On May 11th, the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) announced new decisions regarding assessments under its Core Carbon Principles. The Council granted CCP-Eligible status to the Global Carbon Council (GCC) and fully approved a mangrove restoration protocol. The Council also made conditional approvals of renewable energy and methane abatement methodologies and required major revisions to two ART TREES crediting levels.
Program Decisions: Global Carbon Council is now CCP-eligible
One of the major announcements was the approval of the Global Carbon Council (GCC) as a CCP-eligible carbon crediting program. The GCC was established in Qatar in 2016 by the Gulf Organization for Research and Development (GORD). It was evaluated under the GCC 2.0 framework and the Standard on ICVCM Eligibility of Projects and Issuances v1.1. After implementing several reinforced regulations, the ICVCM determined that the GCC met the necessary integrity criteria. These updates included stricter confidentiality and disclosure rules, stronger non-permanence risk assessment procedures, clearer requirements for renewing crediting periods, improved uncertainty management, and clearer safeguard assessment procedures.
As a result of the approval, GCC methodologies can now participate in the ICVCM's "two-tick" assessment process, which evaluates the program and its methodologies before credits receive the CCP label. Only projects registered under GCC 2.0 and following the updated eligibility standard will qualify. The ICVCM also highlighted the broader progress made since its earliest program decisions in March 2024. So far, nine carbon crediting programs have been approved as CCP-eligible, including Verra, Gold Standard, and Puro.Earth programs.
Methodology Decisions: renewable energy, methane abatement, and nature-based removals
- VCS VMR0017 v1.0 – CCP-Approved (Conditional)
- ART TREES v2.0: HFLD Crediting Level – Remedial Actions
- ART TREES v2.0: Removals Crediting Level – Remedial Actions
- Isometric Mangrove Restoration Protocol v1.0 – CCP-Approved
- VCS ACM0008 (Versions 6-8) – CCP-Approved (Conditional)
The ICVCM conditionally approved Verra’s VMR0017 v1.0 methodology for grid-connected renewable electricity generation. It covers projects including wind, solar, geothermal, small hydroelectric, wave, and tidal power generation, as well as certain battery storage systems.
It was developed as an update to earlier renewable energy methodologies that the ICVCM rejected in July 2024 due to concerns about additionality assessments. The updated version requires projects to use Verra’s revised additionality tool and demonstrate that carbon credit revenues significantly improve a project’s financial viability.
Another methodology that received conditional approval was Verra’s ACM0008, which focuses on reducing methane emissions from coal mines. The approval applies to ventilation air, methane, and coal mine methane activities. These activities are under versions 6 to 8 of the methodology. Projects must also use updated baseline and additionality tools to show that carbon revenues are necessary for financial viability. While approximately 6.44 million credits have already been issued under these methodology versions, the approval conditions mean that relatively few projects are expected to qualify for CCP labels.
The ICVCM fully approved the Mangrove Restoration Protocol v1.0, which was developed by Isometric. The methodology was published in December 2025; it supports the restoration of degraded mangrove ecosystems and also improves carbon storage capacity. The assessment highlighted the protocol's rigorous additionality test and dynamic baseline approach, both of which improve the reliability of carbon accounting. Three projects have been signed under the protocol, with the potential to generate up to two million carbon removal credits by 2030.
Next Steps and Pending Approvals
The ICVCM determined that the ART TREES v2.0 High Forest Cover, Low Deforestation (HFLD) crediting level does not currently meet CCP requirements. This methodology applies to forest areas with historically low deforestation rates and high forest cover.
ART TREES needs to take several corrective actions before the methodology can be reconsidered. These include requiring participants to prove that historical baseline emissions underestimate future deforestation risks, as well as requiring independent validators to confirm these risks during the first crediting period. Around 58.4 million credits have already been issued under this methodology, but none are currently eligible for CCP labels.
The ART TREES v2.0 Removals Crediting Level received a similar decision. Despite the fact that no credits have been issued under this methodology yet, the ICVCM determined that revisions are necessary before approval can be granted. Once ART TREES has made the required changes, the methodologies will undergo another review process involving the ICVCM’s Expert Panel, Standards Oversight Committee, and Governing Board. If the revised versions meet the required standards, they could be eligible for CCP in the future.
Overall, the latest ICVCM decisions continue to shape the evolution of the VCM by emphasizing integrity, transparency, and credible emissions reductions. The organization reported that it has assessed a total of 65 methodologies, approving 40 and rejecting 25. According to market estimates, approximately 107 million credits have been cleared to carry the CCP label so far.
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