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Comparison Table 5:
Program Administration and Authority
(last updated Jan 2011)
Read about Program Administration and Authority
Name of Program |
Who administers? |
Who validates/ verifies? |
Who approves? |
Name of Registry |
Kyoto offset mechanisms |
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Clean Development Mechanism |
UNFCCC Sectretatiat |
Designated Operational Entities (DOEs) |
CDM Executive Board |
|
Joint Implementation |
JI Supervisory Council |
Accredited Independent Entity (AIE) |
AIE unless a review is requested, in which case the JI Supervisory Council approves the project |
Offset credits tracked in respective National Registries. |
Mandatory cap-and-trade systems |
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Alberta-Based GHG Reduction Program |
Alberta provincial government |
Third-party verifier |
Alberta Environment |
|
Australian Carbon Pollution Abatement Scheme |
Under development |
Under development |
Under development |
Under development |
Canada’s Offset System for Greenhouse Gases |
Minister of the Environment |
Accredited third-party verifier |
Environment Canada |
Under development |
European Union Emissions Trading Scheme |
European Commission and National administrators |
CDM and JI requirements apply |
CDM and JI requirements apply |
Community Independent Transaction Log (CITL) for allowances, for CERs and AIEs see above. |
Midwest Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord |
Accord partner jurisdictions |
Under development |
Under development |
Under development |
New South Wales Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme |
Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of NSW (IPART) |
Approved third-party auditor in Audit and Technical Services Panel. |
IPART |
|
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative |
State regulatory agencies |
State-accredited independent verifier |
State regulatory agencies |
|
Western Climate Initiative |
WCI partner jurisdictions |
Under development |
Under development |
Under development |
Other mandatory GHG systems |
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State power plant rules (OR, WA, MA) |
OR: Energy Facility Siting Council |
OR: Program administrator |
OR: Program administrator |
OR: None |
WA: Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council |
WA: Independent entity |
WA: Program administrator |
WA: None |
|
MA: Department of Environmental Protection |
MA: MA Dept. of Environmental Protection |
MA: MA Dept. of Environmental Protection |
MA: GHG Registry |
|
British Columbia Emission Offset Regulation |
BC Ministry of Environment |
Validation and Verification body (accreditation required after July 1, 2010) |
Verification body |
Pacific Carbon Trust |
Voluntary standards (read about standards versus programs) |
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WBCSD/WRI GHG Protocol for Project Accounting |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
ISO 14064-2 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Voluntary programs |
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American Carbon Registry |
Winrock, ACR Director |
ACR approved verifiers or verifiers approved under CDM, JI, VCS and the Climate Action Reserve.. Starting 10 2010, verifiers must be ANSI certified. |
ACR approved verifiers. |
|
| Carbon Fix | Carbon Fix Registry administered by Markit | |||
Chicago Climate Exchange |
CCX Committee on Offsets. |
CCX-approved verifiers |
CCX Committee on Offsets |
|
Climate Action Reserve |
Board of Directors |
ANSI-accredited independent verifiers approved by the Reserve. |
State of California and the Climate Action Reserve |
|
Climate Community and Biodiversity Standards |
CCB Alliance (CCBA) |
DOEs or evaluators who are accredited under the Forest Stewardship Council. |
Third-party auditors |
CCB Standards Registry administered by Markit |
Climate Leaders |
The US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) |
US EPA |
US EPA |
Recommends use of independent registry, although not required. |
Gold Standard |
Gold Standard Foundation, GS Secretariat, Foundation Board, GS Technical Advisory Committee (GS TAC), GS NGO Supporters |
DOEs |
GS TAC, GS Secretariat, GS NGO Supporters |
|
Green-e Climate Program |
Center for Resources Solutions (CRS) |
Green-e Governance Board/ Accredited third-party auditor |
See requirements of approved standards under Green-e Climate |
Required. Registry not specified |
Green-e Climate Protocol for Renewable Energy |
Center for Resources Solutions (CRS) |
Green-e CPRE, administered by CRS |
Green-e CPRE, administered by CRS |
Use of electronic tracking systems for Renewable Energy Certificates is required. Registry not specified. |
| Panda Standard | Panda Standard Board and Secretariat | Independent Third Party Auditor | Independent Third Party Auditor | Registry under development. |
Plan Vivo |
Plan Vivo Foundation |
Plan Vivo Foundation |
Plan Vivo Foundation |
Plan Vivo Registry administered by Markit |
Social Carbon Methodology |
Ecológica Institute (Brazil) |
Certifying Entities: DOEs or auditors from full standards approved by SCM and auditors that have ‘proven experience in the validation/verification of projects […]’ |
Certifying Entities |
Social Carbon Registry administered by Markit |
VER+ |
TÜV SÜD certification body ‘climate and energy’ |
CDM- and JI-accredited auditors. |
CDM- and JI-accredited auditors. |
|
Verified Carbon Standard |
VCS Association |
Accredited VCS auditors |
Accredited VCS auditor |
Launched 3/17/09 the VCS Project Database and approved registries: |