The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Verra have partnered to improve transparency and credibility within the voluntary carbon market.
Under the new arrangement, Verified Carbon Units (VCUs) issued through Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program can now feature an FSC label, provided they are generated from forests holding valid FSC Forest Management (FM) certification. This integration allows carbon credit buyers and stakeholders to easily identify credits originating from responsibly managed forestlands.
To qualify for the FSC label within the Verra Registry, projects must be dual-registered under both the VCS Program and FSC FM certification. Eligible projects must demonstrate full spatial and temporal overlap between the VCS project boundary and the FSC-certified area, while maintaining a valid FSC FM certificate throughout the entirety of the verification period.
The partnership bridges two major international standards systems—combining targeted climate action with rigorous forest management protocols. This dual verification provides end-buyers with verified assurance that the underlying projects meet strict environmental and social criteria. Furthermore, buyers who retire these FSC-labeled VCUs will gain a pathway to communicate their climate achievements using the FSC initials, subject to an authorization process.
Moving forward, the FSC and Verra will collaborate closely to review project applications, verify geographic and timeline eligibility, and maintain the systemic integrity of the new labeling process.
