ICROA to conclude accreditation role amid market strengthening
As announced Friday, 5th December 2025, the International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance (ICROA) has taken the strategic decision to move away from the accreditation of carbon standards.
This decision reflects the rapid evolution of the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) and the growing prominence of other initiatives, such as the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) and Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) – which are now best placed to lead the next phase of market integrity and oversight. ICROA plans to cease all accreditation activities after Q3 2026. Plan Vivo will continue to use the ICROA label until Q3 2026.
We would like to thank ICROA for their partnership. Their endorsement of the Plan Vivo Carbon Standard (PV Climate V5) through ICROA’s Code of Best Practice was a major milestone in our history and served as formal recognition of our commitment to climate integrity and increased market confidence in community-led, nature-based carbon projects.
Our collaboration significantly advanced Plan Vivo’s mission of providing smallholder farmers and local communities around the world access to ethical, high-integrity carbon finance. ICROA endorsement of PV Climate V5 also helped open new markets for our projects, broadened the pool of responsible buyers, and enhanced our ability to deliver both environmental and social co-benefits at scale.
Looking ahead, Plan Vivo remains firmly committed to representing the highest quality standard for locally led nature-based projects in the VCM. We are currently in the advanced stages of pursuing ICVCM programme accreditation — a key priority for us. While this is a rigorous and detailed process, we expect to share an update on timescales in early 2026. In addition, we continue to explore other accreditations that deliver maximum value to our network, including potential alignment with mechanisms such as CORSIA, as well as strengthening relationships with national accreditation frameworks and independent rating agencies.
Plan Vivo remains dedicated to delivering high-integrity, socially equitable and nature-positive climate solutions. We will continue working closely with our partners, communities and stakeholders to ensure that our certified projects meet the highest standards.
Should you have any questions or queries, please reach out to the Plan Vivo team.
ICROAs formal announcement ‘Carbon Market Conduct Pioneer Passes on the Baton’ is available below:
