Verra and FSC: New Carbon Initiatives for Certified Tropical Forests

22.05.2026

Forest carbon markets are evolving rapidly: Verra and FSC have announced a new collaboration around carbon credits generated in certified forests, while an innovative methodology for managed tropical forests has been opened for public consultation. Behind these announcements, new perspectives may emerge for Congo Basin concessions — but also significant questions regarding feasibility, costs, and the actual benefits these mechanisms could deliver.

ATIBT is closely monitoring developments in carbon mechanisms applied to the sustainable management of tropical forests. Two recent announcements from Verra deserve particular attention from forestry stakeholders in the Congo Basin and ATIBT members.

A New FSC Label Applied to Certain Verra Carbon Credits

Verra recently announced the launch of an FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) label applicable to certain Verified Carbon Units (VCUs) generated under the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) program when projects are located in forests holding FSC Forest Management (FM) certification.

According to Verra and FSC, this initiative aims to strengthen the transparency and credibility of carbon credits originating from FSC-certified forests by highlighting:

sustainable forest management practices;
stakeholder consultation mechanisms;
and the social and environmental safeguards associated with FSC certification.

At this stage, however, the practical implications of this collaboration for tropical forest concessionaires remain limited and still need clarification. The announcement does not yet specify:

whether methodologies specifically designed for FSC-certified forests will be developed;
whether FSC certification could generate additional carbon-related benefits;
or whether simplified pathways could be created for certified forest managers wishing to access carbon markets.

The operational applicability, implementation costs, and actual added value for tropical concessions therefore remain uncertain.

A New IFM Methodology Open for Public Consultation

At the same time, Verra, in collaboration with Funga, Conservation International, CTrees, Ceiba Earth, and The Nature Conservancy, has developed a new Improved Forest Management (IFM) methodology dedicated to enhanced carbon sequestration projects in managed natural forests.

This methodology is currently open for public consultation.

https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/5pdgCNkj3AC27glDcmfzUyTMip/

It aims to assess practices capable of increasing carbon sequestration in managed forests, including:

liana cutting;
mycorrhizal fungi inoculation;
and other innovative silvicultural interventions.

The proposed framework relies on a particularly ambitious scientific approach based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs), widely considered the “gold standard” in scientific evaluation.

In practice, the methodology proposes:

comparisons between treated and untreated control plots;
calculation of carbon additionality based on observed differences;
and the use of external benchmarks to safeguard the validity of results.

The methodology’s proponents themselves acknowledge the challenge of balancing:

scientific rigor;
robust carbon accounting;
and operational scalability.

Important Questions for Tropical Forest Concessions

For forest concessionaires engaged in sustainable management and certification in the Congo Basin, these developments could eventually create interesting opportunities:

diversification of forest revenues;
stronger recognition of sustainable management efforts;
and increased visibility of the environmental and social co-benefits generated by certified concessions.

However, important questions remain regarding:

implementation costs;
monitoring and measurement requirements;
accessibility for tropical forestry companies;
and the adaptation of these methodologies to the operational realities of African concessions.

ATIBT therefore encourages its members and partners interested in forest carbon markets to review the methodology and participate in the public consultation process so that field realities in tropical forests are adequately reflected in future international standards

Stakeholders wishing to contribute to the consultation may review the draft methodology and submit comments directly through the Verra platform.

https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/5pdgCNkj3AC27glDcmfzUyTMip/