Carbon credit registry Verra has authorised an insurance policy from Artio for its durability pilot, expanding reversal risk management options for project developers. The Artio product meets all technical criteria for the pilot and is available to eligible Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Programme projects. Project proponents must receive Verra's authorisation before engaging with Artio. Launched in December 2025, the durability pilot allows financial instruments like insurance as alternatives to traditional pooled buffer accounts for Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) and Geological Carbon Storage (GCS) projects.
Verra has approved an insurance policy from Artio for use in its durability pilot programme, offering project proponents an additional option to address reversal risks. This policy meets Verra's durability pilot insurance criteria and is available to participating Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) and Geological Carbon Storage (GCS) projects. Launched in December 2025, the pilot tests fund-based or insurance-based pathways as alternatives to the pooled buffer account for durability. Projects must submit an expression of interest and receive Verra approval to participate.
The Climate Action Reserve (CAR) has published criteria for insurance mechanisms to enable Climate Reserve Tonnes (CRTs) issued from 2021 onwards to be eligible for CORSIA. Developed with Howden, the framework addresses situations where host countries have not authorised corresponding adjustments or where confirmation of adjustments is pending. This pathway allows project developers and buyers to pursue CORSIA eligibility before host countries publish Biennial Transparency Reports, while safeguarding against double claiming. CAR has also revised its credit-labelling system, introducing 'Article 6 Authorized' and 'CORSIA Eligible-Authorized' designations, with the latter requiring an approved insurance mechanism and a Deed of Undertaking. CAR expects to release a list of approved insurance products and a CORSIA Deed of Undertaking in the coming weeks.
Carbon dioxide removal registry Isometric has signed agreements with three Chinese project developers: Tongao Greenchar, Vastwing Energy, and DeCarbon Tech. This marks Isometric's entry into the Chinese carbon credit market, enabling these companies to certify their carbon removal projects against scientific standards. Tongao Greenchar and Vastwing Energy are biochar developers, while DeCarbon Tech focuses on direct air capture and mineral storage. The partnerships aim to connect Chinese suppliers with international corporate buyers by providing third-party verification for high-integrity carbon credits.
Carbon dioxide removal registry Isometric has signed its first agreements in China, partnering with Tongao Greenchar, Vastwing Energy, and DeCarbon Tech to certify their direct air capture and biochar projects. This initiative marks Isometric's entry into the Chinese market, aiming to provide third-party measurement, reporting, and verification for carbon removal developers. The partnerships seek to enable Chinese projects, which include biochar production from agricultural residues and direct air capture with mineralization, to access international voluntary carbon markets. This development addresses a key barrier for Chinese developers by offering internationally recognised certification protocols for high-integrity carbon removal credits. Isometric will deploy its AI-powered Certify platform to audit project data.
Isometric has issued 6,065 biochar certificates to Bioenergie Frauenfeld AG, marking its first certified carbon removal project in Switzerland. Bioenergie Frauenfeld, a joint venture of Energie 360° and Schweizer Zucker AG, operates a wood cogeneration plant processing 25,000 tonnes of forestry residuals annually. The facility produces 3,500 tonnes of biochar per year, intended for long-term carbon storage in agricultural soils and building materials. This certification validates carbon removal credits and supports Frauenfeld's municipal climate strategy, demonstrating a model for co-generating renewable energy and carbon sink materials from regional waste.
Carbon registry Isometric issued 2,821 carbon removal certificates to Biochar Solutions Ltd. for carbon dioxide removal from the Burney Forest Power biochar facility in Shasta County, California. This issuance utilises Isometric’s Biochar Production and Storage Protocol alongside Cula Technologies' digital monitoring, reporting, and verification (dMRV) infrastructure. The certificates validate the physical generation, chemical stability, and agricultural disposition of biochar, providing transparent provenance for credits from California’s forestry sector. This initial issuance validates a scalable biochar supply chain that sequesters carbon and addresses regional wildfire risks by utilising woody biomass and forest residues.
Puro.earth has issued the world's first permanent carbon dioxide removal certificate for a project integrating biochar production with high-efficiency biogas utilisation. Developed by Novocarbo and Reverion in Linden, Germany, the facility combines high-temperature pyrolysis with advanced fuel cell systems. This operational model captures and permanently stores biogenic carbon from both thermal pyrolysis of organic waste and electrochemical conversion of biogas. The combined system achieves a net-negative carbon footprint, demonstrating a scalable framework for bioenergy facilities to become multi-revenue carbon removal hubs.
