Vancouver, Aug. 12 – British Columbia has updated its Offset Protocol Policy (OPP) to strengthen transparency, ensure high-quality carbon credits, and broaden the range of projects delivering permanent greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions, the provincial government announced Monday.

Under the revised framework, B.C.’s offset protocols continue to align with ISO 14064-2 standards for quantifying, monitoring, and reporting emissions reductions or removals, and must produce results that are “real, quantifiable, verifiable, permanent, and additional,” the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy said in a bulletin.

Current approved protocols include: the Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) Protocol for storing captured carbon in geological formations or via chemical transformation; the Forest Carbon Offset Protocol (FCOP) covering afforestation, reforestation, forest conservation and avoided conversion; and the Methane from Organic Waste Protocol targeting landfill gas and anaerobic digestion projects.

The Fuel Switch Offset Protocol (FSOP)—supporting emission cuts through energy efficiency and fuel switching—is under review to assess whether generated credits meet high standards and avoid non-additionality risks. Officials have advised proponents to postpone developing or validating new FSOP projects until the review concludes.

New protocol development will prioritize projects aligned with B.C.’s low-carbon transition goals, with all drafts subject to public consultation before approval. Approved protocols will undergo periodic reviews to maintain compliance with legislative requirements and evolving scientific best practices, with any review decisions posted online alongside explanatory bulletins.

Source:

https://esgnews.com/british-columbia-updates-offset-protocol-framework-reviews-fuel-switch-protocol/