Verra has launched a public consultation for a minor revision (methodology development ID #M0298) to Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Module VMD0055 Estimation of Emission Reductions from Avoiding Unplanned Deforestation, v1.0. VMD0055 describes the procedures and methods for accounting for the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions from projects that aim to avoid unplanned deforestation. It must be used along with VCS Methodology VM0048 Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, v1.0.

The proposed updates to VMD0055 will help support the methodology’s high integrity, its applicability to a wider range of projects, and its alignment with the Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) established by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM). The updates include the following:

• Adding forest management activities (e.g., harvesting trees to generate income, fiber, or fuel) in the project scenario
• Ensuring the full alignment of VMD0055 with VT0007 Unplanned Deforestation Allocation (UDef-A), v1.0, and its process for data allocation to projects
• Clarifying the distinction between mandatory and optional carbon sources and pools
• Clarifying spatial resolution and mapping requirements, mapping terminology, and the scope of the jurisdictional sampling frame
• Clarifying the duration for which a project can use allocated activity data

To provide feedback on the proposed revisions, please complete the M0298 VMD0055 Comment Template (xlsx) and send it to methodologies@verra.org by September 9, 2024.

Verra hosted a webinar on Friday, August 23, at 11:00 am ET, to provide an overview of the methodology and the proposed changes.

Verra, in partnership with an Amazon-led working group, has launched the ABACUS label, a new market label that can be applied to Verified Carbon Units (VCUs) from projects verified to the new Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) methodology (VM0047) in Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program. The label is now available on the Verra Registry.

Development of the label was supported by a working group that included representatives from Amazon, Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, Environmental Defense Fund, Pachama, Terra Carbon, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, SCS Global Services, and University of California, Berkeley.

The ABACUS label identifies carbon credits generated under Verra’s high-integrity ARR methodology that exceed the methodology’s requirements, enabling Verra and stakeholders to test new concepts that further advance credit integrity and quality.
The availability of the ABACUS label will help catalyze the market for such high-integrity greenhouse gas removal credits that qualify for it.

Projects wishing to apply the ABACUS label to their VCUs must go beyond the requirements of Verra’s ARR methodology in the following aspects:

• Dynamic additionality: Building on VM0047, projects must rigorously match and observe control areas to measure project additionality in real time.
• Transparency: Projects must publish all inventory measurements, justify modeling approaches, and report on disturbance monitoring annually in the project area.
• Permanence: Projects must restore to diverse, ecologically appropriate ecosystems, while regularly updating their carbon stock stabilization strategy throughout and after the crediting period.
• Avoided displacement of food production: Projects must effectively maintain or enhance agricultural production in the project area and surrounding landscape

The launch of this label follows a public consultation that ran from November 15, 2023, through January 8, 2024. Verra received 130 comments from 11 stakeholders during the consultation; this feedback is summarized in the ABACUS Label Public Consultation Response document.

As with all its methodologies and standards programs, Verra will continuously update the ABACUS label to ensure that it reflects the best and most recent science and technology. For example, Verra expects to revise the label when revised versions of VM0047 and the associated VMD0054 Module for Estimating Leakage from ARR Activities are published.

Verra has released a guidance document titled ABACUS Label Guidance, v1.0, which contains the eligibility criteria, requirements, and procedure for project proponents wishing to apply the ABACUS label to their VCUs.

Please contact programupdates@verra.org with any questions about the ABACUS label.

Verra has published a Request for Proposals (RFP) (PDF) for validation/verification bodies (VVBs) to review the draft of the Methodology for Accelerated Coal-Fired Power Plant Retirement Using a Just Transition (methodology development ID #M0233) in the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program.

The methodology quantifies the emissions avoided by retiring power plants before the end of their expected operational period. It also requires the pairing of new renewable energy-generating capacity with the retired coal capacity to prevent leakage. Any residual leakage is accounted for by applying conservative discounts for all emissions from grid electricity needed to replace the retired plant.

