The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market

What The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market does

The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) is an independent, non-profit governance body registered as ICVCM Limited in the United Kingdom and headquartered in London, with an Asia Pacific hub launched in Singapore in October 2025 in partnership with Singapore's National Climate Change Secretariat and Economic Development Board. Founded in September 2021 following work by the Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets, ICVCM sets and maintains the Core Carbon Principles (CCPs), a global benchmark of ten science-based principles for identifying high-integrity voluntary carbon credits, aligned with the Paris Agreement and CORSIA. Its core technology is the CCP Assessment Framework and the CCP Rulebook, operationalised through a two-tick process: a program-level CCP-Eligibility assessment (governance, tracking, transparency, independent validation/verification) and a category- and methodology-level CCP-Approval assessment (additionality, permanence, robust measurement, unique counting, safeguards). As of early 2026, nine carbon crediting programs covering approximately 98% of the voluntary carbon market have been approved as CCP-Eligible, 38 methodologies have been CCP-Approved (with 22 found not to meet criteria), and an estimated 106 million credits are approved to use the CCP label. ICVCM is funded by twelve Founding Sponsors spanning philanthropy, NGOs, industry associations, and academic institutions, including Breakthrough Energy, Conservation International, Environmental Defense Fund, The Nature Conservancy, World Resources Institute, the Institute of International Finance, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the National University of Singapore, and Öko-Institut e.V., with operations supported by an Executive Secretariat led by BSI, C2ES, the Green Finance Institute, and IETA. Governance is provided by a 19-member Board (with three reserved seats for Indigenous Peoples and local communities and approximately 40% representation from the Global South), an Expert Panel, Multi-Stakeholder Working Groups, the Market Consultation Group webinar series, the IPLC Engagement Forum, and a Science and Research Network, all feeding into Continuous Improvement Work Programs on permanence, digital MRV, market transparency, equity, and regulatory alignment. ICVCM does not sell products or services commercially; it operates a grant-funded, multi-stakeholder standards body model and pursues recognition of the CCPs through partnerships with governments and regulators including the UK Government, the US CFTC, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry, and the World Bank.

Name

The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market

Legal name

ICVCM Limited

Website

https://icvcm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) is an independent, non-profit governance body that sets the Core Carbon Principles — a global benchmark for high-integrity voluntary carbon credits — and assesses carbon crediting programs and methodologies for CCP-Eligibility and CCP-Approval.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Voluntary Carbon Market Governance

NAICS

Credit Bureaus (561450)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

Voluntary Carbon Credit Verification & Validation (VCS/Gold Standard/ACR/CAR) (EUABACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Compliance Carbon Market Verification & Accreditation (EU ETS/UK ETS/California/Regional) (EUABACAB), Data Assurance, Audit & Attestation (ISAE 3000/3410, SOC, Chain-of-Custody) (EUABACAJ), Permanence, Reversal & Buffer Pool Analytics (Risk Scoring, Monitoring, Claims) (EUABACAL), Carbon Credit Ratings & Due Diligence (Quality Scoring, Integrity Assessments) (EUABADAF)

Keywords

• Voluntary carbon market
• Carbon credit integrity
• Carbon credit standards
• Climate finance governance
• Carbon market regulation

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Founding Sponsor Grants: Non-profit governance body funded in part by Founding Sponsors including Breakthrough Energy, Conservation International, Ecosystem Marketplace, Environmental Defense Fund, High Tide Foundation, Institute of International Finance, National University of Singapore, Öko-Institut e.V., SouthSouthNorth, The Nature Conservancy, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and World Resources Institute.
2. Operational and Procurement Funding: Operates procurement opportunities for goods and services, indicating ongoing institutional funding streams to support operational activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) is an independent non-profit governance body that sets and maintains the Core Carbon Principles (CCPs), a global benchmark and label for high-integrity voluntary carbon market credits. Through its Assessment Framework it evaluates carbon crediting programs (for governance, transparency, MRV and no double counting) and categories of carbon crediting methodologies (for additionality, permanence, robust measurement and safeguards), issuing CCP-Eligible and CCP-Approved designations used by the market.

