Verra’s Rice Methodology Approved under CORSIA

The Technical Advisory Board (TAB) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has included carbon credits from projects that use Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) methodology VM0051 Improved Management in Rice Production Systems, v1.0 and that are located in REDD+ countries* in the first and second phases of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) (2024–2026 and 2027–2029, respectively).

Projects using this methodology may be eligible to supply credits for use under CORSIA, if they have the necessary host country government authorization. Airlines can purchase these credits to meet their CORSIA offsetting requirements while supporting improved rice cultivation practices. Together, these transactions advance vital climate action.

Launched in early 2025, VM0051 can be used by projects that implement improved water and crop management practices in flooded rice systems to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, these projects also improve resource use efficiency (particularly for water and fertilizers such as nitrogen) and support socio-environmental benefits (e.g., reducing pollution, enhancing farmers’ income, increasing women’s access to agricultural training and financial services).

The Verra Registry currently includes eight projects that use VM0051, which are estimated to generate more than 1.73 million carbon credits annually.

Earlier this month, Verra released an updated CORSIA label guidance document, enabling stakeholders to have a more streamlined experience requesting and applying these labels. Verra will shortly revise the guidance document to reflect the broader inclusion of credits generated by projects using VM0051 under CORSIA.