ICROA Programme and Policy Framework 2009-Revised: contains ICROA Membership Remit and ICROA Code of Best Practice version 2009. (31.12.09) Download PDF
ICROA Audit Process-2010. Download PDF
ICROA Public Audit Statement for the First ICROA External Audit Period: 9th June-31st December 2009. Download PDF.
ICROA Policy Paper on the Use of CCB and SOCIALCARBON Standards (November 2009). Download PDF
ICROA Benchmarking Review Criteria (January 2011). Download PDF
ICROA Offset Standard Review Criteria (February 2009). Download PDF
ICROA Response to DECC Consultation on Carbon Neutrality (21.05.09). Download PDF
ICROA Letter to Ministerie van Volkshuisvesting, Ruimtelijke Ordening en Milieubeheer (VROM) (12.03.09). Download PDF
ICROA Q&A on DECC Quality Assurance scheme (February 2009): Download PDF
ICROA Response to DCC National Carbon Offset Standard Discussion Paper (27.01.09). Download PDF
ICROA Response to DECC Consultation on Carbon Units (16.01.09).
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ICROA Response to the draft Defra Code of Best Practice (March 2008). Download PDF
ICROA Letter to Secretary of State for the Environment, the Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP (08.05.08). Download PDF
ICROA Code of Best Practice 2009: Footnotes:
Footnote 2: Definitions of the Voluntary, Compliance and Pre-Compliance Markets:
Voluntary Carbon Market: The voluntary carbon market functions as a complement to the compliance carbon market. It enables businesses, NGOs, and individuals to voluntarily offset their emissions by purchasing Verified Emission Reductions (VERs) and compliance market offsets.
Pre-Compliance Carbon Market: The post Kyoto Protocol discussions and the proposed US cap and trade programme have created various "pre-compliance markets. "Pre-compliance" (particularly in the US) involves entities (expected to be covered by compliance market requirements) purchasing pre-compliance instruments (i.e. instruments expected to be included in the forthcoming cap and trade programme). The pre-compliance instruments are not being used in the voluntary carbon market for offsetting purposes. It is our expectation that these instruments could not subsequently be used in the voluntary carbon market to offset emissions (if instruments are not compliant with the ICROA Code of Best Practice) in the event that the pre-compliance market does not evolve into the expected compliance carbon market. ICROA members are not liable in the event that pre-compliance instruments (which are not compliant with the ICROA Code of Best Practice) are subsequently used to offset emissions in the voluntary carbon market. The ICROA Code of Best Practice covers members' activities in the voluntary carbon market.
Compliance Carbon Market: A compliance carbon market arises from a cap and trade system mandated by state, national, regional or international law. The cap and trade system ensures that emissions are reduced. Entities within the system are covered by a cap (an emissions target). To ensure that their emission targets are met, capped entities reduce their emissions, purchase pollution permits or purchase eligible external reductions (offsets). The trading of pollution permits and eligible offsets within the cap and trade system creates a compliance carbon market. Examples of cap and trade systems include: on an international level: Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), on a regional international level: EU Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS), on a national level: the forthcoming UK Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) and on a state level: (Covering the following US states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont) the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
Footnote 3:
Approved Emission Factors:
This list includes, but is not limited to, the following sources:
Australia: DCC (Department of Climate Change), National GHG Accounts Factors: http://www.climatechange.gov.au/publications/greenhouse-acctg/national-greenhouse-factors.aspx
Germany: BMU (Federal Ministry for the Environment) http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/emissionen/publikationen.htm
Holland: VROM (Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment) Measuring and Reporting GHG: http://international.vrom.nl/pagina.html?id=37469
IPCC: (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), Emission Factors Database: http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/EFDB/main.php
UK: DEFRA, (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) Current GHG conversion factors: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/business/reporting/conversion-factors.htm
US: EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Emission Factors and Policy Applications Center Measurement Policy Group: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/efpac/index.html
