Overview
Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) is an independent, stakeholder-led non-profit governance body established in 2021 following recommendations from the Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets.
It was created to improve trust and consistency in voluntary carbon markets by setting global standards for carbon credit quality. Its overarching aim is to ensure carbon markets support credible emissions reductions and align with climate goals such as the Paris Agreement.
Mission and focus areas
ICVCM’s core mission is to define and maintain a global benchmark for high-integrity carbon credits, enabling private finance to flow towards effective climate mitigation projects.
Its primary focus is the development and implementation of the Core Carbon Principles (CCPs), which set science-based criteria covering governance, transparency, emissions impact and sustainable development safeguards.
Through this work, ICVCM contributes to sustainable finance by improving the credibility of carbon markets, helping investors and corporates assess the quality and impact of carbon credits used in climate strategies.
Structure and governance
ICVCM operates as an independent non-profit governed by a multi-stakeholder Governing Board responsible for strategic direction and approval of standards.
The organisation is supported by a secretariat, expert panels and committees, including those focused on standards oversight, governance and engagement with Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
Its governance framework includes formal policies, codes of conduct and conflict-of-interest procedures to ensure transparency and accountability in decision-making.
Programs and offerings
ICVCM’s principal output is the Core Carbon Principles and accompanying Assessment Framework, which define and evaluate the integrity of carbon-crediting programmes.
It conducts assessments of carbon-crediting programmes and credit categories, determining eligibility for CCP-labelled credits and publishing decisions to improve market transparency.
Additional resources include guidance on implementation, stakeholder consultations, and knowledge materials that support market participants in understanding and applying high-integrity carbon credit standards.
Our mission
We set a definitive global threshold for the voluntary carbon market so that high-quality carbon credits can efficiently unlock private finance to reduce and remove emissions.
