What happens to the Article 6 authorization tag on a credit if the host country never applies the corresponding adjustment, under the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) rules?

A program must check that the host country authorized the credits before it applies the tag, and must keep seeking evidence that the corresponding adjustment was applied. If that evidence cannot be obtained within two years of when the adjustment was required, the program shall withdraw the tag and inform the account holders.

What a corresponding adjustment is

A corresponding adjustment is the host country subtracting the tonne from its own emissions count so it is not counted twice.

What a program must do before and after tagging

1. Use a unique tag for the Attribute, different from other Core Carbon Principles (CCP) attributes.
2. Ensure an Article 6 authorization for the credits has been provided by the host country before it gives the credits the Attribute and marks them in the registry.
3. Make the information received about Article 6 authorizations public and keep it up to date on its website.
4. Publish regular reports on the status of authorized credits, split by host country, project and vintage, and give each host country information on credits authorized by that country.
5. Regularly seek evidence that the host country has applied corresponding adjustments appropriately.

The two-year limit

If that evidence cannot be obtained within two years of the required application of corresponding adjustments under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, the program shall withdraw the Attribute from credits in its registry and inform the relevant account holders.

What it means for a buyer

• Our reading: a tag seen at purchase is not permanent. Look at the registry again before you make or repeat a claim that relies on it.
• Keep the date you checked and a copy of the host country authorization.

The clock on an example date

• Corresponding adjustment required to be applied by 31 December 2028 (example date)
• Evidence not obtained by 31 December 2030, two years later
• The program shall then withdraw the Attribute and tell the account holders

Dates are an example of how the two years are counted.

What Senseible does here

Senseible reads fuel invoices and electricity bills into monthly records, which gives a project its own fuel and power history. Credits are issued by the program's registry and checked by an independent verifier, not by Senseible's own check.

• What a corresponding adjustment is
• India host country authorization letter
• Verra Article 6 label and letter of authorization
• Authorised and mitigation contribution credits
• Carbon credits for Indian businesses

Sources: Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market, Core Carbon Principles Assessment Framework, Section 4, January 2024, version 1.1 (Part III, CCP Attribute 1)

Last reviewed 2026-11-05. Based on Assessment Framework version 1.1 (January 2024). The Integrity Council's August 2026 rule architecture says Interpretations and Technical Notices may affect how criteria are assessed, so check icvcm.org for any in effect before you rely on a detail.