Verra has announced the registration of the world’s first carbon project using a Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) methodology approved by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) as meeting the stringent Core Carbon Principles (CCPs).
The initiative – the Tond Tenga project – is located in Burkina Faso, West Africa, and marks a pivotal step for the voluntary carbon market. Registered under Verra’s VCS Programme, the project utilises the afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation methodology VM0047, designed to rehabilitate over 12,000 hectares of degraded land through the planting of native trees and agroforestry techniques.
Approved by the ICVCM in December 2024, VM0047 allows any project using the methodology to receive CCP labels on all generated carbon credits – signifying compliance with the highest integrity standards in the sector.
While other Verra-certified credits have previously received CCP labels, this is the first instance of a project being formally registered under a VCS methodology that has itself been vetted and approved by the ICVCM. The milestone underscores Verra’s ongoing role in shaping rigorous, transparent, and impactful climate solutions.
“This project demonstrates what high-integrity carbon markets can deliver: measurable climate results, community resilience, and landscape restoration at scale,” said Verra CEO Mandy Rambharos. “As the first project to register under a CCP-approved VCS methodology, the Tond Tenga project illustrates the high-quality climate action that ICVCM-approved methodologies can catalyse.”
Spanning four regions in Burkina Faso, the Tond Tenga project is projected to remove more than 3.1 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over its 40-year crediting period. Beyond emissions reductions, the project delivers critical co-benefits – including the promotion of sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and gender-inclusive community development.
