Green-e Climate Endorsed Programs

Endorsed Programs are independent third-party greenhouse gas (GHG) Project Certification Programs that ensure specific GHG reduction projects result in real, verified, enforceable, permanent, and additional reductions. The specific principles and criteria that Endorsed Programs should meet are outlined in the Green-e Climate Standard. Sellers who seek Green-e Climate certification for the sales of GHG emission reduction products (offsets) must source from projects that are certified by one of the Endorsed Programs.

Currently, there are four Endorsed Programs under Green-e Climate. The Endorsed Programs and any specific restrictions are the following:

1. Gold Standard
The Gold Standard Foundation offers a quality label to CDM/JI and voluntary offset projects. Renewable energy and energy efficiency projects with sustainable development benefits are eligible. The Gold Standard is endorsed by over 50 non-governmental organizations worldwide. The Gold Standard is a non-profit foundation under Swiss Law and funded by public and private donors.

All Gold Standard VERs are eligible with the following exception related to Hydro projects:
• Outside the United States only Hydro projects with a capacity under 10 MW are eligible.
• In the United States only Hydro projects creating emission reductions from new generation capacity on a non-impoundment or new generation capacity on an existing impoundment, that meets one or more of the following conditions are eligible:

a) the hydropower facility is certified by the Low Impact Hydropower Institute;
b) the facility is a run-of-the-river hydropower facility with a total rated nameplate capacity equal to or less than 5 MW. Multiple turbines will not be counted separately and cannot add up to more than a 5 MW nameplate capacity; and/or
c) the hydropower facility consists of a turbine in a pipeline or a turbine in an irrigation canal.

In the United States and Canada, the Green-e Governance Board will consider on a case-by-case basis GHG emission reductions resulting from new incremental capacity on an existing dam, where the “new” output is equal to or less than 5 megawatts. Green-e will not certify GHG emission reductions from new impoundments of water.

With the exceptions listed above, the following CDM Gold Standard project types are eligible:
• Renewable Energy
• Energy Efficiency

2. Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) 2007
The VCS 2007 for project proponents, validators and verifiers provides a robust, new global standard for voluntary GHG emission reduction and removal projects and their validation and verification. It ensures that carbon offsets that businesses and consumers buy can be trusted and have real environmental benefits. The VCS program is managed by the VCS Association which is an independent, non-profit organization registered under Swiss law. The founding partners of the VCS are The Climate Group, the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

All Voluntary Carbon Units are eligible as long as they are certified according to VCS2007, with the following exceptions:
• Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Uses (AFOLU) projects are eligible as long as the Seller provides proof that the native species requirements under the Green-e Climate Standard are met.
• No projects that qualify as additional using the VCS "Test 2 – Performance Test" are eligible, unless the performance standard used explicitly lists the eligible technologies.
• Projects certified according to previous versions of the VCS that are grandfathered in under VCS2007 are not eligible under Green-e Climate.
• Outside the United States, Hydro projects must be under 10MW in capacity to be eligible.
• In the United States only Hydro projects creating emission reductions from new generation capacity on a non-impoundment or new generation capacity on an existing impoundment that meets one or more of the following conditions are eligible:

a) the hydropower facility is certified by the Low Impact Hydropower Institute;
b) the facility is a run-of-the-river hydropower facility with a total rated nameplate capacity equal to or less than 5 MW. Multiple turbines will not be counted separately and cannot add up to more than a 5 MW nameplate capacity; and/or
c) the hydropower facility consists of a turbine in a pipeline or a turbine in an irrigation canal.

In the United States and Canada, the Green-e Governance Board will consider on a case-by-case basis GHG emission reductions resulting from new incremental capacity on an existing dam, where the “new” output is equal to or less than 5 megawatts. Green-e will not certify GHG emission reductions from new impoundments of water.

With the exceptions listed above the following VCS2007 project types are eligible:
• Renewable Energy
• Energy Efficiency
• Agriculture, Forestry and other Land Uses (AFOLU)
• Methane Capture
• HFC Destruction
• SF6 Destruction

3. Clean Development Mechanism
The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is a mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol through which developed countries may finance GHG emission reduction or removal projects in developing countries, and receive credits for doing so which they may apply towards meeting mandatory limits on their own emissions. CDM credits not used in the compliance market can be sold in voluntary markets. The CDM is supervised by the CDM Executive Board and is under the guidance of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Clean Development Mechanism Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) are eligible with the following exceptions:
• Due to permanence issues, no CDM Land-Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) projects are eligible.
• No Hydro projects with a capacity over 10 MW are eligible.

With the exceptions listed above the following CDM project types are eligible:
• Renewable Energy
• Energy Efficiency
• Methane Capture
• HFC Destruction
• SF6 Destruction

4. Green-e Climate Protocol for Renewable Energy
The Green-e Climate Protocol for Renewable Energy (the Protocol) brings additional credibility to the market for GHG emission reductions derived from renewable energy project activities in the United States. It establishes the eligibility requirements for certification of GHG emission reductions from renewable energy, the methodology used to calculate GHG emission reductions, and any other requirements related to tracking, prevention of double counting and double claiming, and verification.

The following project types are eligible under the Green-e Climate Protocol for Renewable Energy:
• Renewable Energy