American Carbon Registry Standards

The American Carbon Registry publishes standards, methodologies, protocols and tools for greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting, which are all based on International Standards Organization (ISO) 14064 and sound scientific practice. We only register project-based carbon offset tons that are real, additional, permanent and verifiable and comply with American Carbon Registry Standards.

The American Carbon Registry allows the use of methodologies and tools from other systems including CDM, U.S. EPA Climate Leaders, VCS, and WRI/WBCSD GHG Protocol, to the extent they comply with the Registry’s Standards. All offset projects and corporate inventories must be verified by an independent third-party.

Standards Open for Public Comment

• American Carbon Registry Standard version 2.0: The American Carbon Registry welcomes feedback from its members, project proponents and other interested parties on the American Carbon Registry Standard, version 2.0. The ACR Standard details ACR’s requirements and specifications for the quantification, monitoring, and reporting of project-based GHG emissions reductions and removals, verification, project registration, and issuance of offsets.
  
  Please send all comments to publiccomment@americancarbonregistry.org by close of business February 21, 2010.
  
  The ACR Standard v2.0 amplifies and clarifies, but does not in any way substantively alter, the requirements of the American Carbon Registry Technical Standard 2009 v1.0. Until the ACR Standard v2.0 is published as a final standard, the American Carbon Registry Technical Standard 2009 v1.0 continues to be ACR’s governing general standard. When the ACR Standard v2.0 is published, it will supersede the Technical Standard 2009 v1.0, which will then be retired. Project Proponents currently developing projects under the Technical Standard 2009 v1.0 may continue to use that standard provided the projects are registered by May 1, 2010.
  

Published Standards

• American Carbon Registry Technical Standard 2009 v1.0: Eligibility requirements for registration of project-based carbon offsets.
  
• Forest Carbon Project Standard: Including requirements for afforestation and reforestation (AR), improved forest management (IFM) and reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) projects.

We are always open to constructive comments from the public and stakeholders on our published standards. Please direct comments to standards@americancarbonregistry.org.

Standards forthcoming in early 2010

• Forest Carbon Project Standard v2.0
• Livestock Waste Management Standard: Jointly developed with USDA and California Energy Commission, includes methodologies and tools for agricultural methane / biodigester projects.
• Landfill Methane Standard: Including landfill gas capture and combustion.

Published methodologies and tools

• Template and annex for new forestry methodologies.  Project Proponents wishing to propose a new forestry project methodology to the Registry for review and approval should use this template and the accompanying mandatory annex for data and parameters.

Forthcoming methodologies and tools

• Methodology for Improved Forest Management in the U.S.
• Methodologies for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation
• ACR Tool for Impermanence Risk analysis and Buffer Determination
• Reduced N2O emissions through reduced fertilizer usage
• Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) methodologies, addressing acid gas injection, enhanced oil recovery (EOR) with anthropogenic CO2 and sequestration of CO2 in oil / gas reservoirs and saline aquifers

Other Accepted Methodologies

The American Carbon Registry allows the use of methodologies and tools from other systems including CDM, U.S. EPA Climate Leaders, VCS, and WRI/WBCSD GHG Protocol, to the extent they comply with the Registry’s Standards.

The American Carbon Registry promotes innovation to bring new offsets types to market. Project developers are welcome to submit new methodologies and tools for evaluation and validation. Alternatively, the project developer may work with the Registry to design, evaluate and implement a new methodology and/or tool. Upon validation and scientific peer review, the American Carbon Registry may publish the methodology for public and stakeholder comment and for future use.

Clean Development Mechanism 
 
U.S. EPA Climate Leaders
 
World Resources Institute / World Business Council for Sustainable Development

Voluntary Carbon Standard