Standards & schemes

ICVCM — Core Carbon Principles

Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market

Framework
Issuer / operator
Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market
Geography
Global
Sectors
Voluntary carbon market (all project types)
Scope unit
Product
Current edition
Core Carbon Principles + Assessment Framework; rolling assessment decisions (May 2026 batch)
Edition status
Published
Next edition review
Not yet reviewed. Help review this fact
Access to standard text
Free
Alignment mechanism
Label on standards
Instrument level
Standard setter
Public versioned standard
Yes
Verification route
Not yet reviewed. Help review this fact
Coverage vs target
Not yet reviewed. Help review this fact

In brief

What this profile covers

The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market defines supply-side quality for carbon credits through its Core Carbon Principles and Assessment Framework. Programmes (Verra, Gold Standard and others) apply for CCP eligibility; approved methodologies and categories earn the right to tag credits as CCP-labelled. Its purpose is to give buyers a market-wide quality threshold in a market where credit integrity has been contested, with rolling assessments expanding coverage category by category. CCP eligibility assesses programme rules and methodology integrity; it does not guarantee the quality of every individual credit, and it governs supply quality, not the claims buyers make with credits. The assessment process publishes decisions category by category, so which credit types carry the CCP label is a matter of public record and changes as assessments proceed. Governments including the UK have referenced CCP labelling in guidance on credible credit use. Alignment with these principles is a stated position, not a certification; it does not by itself demonstrate compliance or outcomes.

Conditional relationships

Claims it may support

A relationship does not mean that the standard proves or validates every use of a claim.

Carbon neutral productProvides evidence relevant to · Alignment with the framework is relevant evidence; frameworks define process, not outcomes — claim wording must not imply certification.
Evidence and conditions
Edition reviewed
Core Carbon Principles + Assessment Framework; rolling assessment decisions (May 2026 batch)
Covered scope
Scheme-level (not product)
Market
Global
Evidence normally needed
Documented alignment with the framework's criteria (targets, disclosures or methodology as applicable)
Assurance
Programme and methodology assessment against the CCP Assessment Framework; CCP label attached to credits in registries
Chain of custody
n/a — quality label applied at registry level — claim wording must reflect this custody model
Relationship source ↗
We offset all our emissionsProvides evidence relevant to · Alignment with the framework is relevant evidence; frameworks define process, not outcomes — claim wording must not imply certification.
Evidence and conditions
Edition reviewed
Core Carbon Principles + Assessment Framework; rolling assessment decisions (May 2026 batch)
Covered scope
Scheme-level (not product)
Market
Global
Evidence normally needed
Documented alignment with the framework's criteria (targets, disclosures or methodology as applicable)
Assurance
Programme and methodology assessment against the CCP Assessment Framework; CCP label attached to credits in registries
Chain of custody
n/a — quality label applied at registry level — claim wording must reflect this custody model
Relationship source ↗
“Nature-based solutions” (offsetting via NbS)Provides evidence relevant to · Alignment with the framework is relevant evidence; frameworks define process, not outcomes — claim wording must not imply certification.
Evidence and conditions
Edition reviewed
Core Carbon Principles + Assessment Framework; rolling assessment decisions (May 2026 batch)
Covered scope
Scheme-level (not product)
Market
Global
Evidence normally needed
Documented alignment with the framework's criteria (targets, disclosures or methodology as applicable)
Assurance
Programme and methodology assessment against the CCP Assessment Framework; CCP label attached to credits in registries
Chain of custody
n/a — quality label applied at registry level — claim wording must reflect this custody model
Relationship source ↗

Recognition & legal context

Laws referencing it

No reviewed law references are published.

Provenance4 profile updates
Profile update 4
Imported source-linked claim and dictionary relationship reviews. Public profile remains Founding edition · public beta.
Profile update 3
Added source-linked instrument, organisation and conformity classifications. Public profile remains Founding edition · public beta.
Profile update 2
Initial profile published after recorded site-owner/editor review of the complete standards batch.
Profile update 1
Initial private editorial draft imported from the reviewed standards handover.

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