WASHINGTON — Dec. 4, 2025 | Verra has issued the first credits with the Core Carbon Principles (CCP) label under its Improved Forest Management (IFM) methodology, VM0045, which was recently approved by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM).
VM0045 Improved Forest Management Using Dynamic Matched Baselines from National Forest Inventories introduces a groundbreaking approach to forest carbon accounting, using continuously monitored, real-world forest inventory data to establish dynamic baselines.
The Family Forest Carbon Program – Central Appalachia project, developed by the American Forest Foundation (AFF) with the support from The Nature Conservancy, was issued 18,326 Verified Carbon Units (VCUs) under version 1.2 of VM0045. While the project was initially developed under version 1.1, AFF proactively transitioned to version 1.2 following that version’s ICVCM approval, demonstrating a strong continued commitment to environmental integrity and high-quality carbon finance.
The issuance is a powerful example of how VM0045 advances forest conservation by small-acreage landowners, who have historically been excluded from voluntary carbon markets due to high costs and complexity.