What must the opinion in a Verra verification report say before I rely on the credits?

It must state the opinion date, project name, the greenhouse gas statement with its date and period, that the statement is the proponent's responsibility, the objectives, scope and criteria, the conclusion with level of assurance, and the volume of reductions verified. The report lists reductions for each calendar year.

The main required contents (Standard, section 4.1.24)

1. The date of the opinion.
2. The name of the project.
3. The greenhouse gas (GHG) statement being verified, with the date and period it covers.
4. A statement that the GHG statement is the responsibility of the project proponents.
5. The objectives, scope and criteria used to compile and assess it.
6. Whether the supporting data are hypothetical, projected, historical, or a mix.
7. The verifier's conclusion, with the level of assurance. Adverse, disclaimed, modified or qualified opinions give their reasons before the conclusion.
8. Where the opinion is approved by an International Accreditation Forum accreditation body, a declaration that the work followed International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14064-3, with the version, for example ISO 14064-3:2019.
9. For agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) and geological carbon storage (GCS) projects, the version of the non-permanence risk tool or market leakage evaluation documentation (4.1.24(9)).

Extra items for a verification opinion (4.1.25)

• The volume of reductions and removals generated in the monitoring period that were verified.
• Separate statements for reductions and removals where they are reported separately under the methodology.
• For land-use and geological storage projects, the non-permanence risk rating, leakage emissions and the number of units eligible to be issued.

The year-by-year line (4.1.22)

The verification report shall specify the number of reductions and removals generated in each calendar year of the monitoring period. A buyer matching vintages to a claim year reads this line.

A reading checklist

• Does the period in the opinion match the monitoring report and the units on the registry?
• Is the level of assurance stated, and is the opinion positive?
• Do the yearly figures add up to the total? Add them yourself.
• Is the verifier approved for the project's sectoral scope?

Example: adding the yearly figures

• Monitoring period 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 spans two calendar years.
• 2026 (6 months): 420 tonnes. 2027 (6 months): 380 tonnes.
• Total verified = 420 + 380 = 800 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, which should match the volume stated in the opinion.

Figures are an example.

What Senseible does here

Senseible reads fuel invoices and electricity bills into monthly records that you can keep with your project evidence. Its in-house check is not an accredited third-party verification, and Senseible is not part of Verra's process.

• What a negative verification opinion means
• Verra materiality threshold
• Monitoring periods: no overlap
• Carbon credits

Sources: Verra, VCS Standard v5.0 (16 December 2025)

Last reviewed 2026-11-05. Check the current VCS Standard, Registration and Issuance Process and Program Guide on Verra's site before you rely on this; Verra updates them periodically.