The Climate Action Reserve (CAR) is initiating a new work program to re-examine its approach to the permanence of carbon credits, a core principle that has underpinned its methodology for nearly 25 years. The organization has historically based its carbon crediting protocols on a 100-year permanence standard, a timeframe it considers essential to align with the atmospheric lifetime of carbon dioxide. This long-standing principle has been operationalized through rigorous monitoring, reporting, and verification requirements, obligating project owners to ensure the sequestration of carbon stocks for 100 years beyond the crediting period. This commitment is supported by a buffer pool designed to compensate for unavoidable reversals, such as those caused by natural disasters like forest fires.

​However, in response to the rapid pace of innovation within the voluntary carbon market and an evolving policy landscape, CAR recognizes the need to re-evaluate its existing model. The organization’s goal is to investigate the foundational assumptions of its current permanence framework and develop actionable policy changes that continue to safeguard environmental integrity. This work is partly inspired by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market’s recent decision to create a “sandbox” for innovation, allowing crediting programs to explore new ideas without jeopardizing their status.

​The new program is designed to be collaborative, consistent with CAR’s history of stakeholder engagement. It will seek input through a public comments webform and a dedicated workgroup, inviting participants to consider key questions surrounding permanence. By engaging a broad range of stakeholders, from project developers to insurance providers and trusts, CAR aims to foster a dialogue that can lead to a more robust and adaptable framework for addressing permanence in the future. The initiative will explore alternative mechanisms and timeframes, ensuring that credited projects provide durable climate benefits that are verifiable and secure.

SOURCE: Reserve launches work program on carbon credit permanence