The methodology can have a high impact on the energy sector by enabling owners or operators of coal-fired power plants to access finance that can support an early retirement of the plant without impacting ratepayers or preventing the plant operators or owners from meeting other fiduciary obligations. The methodology also includes comprehensive requirements to ensure a just transition for local communities and vulnerable groups who will be affected by the retirement of such plants.

The VVB assessment will align with procedures set out in section 6 of the Methodology Development and Review Process, v4.4 (PDF), but will focus exclusively on the following:

• Structure, clarity, and consistency of the methodology
• Greenhouse gas quantification
• Baseline date assessment
• Additionality assessment
• Verifiability

This alternative approach is allowed for per section 2.1.2 of the Methodology Development and Review Process, v4.4.

The draft methodology was open for public consultation between December 4, 2023, and January 16, 2024. It has been developed under the Coal to Clean Credit Initiative (CCCI), led by the Rockefeller Foundation (external).

Verra is inactivating Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Methodology VM0022 Quantifying N₂O Emissions Reductions in Agricultural Crops through Nitrogen Fertilizer Rate Reduction, v1.1 as of July 1, 2024. This methodology quantified reductions of N₂O emissions from cropping systems.

VM0022 has been inactivated for the following reasons:

• Since the methodology was published in 2013, no project registered in the VCS Program has used it. Per section 5.1.4 of the Methodology Development and Review Process, v4.4 (PDF), Verra may make a VCS methodology inactive where no projects using the methodology have been registered within five years of the last update or review.
• It uses an outdated approach for quantifying N₂O emission reductions.
• The methodology’s greenhouse gas (GHG) quantification approaches do not provide a full accounting of potential GHG emissions, including changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks.

Due to this inactivation, Verra will no longer continue with the major revision to VM0022 (methodology development ID #M0163). Instead, Verra is scoping updated nitrogen management and N₂O reduction approaches and guidance as part of a major revision to VM0042 Methodology for Improved Agricultural Land Management, v2.0, which would result in version 3.0 of the methodology (methodology development ID #M0264).

Verra invites interested stakeholders to complete a pre-consultation survey (external) on the revision toward VM0042, v3.0. The survey includes questions on respondents’ interest in expanding activities for nitrogen management and on the latest approaches to N₂O emission measurement and quantification.

Verra has launched a public consultation on proposed revisions (PDF) (methodology development ID #M0288) to VM0010 Methodology for Improved Forest Management: Conversion from Logged to Protected Forest, v1.3 in the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program. The changes would improve the methodology’s applicability conditions. Verra has also released a correction and clarification document to correct several equations in the methodology.

VM0010 quantifies the greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits generated from preventing the logging of forests. This methodology is applicable where the baseline scenario includes selective logging and where a project ensures that forest use is limited to activities that do not result in commercial timber harvest or forest degradation. Eligible ecosystems include tropical, temperate, and boreal forests.

The proposed revisions clarify applicability conditions and exclude activities that would take place on planted forests.

To provide feedback on the proposed revisions, please submit the M0288 VM0010 Comment Template (XLSX) by July 10, 2024.

The “Corrections and Clarifications to VM0010 ” (PDF) applies to all projects in the VCS Program that are using this methodology. It is effective as of June 10, 2024. The corrections pertain to equations governing GHG emissions flux quantification.

These proposed updates are part of Verra’s efforts to strengthen the VCS Program’s Improved Forest Management methodologies. They fall under Verra’s commitment to enhanced program impact and integrity, as outlined in the New Era for Verra initiative.

Verra has launched a public consultation on proposed revisions (methodology development ID #M0273) to Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Methodology VM0047 Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation, v1.0 and the associated module VMD0054 Module for Estimating Leakage from ARR Activities, v1.0. The proposed updates will facilitate the adoption of the new Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) methodology by clarifying the applicability conditions for a census-based approach.

The suggested revisions, which are based on stakeholder feedback, include the following:

• Clarifications to the georeferencing requirements associated with the census-based approach, which applies to contiguous areas of less than one hectare and is best suited to dispersed planting activities (e.g., urban forestry, agroforestry, shelterbelts, revegetation that does not meet the forest definition)
• Clarifications around options to account for the clearing of degraded ecosystems for site preparation
• Updates to equation numbers, footnotes, and cross-references

The proposed revision to VMD0054 is a minor correction to the definition of leakage mitigation areas.

