This page last reviewed May 28, 2014

Compliance Offset Program

What's New?

U.S. Forest Project FAQs Posted

Technical Guidance for Offset Verifiers

Early Action FAQs Posted 

Guidance for Verifying Forest Carbon Inventories 

Posted

Ozone Depleting Substances Offset Protocol 

FAQs Posted

Livestock Projects Compliance Offset Protocol 

FAQs Posted

Offset Page for Potential New Compliance Offset 

Protocol Rice Cultivation Projects

Offset Page for Potential New Compliance Offset 

Protocol Mine Methane Capture (MMC) Projects

Quick Links:

ARB Offset Credits Issued (click for more information)

Project 

Type ODS Livestock Digester

US 

Forests

Urban 

Forests

Compliance 1,343,588 - - 836,619 - -

Early 

Action

3,673,445 306,890 2,618,389 - -

NOTICE:The California Air Resources Board (ARB) understands that the Climate Action Reserve 

(Reserve) and the American Carbon Registry (ACR) may have issued various types of guidance, 

errata, and clarification (guidance) documents related to the implementation of the voluntary protocols 

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under the Reserve’s and ACR’s voluntary offset programs. 

For early action quantification methodologies (approved Reserve protocols), guidance issued by the 

Reserve or ACR prior to October 20, 2011 on their voluntary protocols may continue to be relied upon 

until the project transitions to the Compliance Offset Protocol (COP). Guidance issued by the 

Reserve and ACR after October 20, 2011 is currently under ARB review with regard to its applicability 

to the early action quantification methodologies. If the guidance pertains to sections of the 

quantification methodology that are silent or ambiguous, then ARB will determine if the guidance is 

reasonable and consistent with the quantification methodology before allowing its use. Guidance that 

alters the clear language of an early action quantification methodology will not be applicable. For 

questions or clarifications regarding ARB’s Compliance Offset Protocols or early action quantification 

methodologies, please contact an approved Offset Project Registry or ARB directly. Both ACR and 

the Reserve are approved as Early Action Offset Programs and may issue early action offset credits 

that may be submitted to ARB for consideration for conversion to ARB Offset Credits.

For the purposes of the Compliance Offset Program, only ARB-issued guidance for Compliance 

Offset Protocols is considered valid.

Compliance Offset Protocols 

ARB has adopted four Compliance Offset Protocols that may be used to generate ARB offset credits.

U.S. Forest Projects Compliance Offset Protocol

Urban Forest Projects Compliance Offset Protocol

Livestock Projects Compliance Offset Protocol

ODS Compliance Offset Protocol

Note: Additional Compliance Offset Protocols will be considered as part of future rulemaking 

activities.

Compliance Offset Projects 

All compliance offset projects must be developed according to ARB approved Compliance Offset 

Protocols. Offset Project Operators must list their offset projects with an approved Offset Project 

Registryto be eligible for ARB offset credits. Please see the Climate Action Reserve or American 

Carbon Registrywebpage for information on proposed compliance offset projects. Once projects are 

issued ARB credits, information about the projects can be found on ARB's Offset Credit Issuance 

webpage.

Project Types:

Forest Projects

Urban Forest Projects

Livestock Projects

Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) Projects

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Potential New Compliance Offset Projects

The Cap-and-Trade Regulation establishes procedures for the approval of new Compliance Offset 

Protocols as well as requirements for new Compliance Offset Protocols. All new protocols will be 

developed by ARB, with public input, to satisfy the requirements of the Regulation. Use ARB 

approved Compliance Offset Protocols must be used for quantifying GHG emission reductions or 

removal enhancements resulting in ARB offset credits.

Proposed Project Types:

Rice Cultivation Projects

Mine Methane Capture Projects

Early Action Offset Credits 

The Cap-and-Trade Regulation allows for the transition of eligible existing offset credits developed 

under approved voluntary quantification methodologies to ARB offset credits for use in the Cap-andTrade Program. Additional information about early action offset credits is available on the Early

Action Offset Credit web page. 

Offset Project Registries

The Cap-and-Trade Regulation allows ARB to approve Offset Project Registries to help administer 

parts of the Compliance Offset Program. Offset Project Registries must meet specific regulatory

criteria to be approved under the regulation. Offset Project Registries will help facilitate the listing, 

reporting, and verification of offset projects developed using the Compliance Offset Protocols. 

 However, only ARB can issue compliance offset credits for use in the Cap-and-Trade Program. For 

more information please see the Offset Project Registry web page.

Offset Verification Program

The Cap-and-Trade Regulation requires the third-party verification of all GHG emission reductions or 

removal enhancements before any ARB offset credits may be issued. Only ARB-accredited offset

verification bodies and offset verifiers may provide offset verification services under the Compliance

Offset Program. More information about offset verification, including a list of approved offset verifiers 

and verification bodies, may be found on the Offset Verification Program web page.

Offset Project Operators 

The Cap-and-Trade Regulation requires the third-party verification of all GHG emission reductions or 

removal enhancements before any ARB offset credits may be issued. Only ARB-accredited offset

verification bodies and offset verifiers may provide offset verification services under the Compliance

Offset Program. More information about offset verification, including a list of approved offset verifiers 

and verification bodies, may be found on the Offset Verification Program web page.

Offset Project Listing Requirements for Native American Tribes

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Tribes, because of their unique status as sovereign nations, must include a limited waiver of 

sovereign immunity that is legally binding under the Tribe’s laws as part of the offset project listing 

requirements to participate in the Compliance Offset Program. Tribes must meet the requirements of 

sections 95975(c)(1) through (5), and the requirements of section 95975(l) of the Cap-and-Trade 

Regulation before any offset project located on the categories of land specified in section 95973(d) of 

the Cap-and-Trade Regulation can be listed under ARB’s Compliance Offset Program. For more 

information please see the Offset Project Listing Requirements for Native American Tribes web page. 

 Forms

ARB has developed forms for use in the Compliance Offset Program. These forms may be used by 

program participants for submitting information related to listing, reporting, verification, and issuance 

of ARB offset credits. These forms can be found on the Compliance Offset Program Forms web 

page. In addition, each approved Offset Project Registry will make forms available on its own web 

page. 

Offset Program Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

ARB has developed general guidance on the compliance offset program. In addition, ARB will 

develop FAQs that address general questions related to the offsets program. 

ARB Instructional Guidance Document

Guidance for CITSS Registration for Offset Project Operators and Authorized Project 

Designees

Coming Soon! Offset Program FAQs

For questions or comments, please contact Brieanne Aguila at (916) 324-0919 or via email at 

baguila@arb.ca.gov.

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