What must a carbon crediting program show about its own governance and complaints process under the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) rules?

The program shall have an independent board with fiduciary duty, publish an annual report with revenues, expenses and net assets, run anti-money laundering and anti-bribery processes, consult stakeholders publicly, and run a clear, impartial grievance process whose fees do not impede access by civil society organisations or Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

Governance (criterion 1.1)

1. A board of independent members who assume fiduciary responsibility and operate under robust bylaws.
2. An annual report with revenues, expenses and net assets over the past year, and an overview of mission, major programs and governance.
3. Processes to ensure corporate social and environmental responsibility.
4. Robust anti-money laundering processes.
5. Practices consistent with robust anti-bribery and anti-corruption guidance and regulation.

Consultation and grievances (criterion 1.2)

1. A process for robust and transparent local and global stakeholder consultation, with public comment and issue resolution.
2. A process for addressing grievances that is clear and transparent, ensures impartiality and, where appropriate, confidentiality, and whose fees shall not impede legitimate access by civil society organisations or by Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

How to use this before you buy or register

• Find the program's latest annual report and board list on its website.
• Find where a complaint can be filed and whether a fee applies.
• Our reading: if you cannot find these, ask the program or seller in writing before you commit money.

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.

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Sources: Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market, Core Carbon Principles Assessment Framework, Section 4, January 2024, version 1.1 (criteria 1.1 and 1.2)

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.