ICVCM Core Carbon Principles (CCPs)

Updated 2026-11-02 · 4 min read · By the akar.earth specialist team

Core Carbon Principles explained: the ten ICVCM CCPs, how programs and methodologies are assessed, and what the CCP threshold means for Indonesian credits.

The Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) are ten principles set by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) that define a high-integrity carbon credit, covering governance, emissions impact and sustainable development. ICVCM applies them by assessing carbon crediting programs and methodology categories; credits that pass both tests can carry the CCP label.

Where the CCPs come from

ICVCM emerged in 2021 from the Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets, which drew support from more than 250 organisations. It is an independent governance body. Its Governing Board makes formal decisions, usually on recommendations from a Standards Oversight Committee and analysis from an Expert Panel.

The rule base has three parts:

• The Core Carbon Principles themselves.
• The Assessment Framework, which turns each principle into criteria.
• The Assessment Procedure and CCP Rule Architecture, which set governance and process.

ICVCM’s initial market-wide category assessment began in October 2023.

The ten principles

How assessment works

ICVCM uses a “two-tick” approach. The program is assessed against governance criteria and, if it passes, becomes CCP-Eligible. Methodology categories are assessed against emissions impact and sustainable development criteria and, if they pass, become CCP-Approved. Decisions can be unconditional, conditional, or require remedial actions.

Current status, as stated on ICVCM’s pages:

• 13 CCP-Eligible programs and 45 CCP-Approved methodologies on the status tables.
• ICVCM’s decision article lists ACR, ART TREES, CAR, Equitable Earth, Gold Standard, GCC, Isometric, Puro.Earth, Rainbow and Verra as CCP-Eligible programs.
• Since May 2024 the Governing Board has approved 40 methodologies and found 25 did not meet the requirements, according to the same article. The status table and article use different counting bases or dates.
• Approved categories include REDD+, improved forest management, coastal and mangrove restoration, biochar and others.

ICVCM’s program application platform is closed for upgrades and expected to reopen for applications in April 2027.

Who uses the CCPs

• Buyers use CCP status as a screening filter and as a basis for claims under the VCMI Claims Code.
• Programs revise methodologies to meet the criteria.
• Developers choose methodologies with CCP-Approved status to access label-seeking buyers.
• Ratings agencies and investors use CCP status alongside project-level ratings.

How it applies in Indonesia and Southeast Asia

For Indonesian land projects, the key methodology outcomes are:

• ARR. Verra states that VM0047 v1.0 and v1.1 are CCP-Approved.
• REDD+. ICVCM has approved jurisdictional and nested approaches, including Verra’s VM0048. Legacy project-level methods such as VM0007 are not the route for new labelled REDD+ credits; check the table for current status.
• Agriculture. VM0042 v2.2 is CCP-Approved.
• Jurisdictional. ART TREES is CCP-Eligible, but the TREES 2.0 HFLD and removals crediting levels require remedial actions.

Domestic law is separate. Indonesia’s carbon market under Perpres 110/2025, with units recorded in SRUK, does not depend on ICVCM status. International buyers increasingly do.

Questions to ask about any credit

Use the CCPs as a checklist when reviewing an Indonesian project:

• Is the program CCP-Eligible, and is the methodology version CCP-Approved?
• Is additionality shown with a credible test, not just a statement?
• How is reversal risk managed: buffer, insurance or jurisdictional cover?
• Is the credit recorded once, in one registry, with a clear domestic record in SRUK where required?
• Are safeguards, consent and benefit sharing documented and verified?

Common pitfalls

• Treating program eligibility as enough. The methodology must also be approved.
• Ignoring conditions. Conditional approvals carry project-level requirements checked at verification.
• Assuming status is fixed. Programs must notify ICVCM of material changes, and decisions can be revisited.
• Confusing CCPs with ratings. CCP is a threshold; ratings grade quality above or below it.

Next steps

Read how the CCP label is applied, see the ICVCM glossary entry, or return to the standards hub. For a portfolio screen, see our due diligence service.