Verra Issues Clarification on Effective Date of VCS Scope 3 Requirements

Verra is delaying the effective date for the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program’s Scope 3 emissions double claiming requirements, previously set at 1 July 2023. Such double claiming occurs when an organization reports in its Scope 3 emissions statement a greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction or removal that is also associated with an issued VCU.

The affected requirements help address Scope 3 emissions double claiming by increasing transparency and can be found in Sections 3.23.7, 3.23.8, and 3.23.9 of the VCS Standard, v4.4 (PDF). These requirements will be revised in the next update to the VCS Program, currently scheduled for Q3 2023, with an effective date of 1 January 2024. The revised requirements will clarify what disclosures are required and define which projects are subject to these requirements.