Third-Party Validation
Last updated
Last updated
Want to apply to be a Validator on the OCP? Fill in our application form here.
For projects to get approved and published in the OCP Registry, they must go through Project Validation or Assurance.
Project Developers can choose whether to go through the Validation process with a VVB or a project Assurance process with a registered Auditor. Both are acceptable for project approval and Project Developers should select the process that best fits their needs and project design.
Validation involves a “rigorous internal assessment of the data, systems, processes and methodologies used to generate climate disclosures” [source]. According to the ICVCM's guidance, this is a vital auditing process that assesses the design of the mitigation activity and the associated GHG emission reductions or removals, ensuring compliance with the specified protocol. The process aims to validate reliability and accuracy of data, documentation and other information by comparing it to established frameworks, standards and internal controls.
Every project is required to have a third-party validator confirm that the project plan meet the criteria laid out in the methodology and will result in GHG emission reductions or removals to a reasonable level of assurance.
Validators must have relevant sector expertise and active accreditation in climate disclosures (e.g. IAF members; Designated Operational Entity (DOE) under the UN Clean Development Mechanisms; or other relevant accreditations).
While OCP can help project developers connect to validators, PDs are responsible for paying for the validation costs.
Assurance “takes the verification process a step further, by requiring that the data checking processes are undertaken by an independent and accredited auditing professional acting” [source]. Assurance of climate disclosures is held to the same standard as the audit of financial statements.
Project Developers can seek pre-assessment from an accredited auditor (e.g. ISAE), aligning to the GHG protocols and ISO 14064-3 as Validation. This pre-assessment will review alignment and compliance with the proposed methodology, including quality of data collection, aggregation and reporting. Once pre-assessment has been completed, all future projects under that methodology can be assured within that framework.
All discussions, including the sharing of documents and data, happens on platform, streamlining & speeding up the validation process and allowing better version-tracking, communication and data security than sending via email or other services. The results of the third-party validation and verifications, including the Validation Report, will be made publicly available on the OCP Registry.
The Validation process aimes to assess three main questions:
Does the project correctly apply the relevant OCP Methodology?
Is the baseline scenario valid?
Have additionality requirements been met?
Have permanence and leakage been fairly calculated?
Can the planned project be expected to achieve planned emission reduction or removal?
Have safeguards and co-benefits been fairly documented?
Given the proposal, will project data be accurately measured and reported?
All VVBs must fill out the application form and subsequently be approved by the Open Carbon Protocol.
If a VVB has a conflict of interest with the project developer or methodology curator, they will not be approved for that project.
All validators are required to have relevant sector expertise for the project they are validating and be accredited by a recognized international standard:
Under ISO 14065,
Under the UN as a Designated Operational Entity,
Members of the IAF
Or ISAE for accredited auditors.
All validation work will be aligned to the GHG Protocol, regardless of accreditation standard.
Expertise and accreditation is checked upon signing up for an account and audited every year.
All validators must follow our conflict of interest policy, ensuring independence (financial or otherwise) from any project developer they work with, and comply with our annual audit process to assess protocol compliance and validation performance.
