What is Carbon Registry India?
CR-I is a standards-based voluntary carbon crediting programme set up by NCCF in 2021. It registers climate mitigation projects and issues Marketable Carbon Units (MCUs) for verified reductions and removals.
What CR-I does
The Network for Certification and Conservation of Forests (NCCF) established Carbon Registry India (CR-I) as a standards-based programme for projects that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or enhance removals, and for the methodologies used to quantify them. The Registry:
- lists, registers and verifies projects
- issues, tracks, retires and cancels Marketable Carbon Units (MCUs)
- approves and lists methodologies and tools for quantification and monitoring
CR-I has operated since 16 September 2021. Projects can be located in India or anywhere else in the world.
Objectives
The Programme Guide sets out these objectives:
- Domestic reduction: keep carbon units within India, encouraging local projects and supporting India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
- A scalable domestic market: a standardised, flexible platform for issuing and trading carbon units.
- New methodologies: methodologies suited to India and other developing countries.
- Revenue for projects: project proponents can earn by selling MCUs.
- Lower abatement cost: competition in a healthy market.
- Holistic development: every project must make a net positive contribution to at least four Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Awareness: of climate change among companies and the public.
How the rules are organised
The Programme Guide is the umbrella document. Beneath it sit the Carbon Standard, the Validation and Verification Standard, procedures, tools, guidelines and templates. Documents summarises each one.
Version 1.1 of the Carbon Standard and the Validation and Verification Standard was approved on 24 September 2025 and applies from 7 March 2026, with a one-year transition period.
Sources
- Programme Guide v1.0, sections 1.1 and 2
- Carbon Standard v1.1, cover page and section 1
