September 2026 Newsletter

Welcome to Verra’s September Newsletter!

Earlier this week, Verra launched the Scope 3 Standard (S3S) Program, reaching a significant milestone in our efforts to support the scaling of corporate climate action.

The program provides a framework for quantifying, verifying, and certifying the outcomes of climate action projects inside companies’ value chains. It will help drive investment and scale to corporate climate action by enabling projects to generate Scope 3 Units (S3Us) that represent the climate impact of within-value chain projects. Companies can then use these units for credible reporting toward their emissions targets.

We look forward to sharing more details about the S3S Program during Climate Week NYC and IETA’s North American Climate Summit (NACS). There will be several opportunities to learn about our vision for the program and ask questions about it. In addition, Verra leadership will speak about several other topics that are currently shaping the carbon markets, such as community engagement, scaling jurisdictional REDD+, soil carbon removals, durability, and digital measurement, reporting, and verification. We will also have a booth at NACS and hope you’ll stop by!

In closing, we’re pleased to share that the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) has recognized version 5 of the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program as meeting the Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) criteria: the highest benchmark of quality in the voluntary carbon market.

Thank you for your continued engagement, and we hope to see many of you in New York next week.

• Verra Launches Scope 3 Standard Program, a Comprehensive Framework for Verifying Value Chain Climate Action Projects
• Verra at Climate Week NYC
• Verra Announces CCP-Eligible Status of VCS Version 5

Looking for more guidance as you develop and manage your project? These new resources can help you navigate the VCS project lifecycle, determine if version 5 requirements apply to your VCS project, and plan your review timeline for projects in any Verra program.

The VCS project lifecycle map provides a visual guide to the key stages and steps involved in developing and registering a VCS project, from onboarding and pipeline listing through registration, verification, issuance, and labeling. Use the map to understand the overall process, the actions required at each stage, and how those actions occur.

With the interactive resource guide, you can answer a few questions to quickly identify which requirements, dates, and next steps apply to your VCS project. Whether you are developing a new project or have already registered one, the guide will point you to the applicable requirements and updates, as well as the documents you need to use.

The Verra Timeline Calculator allows you to estimate review timelines for projects across all Verra programs based on our targeted service-level agreements (SLAs). Select your request type, program, and methodology to get started. Please note that you must be logged in to the Verra Project Hub to use the calculator.

• Verra Announces Additional Vetted Data Service Providers for ARR Methodology
• Consultation: Revision to Tidal Wetland and Seagrass Restoration Methodology (VM0033)
• Verra Inactivates Methodology for Energy Efficiency and Solid Waste Diversion
• Verra Approves Artio Insurance Policy for Use under Durability Pilot

• Verra Launches Scope 3 Standard Program to Catalyze Finance for Decarbonizing Value Chains

• Plastic Program Newsletter – Issue #9

Verra regularly invites proposals for independent expert review of revisions of existing methodologies or drafts of new methodologies. The following request for proposals is currently open:

• Request for Proposals for an independent expert review of a proposed major revision to VM0043 CO₂ Utilization in Concrete Production, v1.1 (deadline September 18, 2026 – please note that it has been extended from August 27, 2026)

Verra recently published the following corrections and clarifications document:

• Corrections and Clarifications to VM0010 Improved Forest Management: Conversion from Logged to Protected Forest, v1.3 and v1.4 (released September 4, 2026)

• Explainer video: Verra’s Scope 3 Standard Program
• Video podcast: Verra in Conversation: The New Scope 3 Standard Program
• Webinar recording: Training on VCS Version 5 Updates and Templates – Session A
• Webinar recording: Training on VCS Version 5 Updates and Templates – Session B
• Webinar recording: VMR0017 Grid-Connected Electricity Generation from Renewable Sources (ACM0002 Revision), v1.0: Overview

Join our upcoming sessions on the newly launched Scope 3 Standard Program:

• Verra’s New Scope 3 Standard Program: Overview – Wednesday, September 30, at 11:00 am ET
• Verra’s New Scope 3 Standard Program – Your Questions Answered – Wednesday, December 2, at 11:00 am ET

Mark your calendar for our final quarterly stakeholder update webinar of 2026:

• 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.