What are the CCB Standards? A Guide to Community and Biodiversity Certification

The CCB Standards (Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards) are a project design certification program administered by Verra that certifies land management projects for delivering measurable benefits across three areas: climate change mitigation, local community development, and biodiversity conservation. They do not generate carbon credits independently, but they work alongside carbon accounting programs like the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) to add a verified layer of social and environmental integrity to land-use projects.

What the CCB Standards Cover

Developed by the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA), a coalition of Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, CARE, Rainforest Alliance, and the Wildlife Conservation Society, the CCB Standards were first published in 2005 and have been managed by Verra since 2014. Version 3.1, the current iteration, aligns the CCB project development process more closely with the VCS Program to streamline combined use for land management projects.

The standards apply to any land management project type, including REDD+, afforestation and reforestation, agroforestry, sustainable agriculture, grassland management, and forest restoration. To be eligible, a project must have specific, measurable objectives across all three pillars and demonstrate net positive impact in each.

How CCB Validation Works

The CCB certification process involves two stages: validation of the project design, and verification of a project's benefits once implementation is underway. Both must be conducted by an approved third-party verification and validation body (VVB) accredited for the relevant land-use scope. Projects using both the CCB Program and VCS can complete a streamlined, combined audit process.

To achieve CCB certification, a project must satisfy 17 required criteria spanning general project design, climate impact assessment, community benefit requirements, and biodiversity monitoring. A core requirement is FPIC (Free, Prior and Informed Consent), meaning all affected communities must be identified, consulted, and given meaningful opportunity to participate in project design and ongoing oversight. All project documentation is published on the Verra Registry and subject to a public comment period before validation is finalized.

CCB Gold Level: Recognizing Exceptional Co-Benefits

Projects that exceed the 17 required criteria can pursue Gold Level designation, which recognizes exceptional performance in one of three optional areas: significant net positive impact for climate change adaptation, benefits led by or strongly directed toward smallholders and lower-income communities, or conservation of areas with high global biodiversity priority and threatened species. Gold Level status signals a higher tier of ambition and rigor, and it is increasingly valued by institutional buyers seeking differentiated credits.

What CCB Certification Means for the Market

The CCB Program is the leading add-on standard used alongside VCS agriculture, forestry, and land-use (AFOLU) projects. More than 120 projects across 48 countries have been validated under the CCB Standards, according to Verra. Credits issued from CCB-certified periods carry a CCB label on the Verra Registry, distinguishing them from standard VCS credits.

Buyers seeking verified co-benefits beyond carbon, including biodiversity gains, land tenure security, and community livelihoods, are willing to pay a premium for CCB-labeled credits, and Verra notes that global demand for credits with these attributes continues to grow.

Key Takeaway

The CCB Standards give land-use project developers a structured, independently verified way to prove they are delivering more than emission reductions. For buyers, CCB certification provides assurance of social and environmental performance that goes beyond what carbon accounting alone requires. As integrity expectations in the voluntary carbon market tighten, CCB certification is becoming less of a differentiator and more of a baseline expectation for credible land-use projects.