemented this change based on feedback from a large number of projects seeking to complete audits and submit project review requests that were initiated under VCS Version 4. The new date was set to provide all involved stakeholders with additional time to complete this ongoing work under VCS Version 4.

Verra recognized that transitioning to a new program version requires significant effort from project proponents and VVBs and should not disrupt ongoing audits and project review processes. It sought to enable projects to complete ongoing audits under VCS Version 4, so they can dedicate their full attention at a later point to updating to VCS Version 5.

If you’re developing a new project under the VCS Program, whether to use the VCS Standard, v4.7 or the VCS Standard, v5.0 depends on the timing of your initial registration request. Most VCS Version 5 updates take effect from the date of initial registration request, and more information is available in the VCS Version 5: Overview of Program Updates and Effective Dates (PDF) document for VCS Version 5.

Since the registration request can only be submitted after validation is completed, the key factor is how long you expect validation to take. If you anticipate the validation process extending beyond 1 July 2027 or you expect that your registration request will be submitted after 1 July 2027, it’s best to plan ahead and develop your project under VCS Version 5.

Project proponents may also choose to submit their project under VCS Version 5 earlier, before the effective date, where the relevant templates and requirements are applied. Verra strongly recommends that stakeholders begin preparing Version 5 documentation as early as possible to support a smooth submission and review process.

If you have not yet started your validation or verification audit, or your public comment period, you should use the VCS Version 5 project templates for any new project request going forward. The applicable template version is determined by the date on which the relevant project request is submitted to Verra, so project proponents should plan ahead and allow sufficient time for potential delays during validation, verification, or other steps leading up to submission.

This will help ensure your project is aligned with the Version 5 requirements and avoid the need to transition to Version 5 templates later in the process. Verra strongly recommends that stakeholders begin preparing Version 5 documentation as early as possible to support a smooth submission and review process.

Registration requests submitted on or after July 1, 2027, must be submitted using VCS v5.0 templates, regardless of the template version that was used for the initial audit or public comment period. No exceptions to this effective date will be provided. Starting with Version 5 templates now will avoid the need to transition documentation later if the process extends beyond the effective date.

Verra has released two versions of each template: 5.0A and 5.0B. Project proponents and validation/verification bodies (VVBs) must use the version that aligns with the effective dates of VCS Version 5 updates that apply to their projects.

Version 5.0A templates must be used by projects with a project start date that occurs prior to 1 July 2027. These templates enable projects to continue reporting on certain requirements set out in the VCS Standard, v4.7 because the updated requirements in the VCS Standard, v5.0 do not yet apply to these projects. These requirements include the updates numbered in the VCS Version 5: Overview of VCS Program Updates and Effective Dates (PDF) document as follows:

• V5#14 (right to operate and right to reductions and removals)
• V5#16 (stakeholder engagement requirements)
• V5#17 (safeguard requirements)
• V5#23 (ecosystem conversion safeguards)
• V5#58 (financial transparency for benefit sharing)

Projects with a project start date that occurs prior to 1 July 2027 must eventually transition to the version 5.0B templates at their next crediting period renewal request or verification approval request that includes a baseline reassessment submitted on or after 1 January 2030.

Version 5.0B templates must be used by projects with a project start date that occurs on or after 1 July 2027. These templates enable projects to report on all requirements set out in the VCS Standard, v5.0. See the VCS Version 5: Overview of VCS Program Updates and Effective Dates (PDF) document for more details.

The updated templates must be used for all project requests submitted to Verra after 1 July 2027. This includes projects with audits that are already underway. If project proponents anticipate that their initial registration request, verification approval request, or crediting period renewal request will be submitted after 1 July 2027, both project proponents and VVBs must transition to the use of the new templates.

Yes, voluntary adoption of the updated VCS Version 5 templates before the effective date (July 1, 2027) is possible and encouraged. Projects may choose to be validated or verified against VCS Version 5 before their effective dates if the following conditions are met:

• They follow all updated VCS Version 5 requirements, noting that they can still apply effective date exemptions related to project start date and listing deadlines.
• The project uses an applicable VCS Version 5 project description or monitoring report template.
• The VVB assesses the project against VCS Version 5 requirements and uses and applicable VCS Version 5 validation or verification report template.

Similarly, projects may adopt the version v5.0B templates early if the project start date is prior to 1 July 2027, where all relevant requirements set out in the VCS Standard, v5.0 are applied.

The updated joint project templates for use under VCS Program Version 5 and CCBS Version 3 are available as of October 27, 2026. These templates have an effective date of July 1, 2027, and must be used for all project review requests submitted to Verra after that date.

If you have not yet started your validation or verification audit, or your public comment period, you should plan ahead and use the updated VCS Version 5 + CCBS Version 3 project templates. Any project requests submitted to Verra after July 1, 2027, must be submitted using the VCS v5.0 + CCB v3.0 templates, regardless of the template version that was used for the initial audit or public comment period.

The table below sets out the templates to be used based on the date of the project request submission. Note that the guidance below also applies to the corresponding validation/verification report templates.

For project requests submitted prior to July 1, 2027, the following applies:

For project requests submitted after July 1, 2027, the following applies:

In general, we do not approve exemptions related to program update effective dates. Please see the latest version of the Exemption Request Procedure, available on the VCS Rules and Requirements page.

The requirement to list a project on the Verra Registry project pipeline within one year of the initial crediting period start date is effective for all project types, for any pipeline listing requests received after July 1, 2027 (see section 3.8.2 of the VCS Standard, v5.0, available on the VCS Rules and Requirements page). This means that if a project is listed before July 1, 2027 (as either under development or under validation), then the updated listing deadline does not apply and the project must apply any applicable listing deadline set out in the VCS Standard, v4.7 (three years from the project start date, for AFOLU projects only).

The updated safeguard and stakeholder engagement updates are V5#14 (right to operate and right to reductions and removals), V5#16 (stakeholder engagement requirements), V5#17 (safeguards requirements), V5#23 (ecosystem conversion safeguards), and V5#58 (financial transparency for benefit sharing). These apply only to projects with a start date after 1 July 2027. All projects must transition to VCS Version 5 safeguard requirements after 1 January 2030.

These can be found in the VCS Standard, v5.0. In general, any new projects registering after 1 July 2027 must apply these new crediting period lengths and baseline reassessment intervals. Projects that are registered before this date have more time to transition. See VCS Version 5: Overview of VCS Program Updates and Effective Dates (PDF), update ID V5#101, for more information.

New grouped project requirements include changes to the application of capacity limits, limiting an eligibility area to not span more than one country, requiring the Grouped Project Batch Report when adding new instances, and only permitting instances to be added in the monitoring period they were implemented in. To view these requirements, see Section 3.5 of the VCS Standard, v5.0. For information on how these new requirements apply to registered projects, please see update V5#78 of the VCS Version 5: Overview of VCS Program Updates and Effective Dates (PDF).