These revisions demonstrate Verra’s commitment to continuously improving its methodologies, which falls under the “Enhanced Program Integrity and Impact” priority area of the New Era for Verra initiative.

To provide feedback, please submit the M0273 VM0047 Comment Template (XLSX) by June 24, 2024.

Verra is advancing jurisdictional deforestation risk mapping in an initial set of jurisdictions (see Table 1 below). This risk mapping process is the critical final step before jurisdictional deforestation activity data can be made available for allocation to projects using Verra’s new REDD methodology (Verified Carbon Standard [VCS] Methodology VM0048 Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, v1.0) and the new module for Avoided Unplanned Deforestation (AUD) activities (VCS Module VMD0055 Estimation of Emission Reductions from Avoiding Unplanned Deforestation, v1.0).

Jurisdictional risk mapping involves taking the gathered deforestation activity data across a jurisdiction and allocating it to projects based on deforestation risk. This will enable projects using VM0048 and VMD0055 to determine their crediting baselines.

Verra is working with Clark Labs (external) to develop risk maps for the first 12 jurisdictions. This effort builds on the previous collaboration between Verra and Clark Labs, which resulted in the development of the VCS Tool VT0007 Unplanned Deforestation Allocation (UDef-A), v1.0. VT0007 launched in February 2024 and will be used to develop the risk maps. It offers a unified approach for risk mapping and allocation that applies to both VM0048 and the Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ (JNR) Framework.

The risk mapping process will involve using VT0007 to deliver a benchmark and at least two alternative risk maps for each of the jurisdictions.

Verra is continuing to update and/or inactivate its existing REDD methodologies and modules and provide guidance for proponents of Avoiding Unplanned Deforestation projects as they transition their projects to Verra’s transformative new REDD methodology, VM0048 Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation. (Please also see the previous program notice on initial methodology updates and inactivations.)

Verra has made the following updates to VM0015 Methodology for Avoided Unplanned Deforestation, v1.1:

• Incorporated the December 13, 2014, erratum regarding the omission of error propagation
• Incorporated the November 3, 2017, clarification regarding post-deforestation carbon stock increase
• Excluded accounting for carbon stock enhancement
• Added a requirement to determine the most plausible baseline scenario
• Added a stepwise process for testing greenhouse gas emissions significance
• Excluded the modeling approach to project future deforestation
• Updated requirements to delineate the reference region

The following effective dates pertain to the use of VM0015, v1.1:

• For new projects and projects where the public comment period has not been initiated (i.e., where the proponent has not yet requested pipeline listing “under validation”) before December 19, 2023, proponents have until March 19, 2024, to do so to continue using VM0015, v1.1.
• For projects where a public comment period has been initiated or will be initiated before March 15, 2024, proponents have until March 19, 2025, to complete validation using VM0015, v1.1. If their projects have been successfully validated by then, proponents may be able to use VM0015, v1.1 until they have to transition to VM0048 or until the next baseline reassessment or crediting period renewal, whichever is the earliest.
• For projects validated using previous versions of the methodology, proponents may be able to use these versions until they have to transition to VM0048 or until the next baseline reassessment or crediting period renewal, whichever is the earliest.
• All other project proponents must use VM0015, v1.2 until they have to transition to VM0048.

Verra is making minor updates to VMD0051 Methods for Monitoring of Carbon Stock Changes and Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals in Tidal Wetland Restoration and Conservation Project Activities (M-TW), which is used with VM007 REDD+ Methodology Framework (REDD+MF). These changes align VMD0051 with Verra’s new Non-Permanence Risk Tool for Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use, which now incorporates risks associated with sea-level rise.

The updated version, VMD0051, v1.1, is effective immediately.

Verra is also inactivating VMD0012 Estimation of Emissions from Displacement of Fuelwood Extraction (LK-DFW), v1.0, as this module relates exclusively to avoided forest degradation and is no longer referred to in any active methodology.

