Sustainable finance
Verified Emission Reduction (VER)
Definition
A verified emission reduction is a unit representing one metric tonne of CO₂ equivalent of emissions reduced or removed by a project, confirmed by an independent verification body against a recognised standard and issued into a registry. The generic term spans programme-specific units (VCUs under Verra, Gold Standard VERs, CDM CERs); "verified" is the operative word — the tonne must be real, additional, measured and independently checked before it exists as a credit.
References
Source imported for editorial provenance.
This reference provides supporting context for how “Verified Emission Reduction (VER)” is defined and used.
Overview
How it is used
The unit structures project development, credit issuance and retirement, corporate compensation claims, and integrity assessment of market programmes.
Why it matters
Every offset claim stands on a VER somewhere; understanding the unit is understanding the market's entire credibility.