Verra

Verra's Board of Directors is appointing Mandy Rambharos as its chief executive officer, effective August 12. Mandy’s selection was made after an extensive search by a leading global search firm and driven by the goal of selecting a CEO with demonstrated leadership in shaping the carbon markets, extensive relationships with stakeholders, a proven record of success in implementation, and a commitment to Verra’s mission. Mandy brings a wealth of experience in the carbon markets to the role. For over 15 years, she was a negotiator for South Africa and Africa at the United Nations climate talks and chaired negotiations on carbon markets (CDM and Article 6). This experience will be invaluable as she guides Verra’s strategy and as the broader voluntary carbon market continues to evolve. Mandy was instrumental in the Just Energy Transition Partnership agreed at COP26 in Glasgow between South Africa and Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union. This background has led to her recognition as a thought leader on the global stage and given her extensive relationships across the industry, from government to private to nonprofit sectors. Mandy also served on the Verra Board of Directors from 2019 to 2021 before rejoining in 2023. A current Verra Board member, Mandy brings a deep understanding of the organization to her new role. This eliminates the need for an extended learning curve and enables the organization to focus on the urgent demands of the climate crisis. She takes the helm of Verra from the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), where she served as vice president for global climate cooperation, leading EDF’s strategy to promote well-designed carbon pricing and markets that support the transformation toward a low-emissions future. “Carbon markets are crucial to enable carbon neutrality and they must work efficiently and with unquestionable integrity. I look forward to working with the talented people at Verra to deliver these outcomes for a climate-resilient future for us all,” said Mandy. Read more: https://bit.ly/3LFoLik #Verra #ClimateAction #ClimateChange #StandardsMatter

📢 Verra has initiated a second round of activity data collection, risk mapping, and activity data allocation in over 40 jurisdictions at the national and sub-national levels to support the implementation of its new REDD methodology. These jurisdictions contain existing REDD projects, REDD projects under development, and areas with a strong potential for new projects. ☑️ The jurisdictional data development process is relevant for projects using VM0048 and VMD0055, as well as for all REDD projects that will need to transition to VM0048 as jurisdictional activity data becomes available for allocation to their areas. 💡Projects use this activity data to set the baseline for their projects, an essential step in the project registration process. ➡️ Read the full announcement: https://bit.ly/3X9xIpc ➡️ Get up-to-date information on the status of activity data collection, risk mapping, and activity data allocation for projects using VM0048 and VMD0055 and for projects transitioning to VM0048: https://bit.ly/4cLszcL #Verra #StandardsMatter #CarbonMarkets #CarbonCredits #ClimateAction

📢 Verra has commenced the piloting of its Scope 3 Standard (S3S) Program, a major milestone in the development of this new program, which will certify value chain interventions and issues units for use in companies’ emissions accounting. ➡️ In the initial piloting phase, pilots will be adapting three methodologies that are active in Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program for use in the S3S Program (VM0042, VM0043, and ACM0009). Pending a successful piloting process and methodology approval, these three methodologies will become the first S3S methodologies when it launches in 2025. 💡The four pilot projects adapting the VCS methodologies will also test the S3S Program rules, requirements, processes, and documents. The pilot projects cover the apparel, agriculture (arable and livestock), construction, and communications services sectors and are located in Europe, Asia, and North America. ☑️ The projects are implemented by 3Degrees Group, Inc. (with partner CarbiCrete and others), Bayer | Crop Science (with partners ATOA Carbon and Perennial), Klim (and partners), Patagonia (with technical advisor Anew Climate). ➡️ Read the full announcement: https://bit.ly/3XmcqpR #Verra #StandardsMatter #ClimateAction #Scope3 

📢 Join us for a webinar on Verra's new ABACUS label on Thursday, September 5 at 11:00 am ET! ☑️ In this session, Verra staff will provide an overview of the ABACUS label, a new market label that can be applied to Verified Carbon Units (VCUs) from projects verified to the new Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) methodology (VM0047) in Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program. 💡Verra developed the ABACUS label with input from a consensus-based working group that included experts from Amazon, Carbon Direct, Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, Pachama, TerraCarbon, Stanford University, SCS Global Services, and the University of California, Berkeley. ➡️ Register today! https://bit.ly/4e69PpL #Verra #StandardsMatter #CarbonMarkets #CarbonCredits #ClimateAction

Verra's August newsletter is here! 📰 Check out our featured updates: 🎉 We're thrilled to announce Mandy Rambharos as Verra's new CEO! Mandy brings a wealth of experience in carbon markets and energy transition. 🌳 Verra recently launched the ABACUS label for ecosystem restoration and reforestation credits, applicable to VCUs from projects verified to our new ARR methodology (VM0047). 📊 Don't miss our comprehensive July 2024 Stakeholder update, including news on our carbon capture and storage methodology, REDD updates, and more. 🌍 We're expanding our global reach with workshops in Benin, roundtables in Malaysia, and an MOU with Argentina's Misiones Province. 🗓️ Save the date for Climate Week NYC next month - we hope to see you there! Check out the full newsletter for additional program announcements, upcoming webinars, new resources, and more! #Verra #Newsletter #CarbonMarkets #SustainableDevelopment #NatureConservation #CircularEconomy