Product overview

The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) operates a single unified governance framework rather than a multi-product software platform. Its foundational offering is the Core Carbon Principles (CCPs), a global benchmark for high-integrity carbon credits, operationalised through the Assessment Framework and its two-tick (two-stage) assessment process: the CCP-Eligible Programs Assessment (program-level governance, tracking, transparency and verification) and the CCP-Approved Methodologies Assessment (category/methodology-level environmental integrity). Supporting workstreams include Continuous Improvement Work Programs (CIWPs) covering Regulatory & Policy Alignment, Standardised & Innovative Crediting Approaches, Equity/Impact/Safeguards, Market Modernisation/Transparency/Oversight, and the Science and Research Network; the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Engagement Forum; the Multi-Stakeholder Working Groups (MSWGs) and Category Working Group; the Market Consultation Group (MCG); and a public Knowledge Hub hosted on Freshdesk. Together these components translate the CCPs into CCP-labelled credits across 38 approved methodologies spanning ARR/Agroforestry, Improved Forest Management, REDD+, sustainable agriculture, cookstoves/biodigesters, biochar, enhanced weathering, carbon dioxide removal, landfill gas capture, ODS destruction, N2O abatement, mine methane capture, and more.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Core Carbon Principles (CCPs): The Integrity Council's ten fundamental, science-based principles and global benchmark framework for identifying high-integrity carbon credits, implemented through an Assessment Framework and resulting in the CCP label.

Products and services

• Core Carbon Principles (CCPs)
• CCP Assessment Framework
• CCP-Eligible Programs Assessment
• CCP-Approved Methodologies Assessment
• Continuous Improvement Work Programs (CIWPs)
• Knowledge Hub / FAQ Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• Approves ~106 million credits for use of the CCP label, of which ~52 million appear available in the market
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship country-level partnership, flagship regional hub partner, core ecosystem partner, primary media and pr partner, executive secretariat lead, foundational predecessor initiative, core ecosystem coalition, major governmental endorser, major regulatory partner and major regulatory endorser.