Verra has launched its rebuilt carbon credit registry, powered by S&P Global Energy, migrating over 5,900 projects, 10,500 account holders, and 1.4 billion credits. The new platform integrates with Verra's Project Hub, allowing users to track a project's full lifecycle from listing to retirement within a single interface. This upgrade aims to provide infrastructure for carbon markets at scale, with future phases planned to include API connectivity and enhanced Article 6 functionality. Verra stated there are no changes to core fees or account requirements for existing account holders.
Puro.earth issued the first CO2 Removal Certificates (CORCs) for permanent carbon sequestration from biogas production to Inherit Carbon Solutions. The project, at Norway's VEAS wastewater treatment plant, captures biogenic CO2 from anaerobic digestion. HoopCO2 operates the on-site capture unit, and Northern Lights JV transports and injects the liquefied CO2 into geological aquifers beneath the North Sea. The facility received over 700 CORCs for its initial four months of operation and expects to sequester up to 7,000 metric tons of biogenic CO2 annually. This establishes a commercial model for linking regional biogas facilities with geological storage for engineered carbon removals.
Verra launched its new registry platform on 27 July 2026, developed in partnership with S&P Global Energy. This upgrade involved migrating over 5,900 projects, 10,500 account holders, 1.4 billion credits, and 125,000 documents. The new system integrates with the Verra Project Hub, streamlining project tracking from listing to retirement within a single platform. Future updates will include transaction-ready API connectivity and enhanced Article 6 functionality.
The International Carbon Registry (iCR) has announced that all projects listed on its registry will now be required to have an independent MSCI quality rating and a Kita risk assessment. This initiative aims to provide buyers with consistent, defensible information on credit quality and risk, moving beyond self-assessment. MSCI will grade projects on a D-to-AAA scale across six criteria, while Kita will provide insurance-grade underwriting of potential risks. This integration ensures independent third-party evaluation for every project, enhancing market transparency and comparability.
Puro.earth has certified a bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) project at the VEAS wastewater treatment facility in Slemmestad, Norway, issuing over 700 CO2 Removal Certificates (CORCs). Developed by Inherit Carbon Solutions, HoopCO2, and Northern Lights JV, this is the world's first verified project to capture biogenic CO2 from biogas production and permanently sequester it geologically. The certification covers the initial four months of operation, from February to May 2026, under Puro.earth's Geologically Stored Carbon methodology. The project aims to process up to 7,000 tonnes of biogenic CO2 annually, offering verified carbon removal credits to buyers including Microsoft, DNV, and Nordea.
Verra has published a CORSIA insurance criteria checklist to streamline the processing of requests for CORSIA-eligible labels. The checklist ensures that insurance policies selected by project proponents comply with Verra's CORSIA Eligible Label Insurance Criteria and CORSIA Accounting Representation Deeds. Project proponents must include a completed checklist with any CORSIA-eligible label request utilising the insurance route, demonstrating that Verified Carbon Units are backed by an approved insurance product when corresponding adjustment evidence is unavailable. A separate checklist is required for each insurance policy if multiple are included in a request.
BEClimate, in partnership with Xpansiv, launched BEVerify, a new registry designed to generate carbon credits from building decarbonisation projects. The platform aims to address funding gaps for energy efficiency upgrades in real estate by converting verified building performance improvements into auditable carbon assets. BEVerify uses digital Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (dMRV) to achieve reduction-to-issuance times in minutes, streamlining the traditional verification process. This initiative allows asset owners to integrate carbon credit revenue into project economics and offers buyers tangible, localised emissions reductions.
Verra has approved the first two insurance policies, from CarbonPool and Kita, for use in its durability pilot programme. These policies meet the pilot's criteria for projects using an insurance-based approach to manage reversal risk. Launched in December 2025, the pilot tests alternatives to the pooled buffer account for Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) and Geological Carbon Storage (GCS) projects. Project proponents must submit an expression of interest to Verra to participate in the pilot.
