# Verra VCS carbon credits > Markdown version of https://www.carbonfootprint.store/carbon-credits/verra-vcs. Part of The Carbon Marketplace (carbonfootprint.store), run by Carbon Footprint Ltd. See https://www.carbonfootprint.store/llms.txt for how agents can use the site. The Verified Carbon Standard, run by Verra, is the world’s most widely used voluntary carbon programme. Compare the available VCS projects below, then read how to check a project, what a VCU is and where the risks sit. - [Verra Registry](https://registry.verra.org/) - [About the Verified Carbon Standard](https://verra.org/programs/verified-carbon-standard/) - [The ten VCS quality principles explained (carbonfootprint.com)](https://www.carbonfootprint.com/vcs.html) - [How CRISP ratings work (carbonoffsetratings.org)](https://www.carbonoffsetratings.org/ratings/) ## Available projects 24 projects are currently listed in this category. Availability and vintages may change. - [‘Guanaré’ Forest Plantations on Degraded Grasslands Under Extensive Grazing](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/guanare-forest-plantations-on-degraded-grasslands-under-extensive-grazing-60ee0afc4047cb0752222c36.md): Afforestation in Uruguay. Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2017, 2018; CRISP 4.0/5. - [Afforestation of Degraded Grasslands in Vichada, Colombia](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/afforestation-of-degraded-grasslands-in-vichada-colombia-689dd877a0a68c0303f0c445.md): Afforestation in Colombia. Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2022; CRISP 4.2/5. - [Biochar Project-1 by WeAct](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/biochar-project-1-by-weact-681dd5be3ed84d02ece0f9a0.md): Biochar in India. Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2024, 2025; CRISP 4.4/5. - [Capricorn Ridge 4 Wind Farm](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/capricorn-ridge-4-wind-farm-60ef16f03137aa0a18745d21.md): Wind Power in United States (USA). Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2021; CRISP 3.7/5. - [Dongyuan Xiantang Landfill Gas Power Generation Phase I Project](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/dongyuan-xiantang-landfill-gas-power-generation-phase-i-project-6669636f52d9280026ba323a.md): Land Fill Gas in China. Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2022; CRISP 4.8/5. - [Housing Decarbonisation in the United Kingdom](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/housing-decarbonisation-in-the-united-kingdom-6839a898a7f6760307b5bd81.md): Energy Efficiency in United Kingdom (UK). Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2023; CRISP 4.2/5. - [Huizhou Landfill Gas Power Generation Phase III and IV Project](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/huizhou-landfill-gas-power-generation-phase-iii-and-iv-project-681df8114fff3403026a799a.md): Land Fill Gas in China. Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2021, 2022; CRISP 5.0/5. - [Katingan Peatland Restoration and Conservation Project](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/katingan-peatland-restoration-and-conservation-project-60f927e1ecd1fa002248ae02.md): REDD in Indonesia. Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2020; CRISP 3.5/5. - [Larimar Wind Farm Project](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/larimar-wind-farm-project-60ee0af84047cb0752222b7d.md): Wind Power in Dominican Republic. Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2023; CRISP 3.9/5. - [Longyuan Mulilo De Aar 2 North Wind Energy Facility](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/longyuan-mulilo-de-aar-2-north-wind-energy-facility-62d038d4f32a03001f7303cb.md): Wind Power in South Africa. Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2018; CRISP 4.0/5. - [Off Grid Solar PV Project at Iamgold Essankane SA Gold Mine](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/off-grid-solar-pv-project-at-iamgold-essankane-sa-gold-mine-66ab8bba4e56060027afda7e.md): Solar Power in Burkina Faso (Africa). Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2019; CRISP 3.8/5. - [Project Reignite: Turning Farm Waste to Climate Action](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/project-reignite-turning-farm-waste-to-climate-action-681b4416e8b97802cf5c2b7c.md): Biochar in India. Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2023; CRISP 4.6/5. - [Qianbei Afforestation Project](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/qianbei-afforestation-project-677bf60139dcfe03116bac3e.md): Afforestation in China. Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2021; CRISP 4.2/5. - [REDD+ Project Resguardo Indígena Unificado–Selva de Mataven](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/redd-project-resguardo-indigena-unificado-selva-de-mataven-6669c0082b494e0026fa51b2.md): REDD in Colombia. Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2018; CRISP 3.3/5. - [Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation in Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/reduced-emissions-from-deforestation-and-degradation-in-keo-seima-wildlife-sanctuary-6177fbae433687001ebfadf0.md): REDD in Cambodia. Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2021; CRISP 3.5/5. - [Reforestation Of Degraded Forest Reserve Areas In Ghana, West Africa](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/reforestation-of-degraded-forest-reserve-areas-in-ghana-west-africa-66630cfe6d7e430029a290bd.md): Afforestation in Ghana. Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2022; CRISP 4.0/5. - [Reforestation of Degraded Lands in Sierra Leone](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/reforestation-of-degraded-lands-in-sierra-leone-67b73d4281f91002bf88495d.md): Afforestation in Sierra Leone. Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2022; CRISP 4.0/5. - [Renewable Solar Power Project by ReNew Solar Power Private Limited](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/renewable-solar-power-project-by-renew-solar-power-private-limited-673b4317d24bc302c4a43dc8.md): Solar Power in India. Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2024; CRISP 3.8/5. - [Saint Nikola Wind Farm](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/saint-nikola-wind-farm-66ab4084c50a7a0028336584.md): Wind Power in Bulgaria. Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2020, 2021; CRISP 4.0/5. - [Soil Carbon Improvement Project through Grassland Management, in South Africa](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/soil-carbon-improvement-project-through-grassland-management-in-south-africa-681ddf25bbd70d02c394e2c4.md): Grassland Restoration in South Africa. Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2022; CRISP 4.2/5. - [The Russas Project](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/the-russas-project-6669bd5184493c00289af0d2.md): REDD in Brazil. Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2020; CRISP 3.5/5. - [THEPARAK WIND IN THAILAND](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/theparak-wind-in-thailand-6737773c4108c302d7d360e1.md): Wind Power in Thailand. Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2022; CRISP 3.9/5. - [Wind power project in Maharashtra, India - Andhra Lake Phase - II](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/wind-power-project-in-maharashtra-india-andhra-lake-phase-ii-6737772a4108c302d7d35691.md): Wind Power in India. Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2024; CRISP 3.8/5. - [Zhangye Improved Grassland Management Project](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/projects/zhangye-improved-grassland-management-project-652cef93d6b6490029dc7a1d.md): Grassland Restoration in China. Verified Carbon Standard; vintages 2020; CRISP 3.8/5. ## Verra, the VCS and VCUs Verra is a non-profit that runs the Verified Carbon Standard Program along with other standards such as the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards. Under the VCS, a project follows an approved methodology, is validated by an independent auditor before it starts and verified as it runs, and then receives Verified Carbon Units on the Verra Registry. One VCU represents one tonne of CO₂e reduced or removed. Verra sets the rules and operates the registry. It does not sell credits. Credits are sold by project developers and through brokers and marketplaces like this one. ## How to check a project in the Verra Registry Every VCS project page here shows the Verra project ID, for example VCS2649. Search for it on the Verra Registry to see the project description, the methodology, validation and verification reports, VCU issuances by vintage and the retirement records. - Check the project is registered, not only listed or under development. - Match the vintage you are offered to an actual issuance on the registry. - Read the most recent verification report for how reductions were measured and any issues raised by the auditor. - After purchase, find the retirement with your name as beneficiary and the VCU serial numbers. ## Methodology, vintage and risk The methodology defines what counts as a reduction and how it is measured. The vintage is the year the reduction happened; older vintages are usually cheaper and there is nothing wrong with them as long as the credit is retired properly. Risk differs by project type: forest protection depends on a credible baseline and controlling leakage, land-based removals face reversal risk, which the VCS covers with a pooled buffer of credits, and energy projects depend on showing the project would not have happened anyway. Every VCS project must clear ten threshold principles, including an approved methodology, a defined boundary, accounting for leakage, demonstrated additionality and a rigorous monitoring plan. Carbon Footprint’s guide to VCS carbon credits on carbonfootprint.com explains each principle in detail. The VCS covers a very wide range of methodologies, from renewable energy and landfill gas to REDD forest protection, afforestation, biochar and the weatherisation of buildings. That breadth is why a project-level assessment matters as much as the standard itself. ## Retirement and your certificate A VCU only counts against your footprint once it is retired on the Verra Registry. When you pay, we retire the VCUs in your name, or your organisation’s name, and issue your certificate immediately. Retirements