Six engineered CDR methodologies gain ICVCM approval, expanding supply of high-integrity credits as EU and UK weigh integration into compliance markets.
Projects under the new standards could issue more than 3.2 million credits annually, with growing pipelines in the Global South.
Two updated forestry protocols also receive full approval, adding potential for up to 9.5 million credits a year.
Expanding the Carbon Removal Rulebook
The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) has approved a new suite of methodologies for engineered carbon dioxide removal (CDR), strengthening governance of one of the market’s fastest-emerging segments.
The approvals extend the ICVCM’s Core Carbon Principles (CCP) label to six methodologies covering direct air capture, biomass storage, and bio-oil sequestration. The decision expands access to high-integrity credits at a time when governments in the EU and UK are preparing to integrate removals into regulated emissions trading systems.
Although engineered removals account for less than 1% of issued credits today, their forward sales are substantial, with analysts expecting steep growth as corporates look for durable pathways to net-zero.
“Both reductions and removals are critical to effective climate action,” said Annette Nazareth, Chair of the ICVCM. “These latest approvals will open up new options for integrity-focused buyers to broaden their portfolios of carbon credits across a range of high-impact categories.”
A New Wave of Engineered Removal Standards
The newly approved methodologies come from Gold Standard and Isometric, covering:
Accelerated carbonation of concrete aggregate (Gold Standard v1.0)
Biomass Geological Storage (Isometric v1.0–1.1)
Bio-oil Geological Storage (Isometric v1.0–1.1)
Subsurface Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (Isometric v1.0)
Biogenic Carbon Capture and Storage (Isometric v1.1)
Direct Air Capture (Isometric v1.1)
To date, about 30,000 credits have been issued under these methods. But growth potential is considerable. Twenty-four projects using Isometric standards are registered with an expected issuance of 3.2 million credits annually, while 15 Gold Standard projects are projected to deliver around 9,000 credits per year.
Gold Standard projects must meet additional safeguards: credits must stem from direct air capture or biogenic CO₂, and new baseline rules must be observed.
RELATED ARTICLE: Integrity Council Tightens Standards for Carbon Credits in Renewable Energy
Land-Use Protocols Gain Full Approval
In parallel, ICVCM granted full approval to two forestry methodologies after technical revisions.
The CAR Mexico Forest Protocol v3, focused on Improved Forest Management, was updated to incorporate variable leakage rates of up to 40% instead of a flat 20%. Projects must also commit to a minimum permanence period of 40 years. While 8.1 million credits have already been issued under the protocol, the number eligible for CCP labelling remains unclear.
The second, VM0047 v1.1, governs Afforestation, Reforestation and Revegetation (ARR). Updates extend eligibility to forested lands not managed for wood products and allow the use of remote sensing and geolocation for baseline assessments. Fifty-plus projects are already in the pipeline, with a combined annual issuance potential of nearly 9.5 million credits.
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