Verra has released a checklist for project proponents and validation/verification bodies developing projects under its VM0050 Energy Efficiency and Fuel-Switch Measures in Cookstoves, v1.0 methodology. The checklist outlines key elements Verra staff focus on during registration and verification reviews. This resource aims to help users understand the methodology and improve documentation quality. While not exhaustive, the checklist is intended to support project development, with the methodology document taking precedence in case of discrepancies. Verra plans to release similar resources for other methodologies.
The International Carbon Registry (iCR) has outlined its 'integrity stack' framework, integrating third-party ratings and risk assessments directly into its programme requirements. This framework builds on traditional validation and verification by adding independent MSCI Carbon Project Ratings and Kita risk assessments for each project. iCR states it is the first registry to incorporate these external, independent evaluations, aiming to provide buyers with a more comprehensive view of credit quality and risk. The registry acts as the digital home for issuance, transfer, and retirement, tracking credits and preventing double counting.
Gold Standard has approved the Sovereign Corresponding Adjustment Revocation & Enforced Withdrawal (SCREW) policy from Blenheim Partnerships Limited, making it the fifth insurance policy eligible for Gold Standard Verified Emission Reductions (GS-VERs) under CORSIA. This marks the entry of the first traditional political risk insurer into the CORSIA market, following an independent assessment by Howden. The approval is expected to increase insurance capacity for projects supplying credits to CORSIA, where demand currently outstrips eligible supply in the first phase. Since October 2025, three project developers have used insurance to secure CORSIA credit labelling for projects in Rwanda and Tanzania.
Verra has reinstated the Northern Kenya Grassland Carbon project, operated by Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT), for the second time, despite an ongoing court case and accusations from Indigenous Peoples. A 2025 court ruling found two of NRT's largest conservancies, including Biliqo Bulesa which contributes 20% of the project's credits, were established unconstitutionally. Indigenous communities accuse NRT of 'tricks and dishonest dealings' and coercing them into agreements that restrict traditional grazing practices. The project, which has sold over 6 million carbon credits, reportedly raising between US$42 million and US$90 million, was set up without the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples. Buyers of these credits include Meta and Netflix.
The International Carbon Registry (iCR) announced on 16 June 2026 that all projects registered on its platform will now include an independent MSCI Carbon Project Rating and a Kita risk assessment. This initiative makes iCR the first global carbon registry to mandate third-party ratings and financial-grade risk assessments across all registered projects. The new framework aims to provide buyers and investors with independent quality signals and risk evaluations, enhancing transparency and comparability. This move layers independent analysis on top of traditional third-party validation and verification, intending to streamline due diligence and build market confidence.
Gold Standard announced a partnership with Trovio to launch a new Impact Registry platform in Q4 2026, aiming to modernise and strengthen the system for issuing, transferring, and retiring Gold Standard carbon credits. The platform, built on Trovio's CorTenX, will use an API-first architecture to improve connectivity with national registries, exchanges, and marketplaces. It will maintain full traceability and integrity of existing data, accounts, and credit holdings. This upgrade seeks to enhance interoperability and transparency for project developers, buyers, and traders without altering certification rules.
Gold Standard and ATEC Global issued the first fully digitised cookstove carbon credits, totalling 1,667 tonnes of emission reductions, using digital monitoring, reporting, and verification (dMRV) traceable on the Hedera Guardian public ledger. This issuance, part of Gold Standard's dMRV pilot programme, involved ATEC's eCook Bangladesh project, which uses IoT-SIMs for real-time data collection. The dMRV process, independently audited by Earthood, aims to enhance transparency and efficiency in carbon markets by replacing manual data collection with continuous tracking. Gold Standard issued these credits under its Interim Issuance Track, representing 75% of the verified volume, with the remaining 25% to be released after full verification.
Gold Standard issued 46,714 carbon credits, the first under its Rice Alternative Wetting and Drying (AWD) Methodology, from a project in Pakistan. Developed by NetZeroAg, the project involved 2,000 smallholder farmers and focuses on reducing methane emissions from rice cultivation. This issuance sets a precedent for high-integrity agricultural mitigation efforts, with Gold Standard CEO Margaret Kim stating it 'is a case study of what high-integrity climate action can look like.' The project also contributed to eight UN Sustainable Development Goals and plans further issuances totalling 57,188 credits annually for 2024 and 2025 vintages, expanding to include 3,000 farmers.
