Verification

The American Carbon Registry (ACR) requires independent third-party verification of all carbon offset projects and corporate inventories following ACR Verification Guidelines.

Verification is a risk-based process carried out in conformance with ISO 14064-3:2006 and ISO 14065:2007. ACR verifiers shall be accredited for project verification and the scope of the applicable methodology, and verification teams shall meet the competence requirements as set out in ISO 14065:2007. 

No later than December 31, 2010, all ACR verifiers must be accredited under, or have begun the process of accreditation under, ISO 14065 by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

Information Requirements

ACR requires that all ACR Approved Verification Bodies execute a Verifier Attestation, which defines the verifier role and responsibilities and ensures technical capabilities and no conflicts of interest. ACR Approved Verification Bodies must also execute a project-specific conflict of interest form for each project verified.

Verification activities must address all requirements listed in the American Carbon Registry Standards and follow ACR Verification Guidelines. Projects must be verified without reservation, with project proponents having addressed all clarifications and corrections required by the verifier.

Once ACR reviews and accepts a verification statement, and the project proponent has already completed all other required steps, ACR will register the project; post the GHG Project Plan, verification statement, and other documentation to the ACR website; and issue serialized ERTs to the Project Proponent’s account.

Verification Interval

ACR requires verification at specified intervals in order to issue new ERTs. ERTs may be created and issued annually, or at the Proponent’s request, more or less frequently. At each request for issuance of new ERTs, the Project Proponent must submit a verification statement from an approved verifier based on a desk audit.

No less than once every five years, Proponents must submit a verification statement based on a full verification including a field visit to the project site. Further qualifications are detailed in the American Carbon Registry Standard v2.0 and relevant sector standards.

ACR Approved Verification Bodies

The following verifiers have been approved by ACR:

• Battelle Memorial Institute
• Consot SRL – Servisios de Consultoria
• Environmental Services Inc (ESI)
• First Environment, Inc.
• ICF International
• Landfills +, Inc.
• Ruby Canyon Engineering
• Scientific Certification Systems
• URS Corporation

In addition, ACR presumptively approves the following verifiers, provided they meet all ACR requirements, including being in good standing, and by December 31, 2010, are ANSI accredited or have begun the process of ANSI accreditation:

• Accredited Independent Entities approved under Joint Implementation;
• Designated Operational Entities approved under Clean Development Mechanism.

Becoming an ACR Approved Verification Body

Entities seeking to become an ACR Approved Verifiation Body can apply by sending a completed verifier application form, including all required attachments to verification@americancarbonregistry.org. A copy of the application form (no attachments) and a check for the $2000 application fee or $500 scope expansion fee should be mailed to:

Winrock International
ACR Verifier Application
Attn: Sharon Rosenberg
2121 Crystal Dr., Suite 500
Arlington VA 22202

Please direct any questions to verification@americancarbonregistry.org.