Verra has submitted feedback to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the draft design of the proposed Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program under the Growing Climate Solutions Act. In February 2024, the USDA announced its intent (external) to establish this program, which would enable America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to participate in the voluntary carbon market by identifying high-integrity protocols (i.e., methodologies) for generating carbon credits.
In May 2024, the USDA published a Request for Information (RFI) (external) to collect input on the proposed program as part of the Joint Statement of Policy and new Principles for Responsible Participation in Voluntary Carbon Markets (external). The RFI included eight questions, with an emphasis on the following areas:
- Options for interpreting and applying criteria for evaluating protocols for quantifying emission reductions and removals, such as methodologies in Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program
- Information pertaining to specific protocols to be evaluated for inclusion in the USDA’s program
- Qualifications needed for technical assistance providers
- Qualifications for third-party validation and verification bodies
Verra’s written comments underscored the following key points:
- Verra commends the administration’s recent commitment to a high-integrity carbon market.
- Verra believes in the rigor necessary to ensure the generation of high-quality credits and a strong carbon market.
- Verra believes that the USDA should utilize the existing infrastructure of greenhouse gas crediting programs for guidance to ensure high-integrity action in the carbon market and efficient project development and management processes.
Specifically, Verra recommended that the USDA evaluate the following VCS Program methodologies for listing under its program:
- VM0041 Methodology for the Reduction of Enteric Methane Emissions from Ruminants through the Use of Feed Ingredients
- VM0042 Methodology for Improved Agricultural Land Management
- VM0044 Methodology for Biochar Utilization in Soil and Non-Soil Applications
Verra also recommended that the USDA review the VCS Program as a whole, as some program documents not related to methodologies include important rules and requirements with which all VCS methodologies must align.