💡 One topic at the center of many panel sessions and hallway discussions at last week’s Mexico Carbon Forum was the Low-Carbon Seal and Offset System that Querétaro State, Mexico, introduced in 2023. The system is a component of the carbon tax system established in Section XXVII of the Thirteenth Transitory Article of the Treasury Law of the State of Querétaro. The purpose of this system is to help companies to reach their decarbonization goals while also advancing much-needed global climate action. The state has determined that projects from certain standards programs, including Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program, are eligible to contribute credits to Querétaro’s Low-Carbon Seal and Offset System.    Read more

📢 Verra today announced the rejection of 37 rice cultivation projects in China and imposed, for the first time, significant sanctions against the project proponents and validation/verification bodies (VVBs) involved in a project. The unprecedented action is the result of a rigorous quality control review by Verra, following section 6 of its Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Registration and Issuance Process and its new VVB Performance Monitoring Program. ➡️ This decision is another step in Verra’s effort to bring greater transparency and integrity to carbon projects . It was based on serious issues identified during the quality control review related to insufficient demonstration of additionality, projects being designated as small scale, project areas being overstated, and the lack of sufficient evidence to confirm the baseline and project scenario implementation. It was also supported by an analysis of remote sensing data. ➡️ Verra will also seek compensation for excess issuances of Verified Carbon Units (VCUs) from project proponents for their failure to meet VCS Program rules and requirements. 💡Read the full press release: https://bit.ly/4cIucIb #Verra #StandardsMatter #CarbonMarkets #CarbonCredits #ClimateAction

❗Reminder: Verra is running a public consultation until September 9 for a minor revision to Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Module VMD0055 Estimation of Emission Reductions from Avoiding Unplanned Deforestation, v1.0. 💡VMD0055 describes the procedures and methods for accounting for the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions from projects that aim to avoid unplanned deforestation. ✅ Last Friday, Verra held a webinar to provide an overview of this revision. 💻 #ICYMI: You can find the recording, and all other information about the consultation and how to provide feedback, here: https://bit.ly/3YFs68B #Verra #StandardsMatter #CarbonMarkets #Deforestation #CarbonCredits

Earlier this week, Verra and the Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) hosted a capacity-building workshop in India on the development of compressed biogas (CBG) projects and their registration with Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program. TERI - The Energy and Resources Institute and Praj Industries supported the workshop as well.    The Indian government has a mandate to blend 1% CBG into City Gas Distribution (CGD) networks by FY 2025-26, a rate that is set to increase to 5% by 2028-29. CBG is a green fuel, and the Indian government has mandated blending it it into the general energy supply networks to reduce the country’s dependency on fossil fuels. Generating CBG also avoids the emission of methane into the atmosphere.    Because sugar biorefineries in India produce more than 1 million (or 10 lakh) tonnes of CBG annually, primarily from press mud, they have a critical role in meeting this government mandate. Therefore, sugar mills are in the process of setting up CBG plants that generate biogas from organic waste, and many well-known corporations from other sectors in India have also announced plans to establish CBG plants over the next five years.     During the capacity-building workshop, Ashok K. Chandhel, regional representative, Central and South Asia, delivered the keynote speech during the opening session. He also provided an overview of the rules and requirements of the VCS Program and the VCS registration process. He also discussed general principles of the carbon markets.    Pooja Verma, manager, waste management projects, at Verra presented on waste management methodologies in the VCS Program, specifically about the relevant applicability criteria, baseline assessment, additionality, quantification of emission reductions, and monitoring requirement.      After the presentations, participants were able to ask further questions.    The workshop was attended by the sugar mills and companies involved in CBG supply chains, including Dalmia Bharat Sugar and Industries Limited, DCM Shriram Limited, Olam Sugars, Dhampur Bio Organics Limited, Dhampur Sugar Mills, Dwarikesh Sugar Industries Ltd, Gas Authority of India Ltd., Indreshwar Sugar Mills Limited, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Indian Potash Limited, ISGEC Heavy Engineering Limited, JIO BP, KM Sugars, M/S Avadh Sugar & Energy Ltd., Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., Mawana Sugars, National Federation Of Cooperative Sugar Factories Ltd (NFCSF), Nayara, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India, Praj Industries, Saraswati Sugars, Shell, Shree Renuka Sugars Limited, TERI, Triveni Engineering & Industries Limited, Uttam Sugar Mills Ltd, etc.     

📢 Public Comment Period Now Open! 🌍 Every project seeking to register in a Verra standards program undergoes a 30-day public comment period. The public comment periods for the projects listed here opened during the week of August 19. This week's listing includes projects seeking registration and/or verification in the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), the Sustainable Development Verified Impact Standard (SD VISta), and the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards (CCBS) Programs. The projects are located in various geographic regions, including in the United States of America, Zambia, China, and Taiwan, and are implementing a broad range of activities, including activities related to waste handling and disposal, livestock and manure management, water supply, and more. 🌱 Impact Highlight: Collectively, these projects could reduce and/or remove 485, 909 tCO2e from the atmosphere, helping to accelerate our transition to a more sustainable future. 🔗 Learn More: View the full list of projects open for public comment in our announcement: https://bit.ly/46WeB6N 🗣️ Get Involved: Share your thoughts and contribute to shaping these projects. Your feedback matters! #ClimateAction #CarbonMarkets #Verra #SustainableDevelopment #CarbonCredits Photo by Steve Ogle. Nature Conservancy of Canada, Darkwoods Forest Carbon Project, Verra Project #607