Climate Projects
Climate projects enable emission reductions that are verified according to internationally recognized CO₂ standards and are validated and verified by TÜV NORD CERT.
Contact us in just 1 minute about climate projects
Climate projects enable emission reductions that are verified according to internationally recognized CO₂ standards and are validated and verified by TÜV NORD CERT.
Contact us in just 1 minute about climate projectsClimate projects are playing an increasingly important role in effectively limiting global warming. Under the Paris Agreement, 195 countries have committed to significantly reducing global warming and thus limiting the global temperature rise to well below 2°C, ideally to 1.5°C. This not only raises national climate targets (NDCs) but also increases the requirements for projects designed to achieve emissions reductions.
At the same time, the voluntary carbon market is evolving. New requirements, particularly under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, demand that projects provide greater transparency, clear evidence of climate impact, and ensure the avoidance of double counting. This is intended to ensure that CO₂ credits remain credible and usable in the long term.
For companies and project developers, this in turn means: Only carefully planned, transparently documented, and independently audited projects can reliably demonstrate their emission reductions and build trust in the market.
Validation and verification support this by demonstrating that a project achieves genuine, verifiable savings and meets all relevant requirements. An independent audit conducted according to recognized international standards further enhances the credibility and traceability of climate protection projects.
TÜV NORD CERT has been accredited by the UNFCCC since 2009. In recent years, the company has validated and verified more than three thousand projects.
In addition, TÜV NORD CERT is accredited by the German Accreditation Body DAkkS for ISO/IEC 17029:2020 in conjunction with DIN 14065:2022 ISO. The company is also accredited for 14064-1:2019 in conjunction with DIN EN ISO 14064-3:202 DIN ISO 14064-2:2020.
Independent verification of climate protection projects strengthens the climate management of companies and organizations and enhances the acceptance of their climate strategies. It is therefore particularly suitable for
Climate projects enable emissions reductions verified according to recognized CO₂ standards, thereby creating transparency and credibility with your stakeholders. This results in the following benefits, among others:
Since TÜV NORD is accredited for a wide range of international standards, we cover a broad spectrum of project types:
ISO 14064-2 is part of a series of standards for balancing and reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It is used for quantification, monitoring and reporting on the reduction of GHGs within an organization. ISO 14064-2 provides the framework for this process through principles and requirements. In doing so, it refers to the project level – to project planning, as well as to the identification and selection of the sources, sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gas emissions that are crucial for the project and the reduction of GHGs. TÜV NORD CERT GmbH is accredited by Dakks (German accreditation body) for ISO 14064-2
One system offered by the UN to offset emissions is the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). It can be used to purchase certified emission reduction credits (CERs) for projects in so-called developing countries. These will then be traded so that industrialized countries can move closer to their Kyoto Protocol targets. TÜV NORD CERT GmbH is accredited under UNFCCC for CDM.
Under Article 6.2 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), countries are permitted to trade emission reductions and carbon sinks with one another, both bilaterally and multilaterally. This allows countries that implement climate measures to sell their emission reductions to other countries as International Transfer Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs). The latter can then count these toward their nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
ITMOs are measured in CO₂ equivalents. This is also stipulated in the UNFCCC: the methods, measurement procedures, and metrics were reviewed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and recognized by the Paris Climate Conference. The countries that signed the climate agreement also jointly established additional measurement procedures that influence the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to climate protection.
TÜV NORD CERT is registered as a validator and verifier in Switzerland, Ghana, and Morocco. We are also currently working to become registered as a validator and verifier in Zambia and Kenya.
The Gold Standard (GS) was established in 2003 by the WWF and other international non-governmental organizations. The Gold Standard for Global Goals (GS4GG) means that the next generation is ready to start. GS is a voluntary carbon standard. It sets out rules, requirements and methodologies to efficiently measure and monitor the impact of GHG reduction measures. This can be useful for GHG projects that wish to issue carbon credits, and also for activities in supply chains up to national project level. When certified by Gold Standard, the relevant GHG project is listed in the GS Impact Registry, and carbon credits titled VER (Gold Standard Verified Emission Reductions) can be purchased.
To learn more about the Gold Standard and its impact on GHG reduction, click here.
The Forest Climate Standard (WKS) was developed specifically for German forest climate protection projects, based on UN guidelines. It is the first such standard for the Ecosystem Value Association (eva) e.V., the organization which is behind it. Based on WKS certification, climate protection projects can receive tradable CO2 certificates, whose sale enables forest owners in turn to receive funds for further climate protection projects. It also offers a good opportunity for other companies and organizations to contribute to climate protection and biodiversity in Germany by purchasing these certificates. After all, the projects always involve measures for forest conservation or reforestation or adaptation of existing forests to achieve greater climate resilience.
Discover more about the Forest Climate Standard (WKS) and how it supports climate protection and biodiversity in Germany, here.
SD VISta by VCS is an internationally recognized standard for the validation and verification of projects focused on sustainable development. SD VISta enables projects to measure and certify their positive impacts on the environment and society. By meeting the stringent criteria and requirements of the standard, projects can be registered in the SD VISta program to have their sustainable achievements officially recognized.