The grace periods for the inactivation of VMD0012 are as follows:

• Projects that are listed (or requested pipeline listing) under development using VMD0012 must request pipeline listing under validation within three months of the announcement, i.e., before March 19, 2024.
• Project proponents that have initiated or will initiate a public comment period before March 19, 2024, have until December 19, 2024, to complete validation with VMD0012. If they complete validation by then, projects may continue to use this module until their next baseline reassessment or crediting period renewal, whichever is the earliest.
• Projects validated under VMD0012 may continue to use it until their next baseline reassessment or crediting period renewal, whichever is the earliest.

Verra would like to remind project proponents that the new rules and requirements for the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program related to the updated Non-Permanence Risk Tool (NPRT) for Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) projects and 40-year longevity period will come into effect as of January 1, 2024. These new requirements were published in the August 29, 2023, VCS Program updates and are summarized in the “August 2023 Overview of VCS Program Updates and Effective Dates” document (PDF). In September, Verra issued additional corrections and clarifications to the VCS Program rules and requirements related to some of these effective dates.

• As of January 1, 2024, project proponents must use the new version of the AFOLU Non-Permanence Risk Tool and generate Non-Permanence Risk Reports using the new Risk Assessment Calculator. The AFOLU NPRT, v4.2 (PDF) was released along with the VCS Program updates in August 2023, and a digital version of the tool, the AFOLU Non-Permanence Risk Assessment Calculator, recently became available on the Verra Project Hub. For more information about using the digital calculator, see the recent training webinar. Please email hubsupport@verra.org with any further questions.
• Updates to the VCS Standard and the AFOLU Non-Permanence Risk Tool require a 40-year project longevity period and associated monitoring and compensation agreements (see VCS Standard, v4.5 [PDF], Section 3.2.11, and AFOLU NPRT, v4.2 [PDF], Section 2.2.4 [6][d] and Table 4). These requirements are effective for all project proponents who request registration on or after January 1, 2024. For any questions, please email programupdates@verra.org.

Verra announced today that, for the first time, it has applied Article 6 authorized labels to VCUs from a project registered in the Verified Carbon Standard Program.

Labels that identify Verified Carbon Units (VCUs) authorized for use under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement have been available on the Verra Registry as of August 2023. These labels are a key tool to support cooperative approaches to implement the Paris Agreement, driving finance to activities that accelerate global climate action.

Verra applied the Article 6 labels to VCUs issued to the DelAgua Live Well Clean Cookstove Programme (external) in Rwanda, which has worked in partnership with the Government of Rwanda for 12 years. DelAgua recently received Letters of Authorization (LOA) signed by the Rwanda Environment Management Authority, the authority designated by the Government of Rwanda to issue authorizations under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. As described in Verra’s Article 6 Label Guidance (PDF), the LOA is a critical step toward obtaining Article 6 VCU labels and demonstrates Rwanda’s commitment to completing corresponding adjustments in its reporting under the Paris Agreement.

While the VCUs from DelAgua Live Well Clean Cookstove Programme in Rwanda are the first to receive Verra’s Article 6 Authorization labels, three other DelAgua projects have also submitted similar LOAs from the Rwanda Environment Management Authority that will enable labeling of future VCU issuances.

Project proponents may request Article 6 Labels during a project’s verification approval request, or at any time thereafter, through the Verra Registry under “Additional Certifications” on the project’s Verification Summary page.

The project proponent may apply for up to three Article 6 Labels, which transparently display the host Party authorized use(s) specified in the Letter of Authorization. The three available Article 6 Labels are:

• Article 6 Authorized – NDC Use
• Article 6 Authorized – International mitigation purposes
• Article 6 Authorized – Other purposes

An Article 6 Label request will be assessed by Verra after the project’s relevant verification is approved for VCU issuance. Verra assesses whether the submitted Letter of Authorization meets the eligibility criteria contained in Section 3 of the guidance are met before approving or rejecting the Article 6 Label(s). Approved Article 6 Labels for VCUs will be publicly visible on the Verra Registry.