VVB accreditation & oversight

VVB accreditation

Requirements

VVBs shall have a valid accreditation from either:

• ISO 14065 or equivalent

• COFRAC ISO:17029 or equivalent

• Approval as a Designated Operational Entity (DOE) under UNFCCC-CDM, with scopes: 1, 4, 5 6 or 13

The VVB company shall prove more than 5 years of auditing experience, including at least 2 years in environmental/sustainability auditing (refer to Structure and competencies

VVB shall adhere to Riverse Conflict of Interest Policy and confirm their independence from the market and carbon credits transactions.

VVB shall submit a declaration of conflict of interest form at each validation or verification process they perform.

VVB must demonstrate knowledge of and experience on the sector its seeks accreditation for by providing:

• CVs of the lead auditors

• Proof of work on at least 2 projects within the sector within the 2 previous years

At application review and on yearly basis the VVB shall:

• Prove that the company is financially sound

• Disclose the Riverse program any negative media coverage

• Disclose any legal/juridical proceedings

Sectors specific for accreditation

The VVB must demonstrate its knowledge of and experience related to a specific sector on which it can conduct the VVB tasks.

This sector should be one of the following:

1. Industrial circular economy solutions

2. Bioenergies

3. Biomass carbon removal and storage

4. Construction sector

5. Engineered removals

Accreditation process

The VVB submitted the VVB application form.

Upon receipt of the application, the Riverse Secretariat reviews the information provided and responds once the review is complete.

• Rejection: Riverse rejects applications where it determines that the applicant does not possess the required competencies, specified in the section above.

• Approval: Riverse approves the application and sends documents to be signed.

VVB must submit a signed copy of the Riverse Conflict of Interest Policy, and a signed copy of this current document, Requirements for VVB.

Riverse Secretariat organizes training with the Certification team, on the Riverse Standard and the Impact Certification Platform. Methodologic specific training could be planned depending on the scope of the accreditation.

Once all the above is completed, the Riverse Secretariat delivers an accreditation to the VVB. It can start working with projects seeking validation under the Riverse program.

The VVB organization is added as an approved VVB on Riverse’s website.

Structure and Competency of VVB audit teams

Each VVB must employ a minimum of two auditors: one Auditor leader and one Internal reviewer, in addition to the wider audit team. This policy ensures that the Audit Team for every project includes at least two auditors, one to serve as the audit team leader and one to serve as the Internal Reviewer. The audit team may also include additional auditors, local experts, content experts, and/or translators. The Audit Leader is the main contact person for project verification.

The Team Leader must demonstrate:

• Knowledge of the Riverse Standard and accompanying documents;

• Knowledge of and experience related to the framework for emissions avoidance or removals project;

• Competency leading audits and coordinating team members.

The audit team must demonstrate collective knowledge and expertise in:

• The Riverse Standard Rules, methodologies, and relevant procedures, as well as specific expertise in the project type/activity;

• The GHG emission avoidance/removal accounting methodology(ies) applied by the project, including activity data and emissions factors;

• Data sampling techniques, including risk weighting and statistical significance calculation;

• Project baselines, removals, and sequestration;

• Concepts such as additionality, leakage and permanence;

• Risk assessment techniques;

• Data monitoring, auditing, and assurance;

• Desk-based reviews of documents, data, and records;

• Validation and verification techniques, to assess accuracy and appropriateness of gathered evidence; and

• Preparation of validation and verification reports.

The on-the-ground audit team must demonstrate knowledge and expertise in:

• Country-specific knowledge/language skills;

• Interviewing, listening, and observing; and

• Sensitivity towards socio-economic matters and environmental and social safeguards.

Appropriate checks must be completed through:

• A Internal Reviewer, approved by Riverse as a lead auditor, to perform a final QA/QC (Quality Assurance/Quality Control) review attesting to accuracy of data. The Internal Reviewer is not part of any direct validation or verification activities and shall remain neutral.

• A Conflict of Interest (COI) form that is submitted to Riverse’s Certification team when an audit team is contracted for validation or verification. The VVB is the responsible party for a Riverse audit. VVBs must ensure that individual validators and verifiers are qualified with the proper training and skills to conduct verification activities.

Project-specific Validation/Verification teams

The VVB is responsible for assembling a competent and qualified Audit Team to undertake validation / verification activities before commencement of the activities. It must consider the capabilities and capacities of its staff when building the team and skills mentioned in Structure and Competency of VVB Audit Teams. The Audit Team must have sector-specific competency in relation to the type of project being validated/verified.

CVs of Lead Auditors (Lead Auditor and Internal Reviewer) and a COI form should be submitted to the Certification team for approval prior to carrying out validation/verification services for a project.

Oversight

Sequential verifications

To maintain impartiality and credibility, and reduce complacency and bias, a single VVB may conduct a maximum of three (3) sequential verifications for a specific project.

Upon reaching this limit, the Project Developer is required to engage a different VVB for subsequent verifications. The Project Developer shall be granted a transition period of six (6) months to engage a new VVB for the subsequent verification.

Project developers must maintain comprehensive records of all verifications, including the VVBs involved, to demonstrate compliance with this rule.

Regular audits will be conducted to ensure Project Developers adhere to this rule. Non-compliance may result in penalties or suspension of the project's validation status.

VVB performance

Regular monitoring ensures that VVBs consistently perform accurate, impartial and timely validation and verification audits.

The following metrics will be employed to evaluate a VVB's performance:

• Timeliness: Adherence to stipulated timelines for project validation and verification.

• Accuracy: Correctness of validation and verification processes, calculations, and conclusions.

• Consistency: Uniform application of requirements and methodologies across different projects.

• Communication: Effectiveness and clarity in communication with Project Developers and other stakeholders.

• Integrity: Adherence to ethical guidelines, including conflict of interest declarations.

Each VVB is required to submit an annual Performance Report that details its activities, challenges, and areas of improvement relating to its work with the Riverse certification process. This report should provide insights into the VVB's verification approach, methodologies employed, and training undertaken.

Project Developers are asked to provide feedback on the VVB's performance after each validation and verification process, as part of the Riverse satisfaction survey. This feedback will be integral to the VVB performance review.

The Standard Secretariat annually reviews the annual Performance Reports and assess VVBs based on the established performance metrics. VVBs are encouraged to continually enhance their skills, methodologies, and processes. Training resources, workshops, and seminars will be provided to support this endeavor.