FSC and Verra Announce Partnership to Label Carbon Credits from Responsible Forests

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Verra are pleased to announce a collaboration that will bring greater transparency and credibility to the voluntary carbon market.

Under this new arrangement, Verified Carbon Units (VCUs) issued through Verra's Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program can now carry an FSC label when they are generated from forests that hold valid FSC Forest Management (FM) certification. This means that buyers and stakeholders can readily identify carbon credits that come from responsibly managed, FSC-certified forestlands.

What this means

Projects that are dual registered under both the VCS Program and FSC FM certification will be eligible to apply the FSC label to their VCUs in the Verra Registry. To qualify, projects must demonstrate full spatial and temporal overlap between the VCS project area and the FSC-certified forest, and must hold a valid FSC FM certificate for the entire verification period.

Benefits for the market

This partnership bridges two leading standards systems - climate action and responsible forest management - giving buyers added confidence that FSC-labeled VCUs originate from forests meeting rigorous environmental and social criteria. End-buyers who retire FSC-labeled VCUs will also have a pathway to communicate this achievement through approved use of the FSC trademark (initials only), subject to a simple authorization process.

Looking ahead

FSC and Verra will work closely to review applications, verify eligibility, and ensure the integrity of the labeling process. Further details on application procedures and trademark use can be accessed on the Verra website (Verra Launches FSC Label for Carbon Credits - Verra) and on the FSC dedicated page (FSC-Verra Collaboration | FSC Connect). 

For more information, please contact ecosystemservices@fsc.org.