Program Revision - July 2026

Public consultation from July 12, 2026 to August 12, 2026

The International Carbon Registry is launching a public consultation on proposed updates to core ICR Program documents. The consultation seeks stakeholder feedback on proposed revisions intended to improve clarity, consistency, transparency, and implementation across the ICR Program.

The consultation covers proposed updates to the ICR Requirement Document, ICR Methodology Requirements, ICR Methodology Approval Process, and ICR Definitions. ICR has also recently published ICR Process Requirements v6.3 and is conducting a targeted consultation with approved VVBs and relevant accreditation bodies on the proposed ICR Validation and Verification Specifications v3.0 and updated report templates.

Introduction

The International Carbon Registry (ICR) periodically updates its program documents as part of its continuous improvement process. These updates reflect practical experience from project registration, methodology development and review, validation and verification, registry administration, stakeholder engagement, and assurance practice.

The proposed updates are intended to strengthen alignment across ICR Program documents and support consistent implementation of requirements relating to project design, monitoring, additionality, safeguards, leakage, non-permanence, crediting, ownership, double counting, risk assessment, methodology development, methodology validation, validation, verification, and terminology.

The updates are also intended to support continued alignment with ISO standards, program experience, methodology review practice, registry development, stakeholder expectations, and, where relevant, the expectations and requirements reflected in the ICVCM Core Carbon Principles and CORSIA Emissions Unit Eligibility Criteria.

Key highlights of this consultation round include:

Clarification of project-level requirements under the ICR Requirement Document, including methodology application, CDM/PACM transition, GWP values, uncertainty, conservativeness, leakage, safeguards, local stakeholder consultation, monitoring, and validation and verification.
More structured methodology integrity requirements, including evidence basis, scientific integrity, traceability, verifiability, uncertainty, monitoring, and clearer methodology-level criteria for project-level conformity with ISO 14064-2 and ICR requirements.
Clarification of the methodology approval pathway, including concept note review, methodology development, optional preliminary ICR review, public disclosure, public stakeholder consultation, methodology validation by an approved VVB, ICR completeness and program conformity review, PAP recommendation where applicable, and ICR Board approval.
Alignment of definitions and terminology across ICR Program documents, ISO standards, Article 6 and CORSIA terminology where relevant, registry terms, project-cycle terms, leakage terminology, and assurance terminology.
Recent consolidation of ICR Process Requirements v6.3, covering registry processes, project lifecycle administration, issuance, conversion, transfers, retirements, adjustment mechanisms, VVB interfaces, ratings, risk assessments, oversight, public comments, grievances, exemptions, information sharing, and transition provisions.
Targeted consultation on ICR VVS v3.0 to clarify how ICR requirements are treated as program criteria within ISO 14064-3 validation and verification engagements, while preserving VVB professional judgement and compatibility with ISO 14065 accredited procedures.

Public consultation

ICR is launching this public consultation to gather stakeholder input on proposed updates to core ICR Program documents. The consultation invites feedback from project proponents, methodology developers, VVBs, market participants, organizations, technical experts, buyers, investors, public authorities, and other interested parties.

The documents subject to this public consultation are the following:

ICR Requirement Document v6.1 → v6.2 Clarifies and further structures project-level requirements relating to ISO 14064-2 application, methodology hierarchy, GWP values, uncertainty and conservativeness, leakage assessment, safeguards and local stakeholder consultation, monitoring, validation and verification, and insurance eligibility criteria.
ICR Methodology Requirements v3.1 → v3.2 Introduces more structured requirements for methodology integrity, scientific and technical evidence, traceability, verifiability, uncertainty, conservativeness, monitoring, and the use of methodologies as clear project-level implementation criteria. It also clarifies expectations for methodology validation, including assessment of scientific integrity within the VVB’s validation engagement.
ICR Methodology Approval Process v3.0 → v3.1 Clarifies the methodology approval pathway, including concept note review, methodology development, optional preliminary ICR review, public disclosure, public stakeholder consultation, methodology validation by an approved VVB, ICR completeness and program conformity review, PAP recommendation where applicable, and ICR Board approval. It also clarifies that preliminary ICR review is advisory only and does not constitute validation, approval, eligibility confirmation, or scientific integrity assessment.
ICR Definitions v3.2 → v3.3 Aligns terminology with the revised ICR Program documents and adds or refines terms relevant to scientific integrity, leakage, ISO 14064-5, accreditation, VVB approval, Article 6/CORSIA-related terminology, registry administration, ICC status, user roles, and project-cycle processes.

ICR has also recently published ICR Process Requirements v6.3, which consolidates operational procedures for project and ICC administration under the ICR Program. This document is not part of the current public consultation package but forms an important part of the overall ICR Program update.

In parallel, ICR is conducting a targeted consultation with approved VVBs and relevant accreditation bodies on the proposed ICR Validation and Verification Specifications v3.0 and updated validation, verification, and methodology validation report templates.

Public consultation summary

ICR Public Consultation summary July 2026.pdf

PDF · 215KB

Public consultation details

ICR Program Update July 2026.pdf

PDF · 276KB

How to participate in the consultation

A public consultation gathering stakeholder input is an important step in informing the finalization of the proposed updates to the ICR Program.

Stakeholders are encouraged to comment on clarity, usability, consistency across ICR Program documents, implementation feasibility, environmental integrity, methodology integrity, scientific integrity, safeguards and stakeholder consultation, validation and verification, registry and process interactions, legal or governance aspects, terminology, definitions, and editorial matters.

Comments should identify:

the relevant document and section;
the issue or proposed clarification;
the rationale for the comment; and
where appropriate, suggested alternative wording.

Please use the public consultation comment template to provide comments and submit comments electronically via the provided online form by 12 August 2026.

https://forms.gle/MM65DGNLTsXuxdw98

If you have any questions during the consultation process, please contact ICR at consultation@carbonregistry.com.