Who Certifies Carbon Credits?
- Sushant Bhatia
- Jun 5
- 3 min read
Anybody can say that they’re offsetting their carbon footprint and getting financial support for it, which is good. But here’s another version of the story – uncertified carbon credits can’t ensure that the offset project has reduced carbon emissions.
In other words, carbon credits that companies use to claim emission reductions must go through a recognized carbon credit certification process. But the question is – who certifies carbon credits?
You’ll know the most renowned companies or standards that certify carbon credits, plus the processes involved in this article.
Who Certifies Carbon Credits?
Carbon credit certification can be done only by accredited organizations and both types of carbon markets – compliance and voluntary – have their own standards to adhere to. These standards are aided by independent verification bodies to ensure that carbon reduction projects follow their strict rules in offsetting.
Given the various carbon credit certification companies and their protocols, it could be quite confusing, and you might be thinking why not have one global standard only. We do hope, too, but since that’s not yet the case, here are the names you should be aware of.
Let’s break it down according to market type, starting with the voluntary carbon market (VCM).
Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) by Verra
The VCS Program developed by Verra is the most widely adopted carbon credit certification program. This program allows certified offset projects to turn their emission reductions or removals into carbon credits.
To date, Verra has more than 1,800 certified VCS projects that collectively reduced or removed over 920 million tons of GHG emissions. The VCS program focuses on GHG reduction attributes only and doesn’t require projects to have additional environmental or social benefits.
Gold Standard (GS) The Gold Standard is a voluntary carbon credit certification program unique from others. Unlike Verra, it puts the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the center when certifying offset projects. The crediting program was a collaboration among the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and SouthSouthNorth.
It focuses on projects that provide lasting social, economic, and environmental benefits such as below. It also applies to both voluntary offset projects and to Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects.
Climate Action Reserve (CAR)
The Climate Action Reserve is a certification body or registry for the North American carbon credit market. It aims to encourage companies and other organizations to measure, manage and reduce GHG emissions while ensuring the environmental integrity of emission reduction projects.
While headquartered in the United States, CAR also certifies projects in Canada and Mexico. All carbon credits generated by CAR-certified projects are given a unique serial number which helps track each project effectively.
American Carbon Standard (ACR)
The American Carbon Standard are a pioneer in the voluntary emissions and carbon market in California. It was founded back in 1996 as the first GHG registry and was approved as an Offset Project Registry by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). It’s the regulatory body of the California cap-and-trade offset credit market.
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
The United Nations’ Clean Development Mechanism is considered by many as a trailblazer in carbon credit certification.
It’s a program under the Kyoto Protocol that allows a country to implement carbon emission reduction projects in other countries and claim the reduced emissions toward its own
emission targets. The funded projects can earn tradable certified emission reduction (CER) credits, each equal to one tonne of CO2.
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