American Carbon Registry – ERT

What we do

In both the regulated and voluntary carbon markets, ACR oversees the registration and verification of carbon offset projects following approved carbon accounting methodologies or protocols and issues offsets on a transparent registry system. Each offset represents the reduction or removal from the atmosphere equivalent to one metric tonne of carbon dioxide.

International Civil Aviation Organization and Global Voluntary Carbon Markets

For the International Civil Aviation Organization’s regulated global carbon market, the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), and for carbon offsets for the voluntary market, ACR oversees the registration and independent verification of projects that meet ACR’s science-based standards and follow ACR-approved carbon accounting methodologies, which ensure accuracy, precision and rigor in the measurement, monitoring and verification of emission reductions. ACR provides the flexibility of a wide range of methodologies that diversify offset sourcing options and demonstrate environmental benefits beyond emissions reductions.

ACR brands the premium verified emissions reductions (VERs) issued against ACR standards as Emission Reduction Tons, ERTs. One ERT represents the reduction or removal from the atmosphere equivalent to one metric tonne of carbon dioxide.

California Cap-and-Trade

Approved in 2012 as an Offset Project Registry (OPR) for the California Cap-and-Trade program, ACR works with the state regulatory agency, the Air Resources Board (ARB), to oversee the listing and verification of carbon offset projects developed using ARB’s compliance offset and early action offset protocols.

For projects registered under California compliance protocols or early action quantification methodologies and verified by an accredited verification body, ACR issues Registry Offset Credits (ROCs) which are converted to ARB compliance Offset Credits that can be used by California entities to help meet their emissions reductions obligations in the Cap-and-Trade Program.

ACR has issued over 100 million tons of ROCs that have been converted to ARB compliance Offset Credits, over two-thirds of the issuances since program inception and the majority of credits for forestry, mine methane capture and ODS destruction.

Robust Registry System

For all markets, ACR operates a robust and secure electronic registry system, powered by APX, to record the issuance and retirement of serialized, project-based and independently verified offsets.

The use of a fully transparent registry system is fundamental to the credibility of the market. ACR ensures transparency by requiring that project registration and verification documents be made public. We ensure no double counting or double selling by serializing offsets and by linking to online offset issuance and retirement logs.

Offset Projects

ACR registers offset projects from from a wide range of project types including:

Afforestation and Reforestation (A/R) of Degraded Lands
Improved Forest Management (IFM)
Avoided Conversion of Grasslands and Shrublands to Crop Production
Restoration of Pocosin Wetlands
Destruction of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) and High-GWP Foam
Use of Certified Reclaimed HFC Refrigerants and Advanced Refrigeration Systems
Transition to Advanced Formulation Blowing Agents in Foam Manufacturing and Use
Capturing and Destroying Methane from U.S. Coal and Trona Mines
Landfill Gas Destruction and Beneficial Use
Transport / Fleet Efficiency
Carbon Capture and Storage