Verra’s new VT0008 and VT0009 tools mark a significant shift towards greater rigor, transparency and alignment with modern carbon market principles, replacing and improving upon the older Clean Development (CDM) methodologies. This evolution is meant to ensure higher integrity and credibility for carbon projects, reflecting the growing demand for high-quality carbon credits in voluntary markets.

Introduction

Verra recently released two new tools, VT0008 and VT0009, within the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program to enhance additionality assessments for carbon offset projects. Currently, these tools are primarily intended for non-nature-based projects. Nature-based projects, particularly those in the Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector, continue to utilize VT0001, the “Tool for the Demonstration and Assessment of Additionality in VCS AFOLU Project Activities. The new tools (VT0008 and VT0009), launched on October 14, 2024, are designed to align with the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Markets’ (ICVCM) Core Carbon Principles (CCPs).