The United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has announced that the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program is eligible for the second phase, first compliance period (2027–2029) of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). The decision reaffirms the ICAO Council’s endorsement of the VCS Program as one of the most trusted and rigorously governed carbon credit programs globally and significantly increases the number of Verified Carbon Units (VCUs) that may become eligible for CORSIA labels.

ICAO also published an updated CORSIA Eligible Emissions Units (PDF) document with detailed information about all credit categories and vintages that are eligible for the second phase of the first compliance period of CORSIA. With regard to the VCS Program’s eligibility, ICAO also reverted some exclusions included in its eligibility decisions for the first phase (2024–2026) of CORSIA.

What's In and What's Out

Reversal of Exclusions from Eligibility for CORSIA First Phase

Verified Carbon Units (VCUs) from projects using the following methodologies were originally excluded from eligibility for the first phase of CORSIA but are now eligible for the first and second phase of CORSIA:

Details about Eligibility for CORSIA Second Phase

For the second phase, first compliance period of CORSIA, all VCUs are, in principle, covered by the eligibility decision. ICAO has excluded VCUs from the following project types or methodologies:

  • Projects using VM0052 Accelerated Retirement of Coal-Fired Power Plants Using a Just Transition along with VMD0060 Combined Baseline and Additionality Assessment for Accelerated Retirement of Coal-fired Power Plants. ICAO’s Technical Advisory Body (TAB) will further assess this methodology and module at its next meeting in 2026.
  • Projects using clean cooking solutions that calculate the fraction on non-renewable biomass (fNRB) according to CDM TOOL 30.
    • Note: All cookstove projects in the VCS Program must transition to VM0050 for vintages of 2027 or later.
  • CCS projects using VM0049 Carbon Capture and Storage that are not consistent with the Regulatory Scheme CORSIA Eligibility Requirements for Geological CCS Projects
  • Projects that have not quantitatively demonstrated that the baseline(s) are set below the business-as-usual level of emissions or, for non-traditional activities (e.g., jurisdiction-scale programs), that baselines avoid over-estimating mitigation from an activity.

Next Steps

  • Verra will continue to work with ICAO’s Technical Advisory Board to understand and address the existing and new exclusions.
  • Verra will incorporate the details of CORSIA’s latest eligibility decisions into an updated version of the CORSIA Label Guidance document and release it in the coming weeks.
  • Verra recently took the following key steps towards fully operationalizing labels indicating that VCUs from 2021 onward are eligible for use under the Carbon Offsetting Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA):
    • It published the finalized criteria for insurance products intended to cover carbon credits from 2021 onward, where both the host country and the aircraft operator might claim the same emission reductions (double claiming).
    • It also published its CORSIA Accounting Representation Deed that such insurers will sign to indicate their willingness to compensate for any VCUs affected by double claiming.
    • A list of eligible insurance carriers/products will be available in the near future.
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Verra has published updated service level agreements (SLAs) for project review requests. The revised SLAs differentiate between request type, program(s) used, and a newly introduced complexity level factor of a given project review request to provide proponents with more specific and nuanced information about when they can expect completion of their requests (i.e., registration, verification, crediting project renewal). The new format also more clearly distinguishes between the process times during different review rounds (initial round, second, or third). This change gives project proponents greater visibility into the status of their requests and the expected timelines associated with project review.

The new review complexity factor is based on a specific project’s individual characteristics and is used to adjust the technical review and PRR technical review durations of project review requests where applicable. (See the SLA Complexity Factors and How They Work webpage.) The complexity levels are regular, high, and very high and are calculated as follows:

  • The presence of one complexity factor increases the time for the regular technical review and PRR technical review SLAs by a factor of 1.25 (resulting in a high complexity review).
  • The presence of two or more complexity factors increases the time for the regular technical review and PRR technical review SLAs by a factor of 1.5 (resulting in a very high complexity review).

Verra reserves the right to exclude review requests from our SLA when they are significantly delayed by issues largely out of Verra’s control. In those cases, proponents will be informed that the typical SLAs do not apply and why. Review times for these requests will be excluded from SLA average reporting.

Verra began publishing targeted service level agreements and average processing times for project review requests in the Verra Project Hub in February 2024 to establish clear performance benchmarks regarding project review times.

The new SLAs are effective November 1, 2025, and can be found in the Project Tracker on the Verra Project Hub. Verra has been tracking the complexity level of project review requests that have been submitted since October 1, 2025. Since the three-month rolling average calculations are based on project review requests closed during the previous three months, those averages will reflect the new complexity levels about six months from now.

Please also visit the Frequently Asked Questions: Project Tracker webpage for more information.

