Verra Launches Final Consultation on Version 5 of the VCS Program

Verra has launched the final public consultation on proposed updates to the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program, which will result in version 5 of the program. The updates will ensure that the program continues to advance impactful, equitable, and lasting climate action with strengthened guardrails, benefiting people and the planet.

As the market evolves and the need to scale it increases, it is critical that Verra continues to update the VCS Program so that it reflects the most recent scientific and technological changes and meets the evolving demands of the market.

The deadline for submitting comments is August 11, 2025.

The proposed updates in this consultation build on stakeholder input from two previous consultations (see below). They contribute to the following priority objectives that Verra seeks to achieve with version 5 of the VCS Program:

Verra’s VCS Program has always maintained the highest level of integrity. To ensure that this continues to be the case, Verra is proposing the following updates to reflect recent market developments and learnings from the longstanding implementation of the VCS Program:

• Piloting alternative approaches to ensuring the durability of carbon credits: In response to new market offerings, Verra will pilot alternative ways for project proponents to manage the reversal risk of Verified Carbon Units (VCUs) issued to them. This includes an option for project proponents to purchase an insurance policy under which an insurer would remedy a reversal with additional carbon credits or financial payments. A second option is to use a fund-based approach, where project proponents use investment returns to purchase the respective number of VCUs to remedy reversals.
• More detailed requirements for the project start date and initial crediting period start date to reduce inconsistencies across all project types
• More frequent crediting period renewals and/or baseline reassessments across all project types, which may require projects to update more frequently to the most recent methodology version; this ensures that projects use the latest science and technology and that the project baseline reflects any changes in the project’s geopolitical environment
• A risk-based approach to assessing social and environmental risks by project type to support context-based decision making about safeguard design and implementation
• Enhanced requirements for financial transparency in benefit-sharing mechanisms, ecosystem conversion safeguards, and project ownership and carbon rights demonstration

Climate action must be feasible and practical to implement. The requirements for developing a carbon project must be clear and understandable, so all engaged stakeholders are able to implement them.

Verra is proposing the following updates to increase the workability of certain program rules and to increase the transparency around the development of those rules:

• New and transparent guidelines for how Verra sets effective dates for program updates
• Longer transition periods for new and developing projects to use the most recent methodology versions
• Enhanced and streamlined requirements for grouped projects, primarily related to adding new instances, to increase the workability of these rules while also ensuring their consistent application

The scope of the VCS Program determines what kinds of activities are eligible in the program. Reviewing its scope at regular intervals ensures that the program is fit for purpose and maximizes the climate impact of the projects registered with it. Verra is proposing the following changes to the scope of the VCS Program:

• An update to Table 1 of the VCS Standard that would allow methodologies to complement the rules for eligible project activities and specify applicability conditions, most notably grid-connected renewable energy. In conjunction with proposed revisions to the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) methodology ACM0002: Grid-connected electricity generation from renewable sources, this update would expand the eligibility of grid-connected renewable energy to low-, lower-middle-, and upper-middle income countries.
• A revised list of approved sectoral scopes under the VCS Program and a new system for classifying project categories and project activity types (for example, distinguishing renewable energy as a project category and wind energy generation as a project activity type) to increase interoperability with other market stakeholders

On Wednesday, July 9, 2025, at 11:00 am ET, Verra will host a 90-minute webinar about the proposed updates to the VCS Program.

For further questions about the consultation, please contact secretariat@verra.org.

Review the public consultation document (PDF) for the full background and details about the proposed changes to the VCS Program.

Comments must be submitted electronically via the feedback submission form. Feedback should be submitted by 11:59 pm Anywhere on Earth (UTC -12) on Monday, August 11, 2025.

Verra is using its digital Public Consultation Tool, which is hosted on the Verra Project Hub, for this consultation. Stakeholders will need to use the link provided to enter their personal details, confirm their email address, and access the feedback form via the online consultation tool. For additional guidance, please review the user guide (PDF) for the Public Consultation Tool.

For any issues or assistance needed with the Public Consultation Tool, please contact hubsupport@verra.org.

Verra has held two public consultations that have informed the development of version 5 of the VCS Program.

• First consultation (February to April 2023): This general, high-level program consultation informed the initial strategic vision for version 5 of the VCS Program. Based on feedback received during this consultation and insights from additional stakeholder engagement, Verra developed the priority objectives for version 5 of the VCS Program.
• Second consultation (September to November 2024): This consultation gathered input on the high-level changes proposed for VCS Version 5. Based on the input from this consultation, Verra is currently finalizing certain updates and has further developed proposed changes to other updates, which are included in the final consultation.

With the input from this final public consultation, Verra plans to release version 5 of the VCS Program, including most program documents (e.g., VCS Standard, VCS Methodology Requirements, VCS Program Definitions, and VCS Registration and Issuance Process), by the end of 2025.

To enable the efficient implementation of already-finalized program updates, Verra is releasing certain VCS Program documents prior to the launch of version 5 of the VCS Program. On June 18, 2025, Verra published version 5.0 of the Methodology Development and Review Process, the first of the eventual suite of program documents under version 5 of the VCS Program.