Prospects for participation of Russian verifiers in the Global Carbon Council program and their role in ensuring trust in climate projects and the quality of verification of carbon units

The voluntary market of carbon units is the subject of increased attention from Russian business, as a financial tool to attract investments in the creation and implementation of own low-carbon solutions, that ensure in turn the technological independence and environmental safety of our country. The opportunities are not confined to the domestic market: the first domestic companies have already submitted their climate projects for registration in the registry of carbon units of the Global Carbon Council (GCC). Participation in the GCC programme is expected to enable them to license and trade carbon units on the international market. In June 2024, a protocol of intent was signed between the Federal Service for Accreditation of the Russian Federation (RusAccreditation) and the GCC on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in the accreditation sector and conformity assessment in the field of validation and verification of greenhouse gas emissions. The article has examined the mechanisms of functioning of the institution of verifiers in the structure of the GCC program. The prospects for the Russian verifiers to obtain approval in the international carbon trading program the GCC have been identified, including the opportunity to participate in professional discussions held within the organization and the decision-making process on the release of carbon units based on the results of the implementation of climate projects.