The Climate Action Reserve is incorporating a modular protocol structure that improves the efficiency of developing, updating, and expanding into new jurisdictions while maintaining the jurisdiction-specific considerations that have long been a hallmark of the Reserve program.
Under this approach, protocols are organized into a sector or activity specific protocol (i.e. the Forest Protocol) containing requirements applicable across jurisdictions combined with jurisdictional modules containing location-specific requirements. The sector or activity specific protocol must be used in conjunction with a jurisdictional module, and projects are only eligible for final listing and registration in jurisdictions for which a jurisdictional module has been developed. However, projects may preliminarily list under the sector or activity specific protocol to demonstrate compliance with the protocol’s requirements and establish the project listing date.
Existing projects have the option to remain under previously adopted country-specific protocols (i.e. the Mexico Forest Protocol) through the end of the crediting period or to transition to the modular protocol structure and applicable jurisdictional module. Jurisdictional modules are noted below with “Module” in the title.
Filter by protocol sector:
- All
- Natural Climate Solutions
- Waste Handling and Methane Destruction
- Industrial Processes and Gases
Natural Climate Solutions |
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| Protocol | Jurisdictional Module / Country-Specific Protocol | Active Version | Date Issued | Development Status | CCP Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biochar | U.S. and Canada Biochar | 1.0 | March 19, 2024 | Approved; undergoing update to V1.1 |  |
| Forest Protocol This protocol is available for projects globally to preliminarily list. For final listing, projects must confirm compliance with both the Forest Protocol and the applicable jurisdiction module. |
1.0 | June 22, 2026 | Approved | ||
| Jurisdiction Modules | |||||
| Guatemala Module | 1.0 | – | In development | ||
| Mexico Module | 1.0 | – | In development | ||
| Panama Module | 1.0 | – | In development | ||
| U.S. Module | 1.0 | – | In development | ||
| Technical Modules | |||||
| Aggregation Module | 1.0 | – | In development | ||
| Field Inventory Module | 1.0 | – | In development | ||
| Digital MRV Module | 1.0 | – | In development | ||
| Country-Specific Protocols | |||||
| Guatemala Forest | 1.0 | January 24, 2024 | Approved | ||
| Mexico Forest | 3.0 | October 5, 2022 | Approved; undergoing update to V3.1 | |
|
| Panama Forest | 1.0 | January 24, 2024 | Approved | ||
| U.S. Forest | 5.1 | July 20, 2023 | Approved | ||
| Grassland | Canada Grassland | 1.0 | October 16, 2019 | Approved; undergoing update to V1.1 | |
| U.S. Grassland | 2.1 | February 13, 2020 | Approved; undergoing update to V2.2 | ||
| Nitrogen Management | U.S. Nitrogen Management | 2.1 | December 3, 2021 | Approved | |
| Rice Cultivation | U.S. Rice Cultivation | 1.1 | June 3, 2013 | Approved | |
| Soil Enrichment | U.S. Soil Enrichment | 1.1 | May 31, 2022 | Approved; undergoing update to V2.0 | |
| Urban Forest Management | U.S. Urban Forest Management | 1.1 | April 18, 2019 | Approved | |
| Urban Tree Planting | U.S. Urban Tree Planting | 2.0 | June 25, 2014 | Approved | |
Waste Handling and Methane Destruction |
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| Protocol | Jurisdictional Module / Country-Specific Protocol | Active Version | Date Issued | Development Status | CCP Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landfill | Argentina Landfill | 1.0 | June 4, 2025 | Approved | |
| Chile Landfill | 1.0 | – | In development | ||
| Mexico Landfill | 2.0 | October 5, 2022 | Approved | ||
| U.S. Landfill | 6.0 | June 8, 2022 | Approved | |
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| Livestock | Argentina Livestock | 1.0 | October 2, 2024 | Approved | |
| Dominican Republic Livestock | 1.0 | October 4, 2023 | Approved | ||
| Mexico Livestock | 2.0 | September 29, 2010 | Approved; undergoing update | ||
| U.S. Livestock | 4.0 | January 23, 2013 | Approved; undergoing update | ||
| Coal Mine Methane | U.S. Coal Mine Methane | 1.1 | October 26, 2012 | Approved | |
| Early Plugging of Marginal Oil and Gas Wells | U.S. Early Plugging of Marginal Oil and Gas Wells | 1.0 | – | In development | |
| Organic Waste Composting | U.S. Organic Waste Composting | 1.1 | July 29, 2013 | Approved; undergoing update | |
| Organic Waste Digestion | U.S. Organic Waste Digestion | 2.1 | January 16, 2014 | Approved | |
Industrial Processes and Gases |
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| Protocol | Jurisdictional Module / Country-Specific Protocol | Active Version | Date Issued | Development Status | CCP Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adipic Acid Production | China Adipic Acid Production | 1.0 | October 4, 2023 | Approved | |
| U.S. Adipic Acid Production | 1.0 | September 30, 2020 | Approved | |
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| Boiler Efficiency | Mexico Boiler Efficiency | 1.0 | November 1, 2016 | Approved | |
| Low-Carbon Cement | U.S. Low-Carbon Cement | 1.0 | October 4, 2023 | Approved | |
| Ozone Depleting Substances / Halocarbon | Article 5 Ozone Depleting Substances | 2.0 | June 27, 2012 | Approved | |
| Mexico Halocarbon/ ODS | 1.0 | June 16, 2021 | Approved | ||
| U.S. Ozone Depleting Substances | 2.0 | June 27, 2012 | Approved | |
|
| Nitric Acid Production | India Nitric Acid Production | 1.0 | – | In development | |
| U.S. Nitric Acid Production | 3.0 | August 7, 2025 | Approved | ||