Verra: VCS y CCB
VCS
About the standard
Verra’s VCS Program is the most widely used standard in the AFOLU sector (Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use), and leads the development of methodologies and tools to unlock the potential for carbon reduction and removal in this area.
Projects certified under this program cover six categories:
- Afforestation, Reforestation and Revegetation (ARR);
- Agricultural Land Management (ALM);
- Improved Forest Management (IFM);
- Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+);
- Avoided Conversion of Grasslands and Shrublands (ACoGS);
- and Wetlands Restoration and Conservation (WRC).
The program is aimed at project developers seeking to validate/verify their emission reductions or removals under the VCS standard in order to issue tradable Verified Carbon Units (VCUs).
CCB
About the standard
The CCB (Climate, Community & Biodiversity) standard, managed by Verra, is a design and verification standard applicable to land use and land management projects (AFOLU). The program validates/verifies projects that, in addition to reducing or removing GHG emissions, generate positive and integrated net benefits for the climate, local communities, and biodiversity.
The standard can be applied independently or together with the VCS Program; in the latter case, the VCUs issued receive the CCB label in the Verra Registry, distinguishing credits that come from projects with verified social and environmental co-benefits.
It is aimed at AFOLU project developers who already have VCS certification or are seeking to obtain it simultaneously, and who wish to demonstrate that their project generates benefits beyond carbon — that is, verified positive impacts for local communities and biodiversity in the project area.
VCS Requirements
Demonstrable additionality, quantification using a Verra-approved methodology, permanence, no double counting, social/environmental safeguards, stakeholder participation, and registration in the Verra Registry.
CCB Requirements
17 required criteria across three pillars (Climate, Community, Biodiversity), effective community participation, FPIC when applicable, and verification at least every 5 years. Optionally, 3 Gold criteria for exceptional projects.
Regulatory documents and links
VCS – Regulatory documents and links
VCS Standard v5.0 (current version, December 2025)
VCS Methodologies
CCB Program Details
VCS Program Guide v5.0
VCS Program main page
CCB Program Rules v3.1
CCB Program main page
Mexican Accreditation Entity A.C.
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