are public and permanent. ## Certification versus our CRISP rating The Carbon Marketplace sources certified credits from projects. When you purchase through our marketplace, we retire the credits on the registry in your name, or your organisation’s name, and issue your certificate straight away. The certification tells you the project meets the standard’s rules. Our separate CRISP rating tells you how strong the evidence is for that particular project. ## How to read the CRISP rating CRISP, the Carbon Ratings InSight Platform, reviews each project’s design document, verification and monitoring reports, scores five criteria out of 5 with a written justification for each, and averages them into the overall rating you see on every project card. More than 1,800 projects are rated and the ratings are free to read. - Additionality: would the reductions have happened anyway? CRISP looks for regulatory surplus, financial need for the credit revenue, activities that are not common practice, and a credible baseline. - Permanence: how long the benefit lasts and how reversal risk is managed, through monitoring, buffer pools or insurance and long-term project commitments. - Quantification: whether the reductions are measured with robust methods, a clear baseline, systematic monitoring, independent verification and transparent reporting. - Leakage: whether emissions simply shift outside the project boundary, and whether that is monitored and deducted from the credits. - ICVCM CCP status: 1 if the methodology has not been submitted or failed assessment, 3 if submitted and pending, 5 if approved under the Core Carbon Principles. ## Before you buy 1. The Verra project ID is registered and has issued VCUs for the vintage offered. 2. The methodology suits the activity and is current; retired methodologies are a warning sign. 3. The latest verification report is recent and any auditor findings are closed. 4. For forest and land projects, the CRISP notes on baseline, leakage and permanence are satisfactory. 5. You know who the retirement beneficiary should be: you, your company or a client. Guide reviewed September 2026. Prices and availability change; sign in for live prices. ## Buyer questions ### Does Verra sell carbon credits? No. Verra runs the standard and the registry. Credits are sold by the projects that earn them, either directly or through brokers and marketplaces. The Carbon Marketplace buys from projects and retires the VCUs in your name. ### What is a VCU? A Verified Carbon Unit is one tonne of CO₂e reduced or removed by a VCS project, verified by an independent auditor and issued on the Verra Registry with a unique serial number. ### Are VCS credits reliable after the criticism of forest projects? Some REDD forest projects were found to have overstated baselines, and Verra has since replaced the REDD methodologies with a consolidated approach using jurisdictional baselines. The lesson is that quality varies by project, so use the CRISP rating and the registry documents rather than relying on the standard alone. ### What is the difference between VCS and the CCB label? VCS certifies the emission reductions. The Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards are an additional Verra label for land-based projects that demonstrate community and biodiversity benefits. A project can hold both. ### Does the vintage matter? The vintage is the year the reduction occurred. Recent vintages are more expensive and some buyers prefer them for reporting, but a properly retired older vintage still represents a real, verified tonne. Check that the vintage offered matches an issuance on the registry. ### How is the CRISP rating calculated? Each project is scored out of 5 on additionality, permanence, quantification, leakage and ICVCM Core Carbon Principles status, with a written justification for every score. The overall rating is the average of the five. The full breakdown for each project is free to read on carbonoffsetratings.org, and each project page here links to it. ## Other categories - [Gold Standard carbon credits](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/carbon-credits/gold-standard.md) - [Carbon removal credits](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/carbon-credits/carbon-removal.md) - [Clean cooking carbon credits](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/carbon-credits/clean-cooking.md) --- Choose a project with confidence: compare the project activity, standard, available vintages and CRISP assessment. Create a free account to view prices and buy individual projects. For orders over 500 tCO2e, contact info@carbonfootprint.com or +44 (0)1256 592599 to discuss your requirements. Start with measuring and reducing your emissions; supporting carbon projects can form part of your wider climate action plan. - [Carbon credit buying FAQ](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/faq) - [Carbon Footprint services](https://www.carbonfootprint.com) - [Measure business emissions with Sustrax](https://www.sustrax.com) - [Guide for AI agents](https://www.carbonfootprint.store/llms.txt) Contact: info@carbonfootprint.com · +44 (0)1256 592599 · Carbon Footprint Ltd, Basingstoke, UK.