Verra CCS Methodology VM0049 Gets ICVCM Approval: What It Means for Carbon Removal Credits
carboncredits.comThe Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) has approved Verra's carbon capture and storage methodology, VM0049, under its Core Carbon Principles. The approval covers the main CCS framework plus modules for direct air capture, CO2 transport, CO2 storage, and BECCS. It gives a technology-based carbon removal method an independent integrity signal, but it does not automatically approve individual projects using the methodology. VM0049 has been active since June 2024 and sets rules for measuring emissions reductions and removals across capture, transport, and geological storage. A key requirement is that renewable electricity used for capture must come from new, project-dedicated sources, not existing generation. This matters because the energy used by CCS equipment can offset part of the climate benefit if not accounted for. For buyers, the approval makes it easier to identify CCS credits that meet a recognized integrity benchmark. Still, project-level due diligence remains necessary. Technology choice, energy source, monitoring, storage site, and verification all affect the real climate benefit of any CCS credit.
