ICVCM Approves Adipic Acid Protocols and ERS as Seventh CCP-Eligible Program

The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market has approved two adipic acid nitrous oxide abatement methodologies and earlier versions of the TPDDTEC clean cookstove methodology, completing its assessment of current cookstove methodologies. The Ecosystem Restoration Standard has also become the seventh CCP-Eligible program, with its ARR methodology entering the methodology assessment pipeline.

The Climate Action Reserve's US and China Adipic Acid Production Protocols have been approved under the CCP framework, addressing nitrous oxide emissions from adipic acid production — a greenhouse gas with a warming potential 298 times that of carbon dioxide. Annual global adipic acid production is estimated at 2.5 million metric tonnes, with China and the United States as the two largest producers. Approximately 14.5 million credits have been issued under these methodologies. The US protocol carries a condition that adipic acid production levels must not exceed the Title V permit level to prevent crediting beyond business-as-usual scenarios previously established by US law.

The approval of TPDDTEC versions 2 through 3.1 completes the ICVCM's assessment of all current cookstove methodologies. Approximately 62 million credits have been issued under these versions, but no currently issued credits are expected to become CCP-labelled given the multiple conditions required — including baseline reassessment within five years of any monitored period, exclusion of cookstoves aged beyond their technical life, and accounting for transport fuel project emissions. However, at least 600 projects are using these approved methodology versions and can update their carbon accounting to pursue CCP labelling for future issuances.

The Ecosystem Restoration Standard, headquartered in Paris and founded in 2020, was approved as CCP-Eligible after significant revisions to its General Project Requirements, safeguard provisions covering Indigenous Peoples' rights and FPIC, and stakeholder engagement processes. Its ARR methodology will now enter the ICVCM's methodology assessment pipeline. ICVCM Chair Annette Nazareth highlighted that demand for CCP-labelled credits continues to command a premium, with projects and programs broadly responding to the assessment framework. CEO Amy Merrill stated that completed cookstove assessments enable the market to transition to CCP-approved methodologies with confidence and at scale.

Key figure — At least 600 projects using TPDDTEC CCP-approved versions can pursue future CCP labelling