About us
Learn more about the Integrity Council
Who we are
The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market is a non-profit, independent governance body that aims to set and maintain a global standard for high integrity in the voluntary carbon market, unlocking private climate and carbon finance that would not otherwise be deployed.
It was set up in 2021 in response to the final recommendations of the Taskforce on Scaling the Voluntary Carbon Markets (TSVCM), an initiative backed by more than 250 organisations.
Our Aims
1.
We are assessing carbon-crediting programs and methodology types against the Core Carbon Principles (CCPs). CCP labelled carbon credits will bring integrity to the market.
2.
We are engaging with all stakeholders in the market including, VCM practitioners, governments and regulators, Indigenous Peoples & local communities.
3.
We are working to ensure carbon programs and projects increase ambition over time. Our stakeholder workshops will identify best practice in key areas to feed into the next iteration of the CCPs.
What we do
The latest climate science sends a clear warning that we must drastically reduce global emissions if we are to secure a habitable climate for the future.
We set and oversee a definitive global threshold for high-quality carbon credits so that the voluntary carbon market can efficiently mobilise private finance to reduce emissions, build resilience and aid a just transition to 1.5°C.
Our challenge
The world is on track for 2.6°C warming by 2100. Only an urgent system-wide transformation can avoid a climate catastrophe. To reach the goals of the Paris Agreement and limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, emissions must already be decreasing and need to be cut by half by 2030.
We need every tool available working at full speed to secure a liveable future. A high-integrity voluntary carbon market is a vital tool that can generate investment for urgently-needed climate projects at speed and scale to help finance the transition to net-zero emissions. But it will only succeed if it is rooted in high integrity, transparency, and trust.
Our timeline
The Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets (TSVCM) was launched.
Launch of the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market.
Public Consultation on the Core Carbon Principles and Assessment Framework.
Release of Core Carbon Principles, Assessment Procedure, Assessment Framework and Attributes.
Ongoing assessments of Programs and Categories of carbon credits ; continual improvement of the CCPs over time ; working with Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
“The evidence is clear: the time for action is now. We can halve emissions by 2030.”
IPCC Sixth Assessment Report
Meet the team
The Integrity Council is a global team comprising industry experts from across the voluntary carbon market ecosystem. Our diverse team is built by people from different backgrounds with a broad range of professional and personal skills, including finance, various scientific focus areas, finance, NGOs, policy, as well as knowledge relating to indigenous and local issues.
Careers
If you would like to join our mission, take a look at our vacant roles below.
