Certification procedures

Certification steps

A summary of the project certification procedure is provided here. A detailed description of the certification procedure is in the Procedures Manual.

Certification step	Description
Application	Project Developer (PD) submits a Project Application (PA); the Certification team reviews it within 15 days. Clarifications may be requested, and a refusal report is issued if the application is rejected. Approved applications proceed to registration.
Registration	PD signs Terms & Conditions and completes administrative setup, including Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements. Project sites and any Registration Partner are formally documented.
Pre-Validation	PD submits data and proof to the Impact Certification Platform Project Design Document (PDD) is generated, outlining project operations, GHG quantification, additionality, and Monitoring Plan. Certification team reviews the PDD, possibly involving domain experts, and approves it before third-party validation.
Validation	VVB conducts a validation audit to confirm project adherence to Riverse Standard Rules and chosen methodology, involving the PD and Certification team as needed. In parallel, PD conducts or provides evidence of a stakeholder consultation, open for 30 days on the Riverse Registry.
Monitoring and Verification	Key Impact Indicators (KIIs) are monitored regularly to track project impact and eligibility. PD submits KIIs per the Monitoring Plan; prepares a Monitoring Report which subject to the verification audit by the VVB annually (or as per schedule) to verify GHG quantification and RCC issuance.
Continuous Issuance (Optional)	Eligible projects may choose more frequent issuance of provisional credits if they meet the data frequency and accuracy requirements Provisional credits are converted to RCCs upon verification.
Compliance and Updates	Projects must stay compliant with Riverse Standard and methodology revisions and report major operational changes in the Monitoring Report. VVB audits any revisions or changes, ensuring alignment with updated methodologies and standards.
Crediting Period Renewal	After a 5-year crediting period, the project must undergo a full revalidation, including a new PDD, validation audit, and stakeholder consultation to continue issuing credits.

Project status on the registry

A summary of project status along the different certification steps is provided below:

Status	Definition
Registered	The project has completed Project Eligibility Assessment and undergone Registration with Riverse. Project Developers are given access to the certification platform and the project is added to the registry. The project may be already operating or may still be in the planning phase. No credits have been estimated or issued.
Validated	The project is registered, and has completed Pre-validation and Validation. The PDD is completed on the Impact Certification Platform and validation audit is completed by the VVB. The project may be already operating or may still be in the planning phase. If the project is in the planning phase, provisional credits may be estimated and made available on the registry for pre-purchase agreements. If the project is operating, it may undergo validation and verification at the same time, and pass directly to "Credited" status.
Credited	The project is registered and validated, and has completed at least one round of Monitoring and verification. A Monitoring Plan has been submitted and audited by a VVB. The project must be operating. Verified RCCs are issued and made available on the registry. The project may retain this status for a maximum of 5 years, corresponding to the maximum 5-year crediting period length. After 5 years, the status changes back to Registered, and the project must undergo Renewal.