Two carbon projects cover the same land or plant: how does the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) say credits are issued only once?

For categories with a material risk of overlapping claims, where project boundaries overlap a program shall issue only one credit for the reductions inside both, for example by refusing to register an overlapping project or refusing credits for reductions inside another project's boundary. It should apply the same check against projects in other programs where practicable.

What the framework asks (criterion 11.1)

1. For categories with a material risk of overlapping claims, identify potential overlaps between projects and issue one credit only for reductions inside the accounting boundaries of more than one project.
2. Do this, including by disallowing registration of a project whose boundaries overlap with another credited project, or disallowing credits for reductions inside another project's boundary under the same program.
3. Apply the same checks, where practicable, to projects registered under another program that overlap with its own.

The related duty on registration (criterion 6.1)

A program shall prevent registration of any activity that is registered under another program and is still active there. It shall also not issue credits where another program has issued credits for the same activity or the same reductions and has not cancelled them to avoid double issuance.

Before you sign with a developer

• Ask whether any part of your land, units or plants is already inside another project or program, including one your neighbour or association signed.
• Get your boundary in writing as a list of sites or plot numbers.
• Our reading: two agreements covering the same plot can leave both unpaid, so settle overlap before registration.

Two projects with shared plots

• Project A covers 600 hectares (ha) and project B covers 500 ha, with 150 ha inside both
• Area counted once: 600 plus 500 minus 150 = 950 ha
• Reductions on the 150 ha shared area earn one credit per tonne, not two

Figures are an example of the counting rule.

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.

• Obligated plant and Verra credits for the same reductions
• Pooling small efficiency projects for credits
• Who owns credits from equipment
• 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 (criteria 6.1 and 11.1)

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.