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Verra has opened a Request for Applications (PDF) from qualified experts experienced in digital soil mapping (DSM) models or hybrid approaches such as DSM models combined with biogeochemical models (BGCMs). Successful applicants will serve as independent modeling experts (IMEs) to review DSM Model Validation Reports (DSM-MVRs) from projects using the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) tool VT0014 Estimating Organic Carbon Stocks Using Digital Soil Mapping.

Approved DSM-IMEs will be added to a publicly available roster on the Verra website and may be contracted by validation/verification bodies (VVBs) to support assessments of projects’ VT0014 use. Verra does not contract DSM-IMEs.

The roles and responsibilities of an approved IME are as follows:

  • Review, assess, and write up findings on DSM-MVR documents to confirm whether use of a DSM model is consistent with the guidance and requirements of VT0014.
  • Ensure compliance with the relevant VCS methodologies and modules and their guidance on quantification approaches for soil organic carbon using models and measurements. Methodologies and modules that may be used in conjunction with VT0014 include the following:
    • VM0032 Methodology for the Adoption of Sustainable Grasslands through Adjustment of Fire and Grazing
    • VM0042 Improved Agricultural Land Management
    • VMD0053 Model Calibration, Validation, and Uncertainty Guidance for Biogeochemical Modeling for Agricultural Land Management Projects (for use case 1 in VT0014)
  • Coordinate with VVBs to resolve the IME’s findings
  • Issue IME evaluation reports

For more information on the scope of work, deliverables, timelines, and requisite skills and qualifications, please see the Request for Applications. Verra is accepting applications until otherwise noted and will review submissions on a rolling basis.

As of November 1, 2025, Verra will fully digitalize a key element of its project review process. From that date forward, all project review reports (PRRs) will be processed digitally through the Verra Project Hub (external). PRRs are the main way through which Verra communicates findings resulting from project reviews with validation/verification bodies (VVBs).

The digital PRR allows VVBs to prepare and submit responses to Verra’s PRRs and the required documentation directly through the Verra Project Hub. This will enhance efficiency by reducing the need for submitting documents and revisions via email. The digital PRR automates review rounds, provides real-time status updates, and securely stores data for future analysis.

This milestone marks a major step toward the complete digitalization of Verra’s project review process, which is expected to launch in the coming months.

Verra thanks all stakeholders who provided feedback during the development and testing of the digital PRR.

Please email hubsupport@verra.org to request access to the Verra Project Hub.

Verra wishes to remind proponents of projects using Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program methodology VM0042 Improved Agricultural Land Management that they must use soil data that meets the minimum sampling depth requirement of 30 centimeters for model inputs (qualification approach 1) or measured values (qualification approach 2) for ex post quantification of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock changes.

The 30 cm depth for soil carbon stock quantification is a standard used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to estimate and report changes in SOC stocks in mineral soils, as the top 30 cm is most impacted by land management changes. Relying on data from shallower depths increases the uncertainty of the impact of agricultural land management practices.

This requirement also applies to data measured to less than 30 cm depth from government sources, such as the following:

  • India: Soil Health Card (SHC) data that includes SOC measurement at depths of 15 or 20 cm
  • European Union: LUCAS (Land Use/Cover Area frame statistical Survey) Topsoil Survey data that includes SOC measurements at depths of 0–10 and 10–20 cm
  • Ethiopia: EthioSIS (Ethiopia Soil Information System) data that includes SOC measurements at 0–20 cm

Projects may use data that does not meet the 30 cm depth requirement only for model calibration and validation under quantification approach 1, provided that the following conditions are met:

  • The modeling outputs reflect SOC stock changes to a depth of at least 30 cm.
  • The extrapolation method used to reach 30 cm is clearly and transparently described.

To be able to proceed with verification, projects must submit project-specific SOC measurements that fully comply with all VM0042 requirements, including depth, sampling protocols, and standards for quality control and quality assurance.

Verra has published corrections and clarifications to two agriculture methodologies and one tool in the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program: VM0032 Methodology for the Adoption of Sustainable Grasslands through Adjustment of Fire and Grazing, v1.0; VM0042 Improved Agricultural Land Management, v2.1; and VT0014 Estimating Organic Carbon Stocks Using Digital Soil Mapping, v1.0.

Projects using these methodologies and the tool facilitate the scaling up of soil carbon sequestration activities, an important nature-based solution to climate mitigation.

The corrections and clarifications include updates that enable the use of VT0014 with the active versions of VM0032 and VM0042, as well as guidance on the calculation of the mean change in soil organic carbon stocks.

Corrections and Clarifications

Below, please find a summary of the corrections and clarifications for each document:

A digital form to request Core Carbon Principles (CCP) labels is now available on the Verra Project Hub (external). The CCP Label Request Form facilitates requests from project proponents who wish to apply Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) CCP labels to the Verified Carbon Units (VCUs) that their projects generate.

