The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) has approved Version 5 of Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program, recognizing it as compliant with its Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) quality benchmark.
The assessment follows the ICVCM’s earlier approval of VCS Version 4.7 in May 2024. The latest decision confirms that the revised program’s governance, administrative rules, and oversight frameworks continue to meet the independent body’s integrity standards for CCP-Eligible status.
Verra released VCS Version 5 in December 2025 following stakeholder consultations. The updated standard introduces revised criteria governing project lifecycles, incorporating stricter environmental and social safeguards, enhanced stakeholder consent processes, and operational transparency requirements.
With final documentation templates released, VCS Version 5 is fully operational for project developers seeking certification.
In addition to approving the overarching program framework, the ICVCM confirmed that 13 active methodologies under the VCS Program—alongside the VCS Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ Framework—have been formally assessed and approved as CCP-compliant.