End users and organizations can purchase these certificates to demonstrate their support for sustainable development goals and to strengthen their own sustainability strategies. The management and documentation of the issuance and use of these certificates are carried out by the organization Verra, which maintains a transparent and publicly accessible registry.
Learn more about the SD VISta standard and how it facilitates the recognition and promotion of sustainable development projects.
The Plastic Waste Reduction Standard, developed by Verra, is the first climate standard explicitly and exclusively directed at the reduction of plastic waste. It provides a robust system for developing and certifying projects that reduce plastic waste, ensuring they meet high environmental and social integrity standards. The program uses its own methodologies, which are aimed at scaling up both the collection and recycling of plastic waste. Each ton of plastic collected or recycled generates a Plastic Credit. Organizations can purchase Plastic Credits to offset their plastic footprint. This market-driven approach incentivizes sustainable practices and fosters innovation in waste reduction. The Plastic Waste Reduction Standard is a vital tool for businesses, governments, and communities committed to creating a circular economy and achieving significant, measurable impacts in the fight against plastic pollution.
To learn more about the Plastic Waste Reduction Standard and its impact on plastic waste reduction, click here.
The Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) is an international climate protection standard against which projects are measured on a voluntary basis, leading to issue of emission credits. If the rules and requirements of the standard are met, a project can be registered in the VCS program and receive carbon credits accordingly. End users buy these so-called VCUs (Verified Carbon Units) and then retire them to compensate for emissions. The issuance and retirement of VCUs is publicly accounted for by the managing organization Verra.
Learn more about the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and how it facilitates carbon credit issuance, here
The Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard (CCB) has been administered by Verra since the end of 2014. It deals with land management projects – including those that generate GHGs from deforestation and the avoidance of degradation of forests and other ecosystems. It can be used to determine whether such a project offers demonstrable benefit for climate protection, biodiversity – and local communities. For a CCB-certified project must always include the strong involvement of communities and stakeholders.
To learn more about the Climate, Community, and Biodiversity Standard and its requirements, click here.
The Certified Carbon Standard was introduced at the end of 2016. Committed to the Sustainable Development Goals, this standard is a carbon certification program that facilitates and guarantees the registration of climate change mitigation programs or projects (CCMPs). The standard is voluntary and is used to register and certify the removal of greenhouse gases and GHG reductions achieved through climate protection measures. The carbon credits are issued by Cercarbono and traded in conjunction with other project-specific carbon credits.
The International Carbon Registry (ICR) was founded in Reykjavik in 2020 and has cooperated with validation and verification bodies worldwide from the very beginning. The ICR is both a carbon registry and a far-reaching emissions programme. Projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can register on the platform. In addition, ICR Carbon Credits (ICC) can be generated for these projects. Reduction of emissions, as well as additionality and other criteria, are validated and verified for all projects.
Registration of the projects as well as validation and verification of the emission reductions are carried out transparently in accordance with the internationally recognized requirements of international standard ISO14064-2 and the special requirements of the ICR program.
To learn more about ICR Carbon Credits (ICC) and how the ICR supports transparent emission reduction verification, click here.
The Standardized Crediting Framework offers a transparent, cost-efficient, and country-specific system for crediting emission reductions, which significantly simplifies and accelerates the generation of climate protection certificates.
The Greenhouse Gas Crediting and Offsetting Mechanism is a system initiated by the Saudi Arabian government to structure the domestic carbon market and contribute to achieving the net-zero target by 2060.
TÜV NORD CERT GmbH has received a partial suspension from VERRA concerning the VCS Scope 14 (AFOLU), specifically limited to the People's Republic of China. This suspension pertains only to AFOLU projects within China.
We are actively working to lift the suspension and confirm that our operations across all scopes (including AFOLU) and in all other regions continue as normal. We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of service.
To generate valuable carbon credits, you need to design your project according to an acknowledged methodology within one of the carbon standards. And your Project Design document has to reflect this methodology consistently. Then the project can be validated and verified by an accredited entity such as TÜV NORD CERT GmbH.
Validation
Validation is an ex ante assessment of projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Within this validation it is assessed whether the project design fulfils the Standard requirements and is able to generate valuable credits. During the validation the operational entity, like TÜV NORD CERT, will analyse the project design document (PDD), the Mitigation Action Design Document (MADD), and other associated documents and information. Positive validation is a prerequisite for the registration of the project.
Verification
The verification is a periodic review to determine the actual emission reductions of the Standard project activity. Continued compliance with the criteria defined under the respective standard is also verified. Following successful project verification, TÜV NORD will determine and forward the recommendation of achieved emission reductions for issuance.
TÜV NORD CERT is an established and reliable partner for inspection and certification services. Our experts and auditors have extensive knowledge based on experience and are usually permanently employed by TÜV NORD. This guarantees independence and neutrality and enables us to guarantee continuity in the support of our customers. The benefits for you are clear: our auditors accompany and support the development of your company and give you objective feedback.