Verra will automatically apply CCP labels to eligible VCUs where projects use an ICVCM-approved methodology and sufficient information is available to confirm eligibility at the time of issuance.

Please note that the form only allows requests to be made by projects using CCP-approved methodologies and frameworks, which are currently as follows:

A guidance document outlining Verra’s process for CCP labeling, ICVCM CCP Label Guidance (PDF), provides further details and instructions for requesting labels.

Verra has published a Request for Proposals (RFP) (PDF) for an independent expert review of a major revision to the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) methodology VM0042 Improved Agricultural Land Management, v2.1, as well as to the VCS module VMD0053 Model Calibration, Validation, and Uncertainty Guidance for Biogeochemical Modeling for Agricultural Land Management Projects, v2.1.

The ongoing major revisions to VM0042 and VMD0053 will result in versions 3.0 of the methodology and module.

Under the scope of the major revision to VM0042, Verra has worked with diverse technical contributors to prepare the following draft revision documents:

  • A red-lined version of the draft VM0042, v3.0
  • A draft of the new Soil Sampling and Analysis Handbook
  • A red-lined version of the draft VMD0053, v3.0, including an accompanying new Model Calibration and Validation Report Template

Verra expects that the independent expert review will start during the public consultation on the revisions to VM0042 and VMD0053.

Independent expert reviewers may submit a proposal to review all three draft revision documents or conduct a partial review with a focus on soil sampling and analysis, biogeochemical modeling, or woody biomass quantification. Verra welcomes proposals from academics, researchers, practitioners, consultants, validation/verification bodies (VVBs), and other experts with demonstrated experience in agronomy and using VM0042 and VMD0053.

Proposals must be submitted by email with the methodology development ID# M0264 in the subject line by August 15, 2025, to methodologies@verra.org. Verra plans to finalize the selection of the consultant(s) by August 31, 2025, with the work to begin as soon as possible after then.

For more information on the scope of work, deliverables, timelines, and requisite skills and qualifications, please see the RFP document.

Verra has resumed the review of registration and/or verification approval requests for some Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) projects whose contracted validation/verification bodies (VVBs) were subsequently suspended by Verra earlier this year.

In March, Verra announced suspension measures against four VVBs following their involvement in auditing the 37 rice cultivation projects in China that Verra rejected in 2024. The affected VVBs are China Classification Society Certification Company (CCSC), China Quality Certification Center (CQC), CTI Certification CO., LTD., and TÜV Nord Cert GmbH. The suspension measures were limited to specific scopes in select programs. (See the original press release for more details.) At that time, Verra also stated that it would not approve any existing registration and/or verification approval requests that include audits by the affected VVBs for the specific audit types from which they have been suspended.

Verra has now decided that affected projects can have their requests reviewed if they meet the following criteria:

  • The proponent submitted the registration and/or verification approval request, including all required documents, prior to the VVB suspension.
  • The proponent has paid all required fees in full.
  • The leader of the audit team for the project was not involved in auditing any of the rejected rice projects.
  • The VVB that audited the project documents for the registration and/or approval request and provided the validation and/or verification opinion met the following requirements:
    • The VVB was accredited by a recognized accreditation body for ISO 14065, or was UNFCCC-accredited to audit the relevant project types under the applicable sectoral scope (e.g., scopes 14 and 15 of the Clean Development Mechanism [CDM]); and
    • The VVB was approved by Verra to audit projects under sectoral scope 14: AFOLU in the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program.

After careful consideration of submissions received via its grievance redress policy (PDF), Verra decided that projects can have their requests reviewed if they meet the above criteria. Verra will contact projects that meet the criteria and are eligible to have their registration and/or verification approval requests reviewed.

The registration and/or verification approval requests will undergo Verra’s robust review process and be subject to rigorous quality control procedures before a final decision on these requests is reached. Verra’s reopening of a project review request does not guarantee approval of this request.

Verra has released a minor clarification to the Verra Program Fee Schedule, v.1.0 (PDF). The Clarification to Verra Program Rules and Requirements (PDF) notes that all fees associated with the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program also apply to the VCS Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ (JNR) Framework, unless otherwise stated.

The VCS JNR Framework is the world’s first accounting and verification framework for jurisdictional REDD+ programs and nested projects and helps entities with forest-related emission reduction activities to integrate their efforts into governmental climate goals. The framework is an integrated part of the VCS Program. The key elements of the VCS Program, such as regular auditing and VCS Program fees, apply equally to JNR programs and nested projects.

For any questions about JNR Framework fees, please contact registry@verra.org. Jurisdictional program proponents should contact Verra directly if payment plans or alternative arrangements are needed.