Verification

Project verification plays a vital role in upholding the integrity and quality of the data reported to both mandatory and voluntary greenhouse gas (GHG) programs across the world. The Climate Action Reserve (Reserve) utilizes a standardized approach that promotes the relevance, completeness, consistency, accuracy, transparency and conservativeness of emissions reductions data reported by project developers.

The key objectives of project verification are to:

  • ensure projects are real, additional, permanent, verifiable and enforceable
  • minimize the risk of invalid creation or double counting of Climate Reserve Tonnes (CRTs)
  • support the transparency and integrity of the data contained within Reserve
  • maintain consistency and comparability across projects
  • monitor the project developer’s on-going compliance with the Reserve’s protocols

Verification activities differ based on the complexity of the project and the underlying data. However, the verification process will include, at minimum, the following steps:

  • Notification of verification activities and case-by-case evaluation of conflict of interest
  • Scoping and planning verification activities
  • Desk review and project site visit, which entail:
    1. Identifying emissions sources and assess risk of material misstatements
    2. Reviewing methodologies and management systems
    3. Verifying emission reduction calculations
  • Submitting a Verification Report, List of Findings and Verification Statement to the Reserve