Practical implementation support for companies and organisations

Given the complexity of the market, labels and tools can help identify high-quality carbon credits. These are constantly evolving, with requirements being refined and new quality criteria being added to assess crediting programmes, methods and project types. Therefore, care should be taken to ensure that the latest version is used.

 

The Core Carbon Credit Quality Initiative (CCQI) offers a helpful tool for identifying high-quality reduction certificates. The initiative provides transparent information on the quality of reduction certificates, enabling companies to recognise whether, for example, robust methodologies have been used to calculate emission reductions or whether the risk of double counting has been credibly ruled out. Social and environmental sustainability impacts are also evaluated. To this end, the CCQI has developed a scoring tool that compares different types of climate protection projects along seven quality characteristics. The underlying and openly accessible methodology is based on current research findings and is continuously reviewed by the CCQI's stakeholders (Environmental Defense Fund, WWF-US and Öko-Institut).

Further information can be found at: https://carboncreditquality.org/scores.html

 

The Integrity Council of the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) has also developed quality criteria for high integrity in the voluntary carbon market. Its Core Carbon Principles (CCP) comprise two steps: First, the ICVCM reviews individual crediting programmes for compliance with the CCP. If a crediting programme complies with the CCP, it is listed as CCP-eligible. In a second step, individual project categories are reviewed. Project categories that meet the CCP can be labelled by CCP-eligible crediting programmes, so that the credits can be identified as CCP-approved. The label is intended to make it easier for buyers to identify high-quality carbon credits. At the same time, the gradual tightening of requirements for crediting programmes and project categories is intended to achieve continuous quality improvement in the market.

Further information can be found at: https://icvcm.org/core-carbon-principles/

 

The IKI project ‘SPAR6C – Supporting Readiness for Article 6 Cooperation’ has developed the SPAR6C Toolbox, which contains practical guidelines on all issues relating to the development and implementation of Article 6 activities, including the distribution and transfer of carbon credits. Of particular note here is the guide ‘Financing and Contracting Article 6 Activities’, which combines principles of project financing with contractual issues and provides companies with guidance on all aspects of carbon market transactions under Article 6.

All guides are available at https://www.spar6c.org/toolboxa6

 

The website of the German Emissions Trading Authority at the Federal Environment Agency provides comprehensive information on the basics of voluntary carbon offsetting, quality requirements, in-depth studies and a guide with specific assistance on selecting reliable standards.

Further information can be found at: https://www.dehst.de/DE/Themen/Klimaschutzprojekte/Freiwillige-Kompensation/freiwillige-kompensation_artikel.html

 

The Foundation Development and Climate Alliance has also developed numerous guidelines and information sheets, ranging from foundational knowledge to practical recommendations.

They can be accessed at https://allianz-entwicklung-klima.de/