ICVCM Details Ongoing Compliance Requirements for CCP-Eligible Programs

The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market has outlined the post-approval obligations that carbon-crediting programmes must fulfil to maintain their CCP-Eligible status and continue issuing high-integrity labelled credits. Programmes must submit annual reports confirming adherence to the Assessment Framework, disclose material governance changes, and handle complaints about CCP label use.

CCP-Eligible programmes are required to faithfully implement the methodologies, tools, standards, and documents that formed the basis for their approval. They must maintain procedures for handling questions and complaints, keep programme documents in line with the Decision for CCP-Eligibility, and inform the ICVCM of material changes such as mergers, transfers of decision-making authority, or amendments to documents that could impact eligibility status. Annual reporting forms the foundation of the ICVCM's risk-based oversight approach.

The ICVCM's assurance process is designed to be transparent, proportionate, and risk-based, encouraging public scrutiny of carbon-crediting programmes and mitigation activities. Performance monitoring activities may include spot checks, review of market data and intelligence, monitoring of complaints, and thematic analysis. The process aims to keep the council alert to systemic issues and apply lessons learned to maintain integrity standards across the voluntary carbon market.

Where significant issues are identified, the ICVCM may conduct an Interim Review to gather information and agree remedial actions. Outcomes are considered by the Governing Board, which may close the review, suspend CCP-Eligibility, or terminate approval of a specific methodology. Programmes retain the right to respond and request a hearing before any final decisions are made. Stakeholders can submit comments on market oversight directly to the ICVCM at its public contact address.

Key figure — Annual reporting required from all CCP-Eligible programmes