The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (IC-VCM) is the new governance body which sets and enforces the highest standards of ethics, sustainability, and transparency for the global voluntary carbon market. Its purpose is to ensure the voluntary carbon market contributes to the goals of the Paris Agreement by mobilizing finance into projects and programs that reduce or remove greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. This ensures the voluntary market operates for the public good – while minimizing social and environmental harms.
The Integrity Council develops standards according to the world’s best available science and policy expertise, and through public consultation. The body consists of a Governing Board, an Expert Panel, and an Executive Secretariat, which is hosted by the Green Finance Institute in the United Kingdom.