GENERAL

Cercarbono’s voluntary carbon certification programme is a means for companies and individuals, operating in different economic sectors, to actively participate in the development of programmes, or projects aimed at climate change mitigation actions.

Our standard is part of the voluntary carbon market. We register and certify GHG removals, and GHG emission reductions from mitigation activities. In this way, we contribute to making this market more dynamic by providing efficient solutions to the different sectors that are part of it.

PROGRAMME FUNDAMENTALS

Our standard is based on its normative documents, tools (additionality, SDGs, and carbon buffer), and the rigorous enforcement of these, so that programmes and projects achieve their mitigation targets. In this way, Cercarbono seeks to ensure the integrity of the voluntary carbon market.

 

Principles considered in climate change mitigation programmes or projects (CCMPs):

The results of CCMPs must be comparable over time, reproducible, and technically validated.

CCMP results must be comparable regarding the use of methodologies, guidelines, and protocols, among others.

All significant GHG emission sources generated by the CCMP should be included.

Data and parameters from recognised sources should be included, as well as technically supported models.

Conservative assumptions, methodologies, values, and procedures should be used to avoid under or over-estimations.

Assumptions, values, and procedures used should be technically correct, consistent, comparable, and reproducible.

Evidence should be sufficient and appropriate to ensure that rational, dependable, and reproducible methods are used.

The information submitted must be sufficient and accurate to be validated.

All relevant information should be included to support decision making, minimising uncertainty.

All GHG emission sources and carbon pools should be included, along with quantification of their GHG emissions and removals.

Genuine, clear, honest, substantiated, appropriate, understandable, truthful, timely, transparent, robust, sufficient, and auditable information should be used.

The CCMP should be relevant to the sector under which it operates.

It should aim to reduce the variability or dispersion of the information obtained.

Seek to ensure that no net harm is caused to the areas or communities surrounding the CCMPs.

Principles considered in carbon credits:

Carbon credits must demonstrate additionality.

All GHG emissions and removals, and reductions of GHG emissions generated by the CCMP must be quantified.

Carbon credits may not be accounted for or used more than once.

Carbon credits must be permanent over a 100-year horizon.

All GHG removals and GHG emission reductions generated by CCMPs must be demonstrated to have occurred.

Each GHG removal and each GHG emission reduction is associated with a single carbon credit.

Carbon credits must be verified to a reasonable level of assurance, by an independent verification body authorised by Cercarbono.