• Indonesia Ministry of Forestry (MoEF)flagship country-level partnershipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Strategic partnership formalised in Sao Paulo at COP30 to align Indonesia's forestry carbon credits with the Core Carbon Principles. Focus on capacity building, technical support and knowledge exchange to strengthen Indonesia's carbon market systems.
• Singapore National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS)flagship regional hub partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Partnered with ICVCM to launch the Asia Pacific hub in Singapore in October 2025. Collaboration supports regional engagement and supply-side integrity across Asian carbon markets.
• Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB)flagship regional hub partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Partnered with ICVCM to launch the Asia Pacific hub in Singapore in October 2025, supporting the hub's establishment and outreach to regional stakeholders.
• Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI)core ecosystem partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerVCMI's Claims Code of Practice guides companies on how to use CCP-quality credits to make credible net-zero claims; ICVCM and VCMI together develop principles and standards for an end-to-end integrity market.
• World Bankcore ecosystem partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-facilitates ICVCM's Continuous Improvement Work Program on Measurement, Reporting and Verification (including digital MRV). Builds on outputs of the Carbon Market Infrastructure Working Group.
• Greenhouse Communications (Greenhouse Agency)primary media and pr partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerHandles ICVCM media enquiries at [email protected]; distributes press releases; primary contacts David Mason and Georgia Crump.
• British Standards Institute (BSI)executive secretariat leadImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCo-leads the ICVCM Executive Secretariat alongside C2ES, Green Finance Institute and IETA.
• Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES)executive secretariat leadImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCo-leads the ICVCM Executive Secretariat alongside BSI, Green Finance Institute and IETA.
• Green Finance Institute (GFI)executive secretariat leadImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCo-leads the ICVCM Executive Secretariat alongside BSI, C2ES and IETA.
• International Emissions Trading Association (IETA)executive secretariat leadImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCo-leads the ICVCM Executive Secretariat alongside BSI, C2ES and Green Finance Institute.
• Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets (TSVCM)foundational predecessor initiativeStrategic or Co-development PartnerICVCM was formed in September 2021 following work undertaken by the Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets, a private sector-led initiative.
• Coalition to Grow Carbon Marketscore ecosystem coalitionGTM or Marketing PartnerCoalition announced shared principles for high integrity in the use of carbon credits in Sao Paulo, supported publicly by 11 governments including Canada, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Peru, Switzerland and Zambia; principles explicitly reference the ICVCM and the CCPs.
• UK Governmentmajor governmental endorserStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK has said it intends to endorse the CCPs and consider how to reflect them in policy, regulation and guidance.
• Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)major regulatory partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerExploring how to align its transition credits with the CCPs; published the TRACTION Final Report on early retirement of coal plants in Asia through high-integrity transition credits.
• US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)major regulatory endorserStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublished draft guidance on listing carbon credit derivatives in accord with the CCPs.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI): VCMI is the most directly comparable peer — a complementary multi-stakeholder initiative that sets a Claims Code of Practice for how corporates use high-integrity credits. VCMI and ICVCM are explicitly described as jointly developing end-to-end integrity standards for the voluntary carbon market.
• Climate Action Reserve (CAR): CAR is a U.S.-based carbon crediting program approved as CCP-Eligible under ICVCM, with multiple CCP-Approved methodologies (e.g., U.S. Soil Enrichment Protocol, Mexico Forest Protocol IFM). Directly comparable as a peer crediting program subject to ICVCM assessment.
• American Carbon Registry (ACR): ACR is a U.S.-based carbon crediting program approved as CCP-Eligible, with CCP-Approved methodologies including IFM on Non-Federal US Forestlands and ARR Degraded Lands. Directly comparable as a peer crediting program assessed by ICVCM.

Broad incumbents

• Verra (Verified Carbon Standard): Verra operates the world's largest carbon crediting program (VCS) and is itself CCP-Eligible under ICVCM. Comparable as the dominant incumbent whose methodologies ICVCM assesses, and whose brand and scale shape market integrity norms.
• Gold Standard: Gold Standard is a leading carbon crediting program focused on sustainable development co-benefits, and is CCP-Eligible under ICVCM. Comparable as both a peer crediting program and an integrity standard-setter that overlaps with ICVCM's mandate on safeguard criteria.
• Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi): SBTi sets corporate net-zero target validation standards and is a comparable integrity-adjacent body for climate claims. It intersects with ICVCM through corporate demand for high-integrity credits and shares multi-stakeholder governance characteristics.
• CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project): CDP runs the dominant corporate climate disclosure platform and shapes corporate climate data infrastructure. Comparable as a broader climate integrity and disclosure standard-setter that drives demand for high-integrity carbon credits.

Emerging players

• Puro.earth: Puro.earth is a carbon removal crediting platform headquartered in Helsinki, approved as the eighth CCP-Eligible program under ICVCM (December 2025). Comparable as an emerging carbon removal-focused peer that operates under the CCP framework.
• Isometric: Isometric is a science-based carbon removal crediting program approved as CCP-Eligible, with multiple CCP-Approved methodologies including reforestation and CDR (bio-oil, biogenic CCS, biomass, DAC). Comparable as a startup-stage peer operating under the CCP label.

Others

• Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets (TSVCM): TSVCM is the private-sector initiative from which ICVCM was spun out in 2021. Comparable as a predecessor / ecosystem partner that continues to influence voluntary carbon market infrastructure recommendations alongside ICVCM's work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ic_vcm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/icvcm

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market