About Carbon Credits Registries
1.Verra
VCU : Verified Carbon Units (refers to Carbon Credits)
Under the VCS Program, projects are issued unique carbon credits known as Verified Carbon Units or VCUs.
VCU Labels
A VCU label indicates that a unit meets the requirements of other (non-VCS) standards programs or is eligible/qualifies to be traded in specific markets. A VCU can be associated with multiple labels.
VCS : Verified Carbon Standard (refers to Programs)
- The VCS (Verified Carbon Standard) Program stands as the most globally adopted voluntary standard for reducing emissions. Over 1300 VCS-certified projects have collectively reduced or eliminated more than 200 million tons of carbon and other greenhouse gases, benefiting the environment.
- Along with the Climate, Community & Biodiversity, and Sustainable Development Verified Impact standards, VCS was developed and is managed by Verra, a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded in 2005 by environmental and business leaders and based in Washington, DC.
CCB (=Standards)
- Climate, Community & Biodiversity
- The CCB Standards are meant for land use projects (afforestation, reforestation, REDD, agriculture etc.).
SD VISta
- Sustainable Development Verified Impact Standard
- The leading certification standard for validating the tangible impacts of social and environmental initiatives, spanning gender equality, economic progress, accessible clean energy, and wildlife habitat restoration.
Crown Standard
SOCIALCARBON
W+ Standard
Market Labels
CORISA
- the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation. ICAO adopted it to address Carbon emission from aviation.
ABACUS
- label is intended to catalyze the growth of nature-based GHG removal credits.
- applied to Verified Carbon Units (VCUs) to the forthcoming afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation (ARR) VCS methodology
2. Gold Standard
VERs : Verified Emission Reductions
Compliance / Voluntary
CERs
Gold Strandard labels for Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) for compliance targets
VERs
Gold Strandard Verified Emission Reductions (VERs) for voluntary climate action
Project type & category
Gold Standard tends to have a stricter certification standards than Verra
- Gold Standard is focused on credits that have benefits for neighboring communities
- Gold Standard puts the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) front and center when certifying offset projects.
- Gold Standard was jointly developed by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), HELIO International, and SouthSouthNorth (SSN), with a primary emphasis on offset projects designed to deliver enduring social, economic, and environmental advantages.