Gold Standard has received approval from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to supply eligible emission units for the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA)'s Second Phase, covering 2027 to 2029. This extends Gold Standard's existing recognition from CORSIA's First Phase (2024–2026) and pilot phase (2021–2023). The approval provides developers of Gold Standard-certified projects with longer-term certainty for selling credits into the CORSIA market. ICAO maintained existing eligibility restrictions and added two new ones related to non-renewable biomass fraction and project baselines, consistent with Gold Standard's recent methodology revisions.
The International Carbon Registry (ICR) received unconditional endorsement from the International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance (ICROA), confirming its compliance with high integrity standards. ICR is the second organisation to achieve full endorsement against ICROA's updated guidelines, which include more stringent requirements for conflict-of-interest management and transparency. The endorsement process was completed in under 12 months, validating the integrity of ICR's programme which lists 121 projects and is supported by 20 Validation and Verification Bodies. This recognition enhances the credibility of ICR-registered climate projects and their carbon credits within the voluntary carbon market. ICR, founded in 2020 and headquartered in Iceland, uses public blockchain technology for transparency.
The Álfabrekka forestry project in Iceland has achieved certification under ISO 14064-2:2019, making it the first Icelandic project to receive international validation for carbon sequestration. Certified by Enviance Services Private Limited, the project on 97 hectares of previously unutilised land is projected to sequester over 52,120 tonnes of CO₂ over 50 years. This milestone, announced by the International Carbon Registry (ICR) and Land og Skóg, integrates Iceland's Forest Carbon Code into international standards. It paves the way for other Icelandic climate projects, including wetland restoration, to enter the global carbon market. The certification validates Iceland's capacity to meet stringent international requirements for carbon projects.
The International Carbon Registry (ICR) and Saudi Arabia's National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at COP16 in Riyadh on 19 December 2024. The agreement establishes a cooperative framework to develop and implement a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Programme focused on nature-based solutions, including afforestation and mangrove restoration. This initiative supports Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and its Saudi Green Initiative, aiming to combat desertification and position the Kingdom as a leader in global carbon markets. ICR will provide expertise in standardisation, validation, verification, and registry infrastructure for the programme.
The International Carbon Registry (ICR) has integrated its platform with BNZ Green Marketplace, enabling real-time carbon credit transactions and retirements. This collaboration aims to enhance speed and transparency for buyers and BNZ customers accessing ICR-registered carbon credits. The integration leverages BNZ X's blockchain technology to facilitate direct, immediate transactions. Oli Torfason, COO of ICR, stated the partnership aligns with their mission to improve transparency and traceability of carbon credits. Dr. Neha Jain, Co-Founder of BNZ Green Technologies, noted it will allow buyers seamless access to projects, fostering a more robust trading environment.
The International Carbon Registry (ICR) has partnered with specialist carbon insurance company Kita to implement 'Buffer as a Service' (BaaS) for its carbon credit buffer pool. Kita will provide independent risk management, project-specific risk assessment, and liquidity management, aligning buffer administration with financial industry standards. This collaboration aims to enhance buffer quality assurance, reduce conflicts of interest, and increase trust through transparent reporting and regular scenario analyses. ICR will initiate a governance update to incorporate BaaS into its protocols, followed by a public consultation.
The International Carbon Registry (ICR) has integrated BeZero Carbon ratings for climate projects registered on its platform, effective 15 April 2024. This partnership allows project developers to display an eight-point BeZero Carbon Rating (AAA to D) on their project profiles on CarbonRegistry.com. The ratings provide investors with an independent assessment of a project's likelihood to deliver one tonne of CO2e removal or avoidance. This integration aims to streamline the purchasing process by offering concise risk assessments and enhancing accountability for carbon credit buyers.
The International Carbon Registry (ICR) has published updates to its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Programme, incorporating feedback from a public consultation. These revisions, which include new documents and tools for Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs), aim to enhance clarity and align with ISO standards, ICAO CORSIA eligibility criteria, and ICROA endorsement review criteria. The updates strengthen frameworks for managing non-permanence and non-performance risks, and refine methodology development and validation processes. ICR's revised programme is now in effect, with Version 6.0 of its Process Requirements streamlining engagement for project registration and credit issuance. This follows earlier updates in February 2024 (Version 5.0) and applications for ICROA and CORSIA endorsements.