Carbon News
  • Members
    • Login
      Forgot Password?
    • Not a member? Subscribe
    • Forgot Password
      Back to Login
    • Not a member? Subscribe
  • Home
  • New Zealand
    • Politics
    • Energy
    • Agriculture
    • Carbon emissions
    • Transport
    • Forestry
    • Business
  • Markets
    • Analysis
    • NZ carbon price
  • International
    • Australia
    • United States
    • China
    • Europe
    • United Kingdom
    • Canada
    • Asia
    • Pacific
    • Antarctic/Arctic
    • Africa
    • South America
    • United Nations
  • News Direct
    • Media releases
    • Climate calendar
  • About Carbon News
    • Contact us
    • Advertising
    • Subscribe
    • Service
    • Policies

Cookstove projects on hold as Verra investigates allegations

27 Jun 2024


Media release | Verra has been informed of allegations concerning actions by Ken Newcombe, the former CEO of C-Quest Capital (C-Quest), reportedly resulting in the overissuance of carbon credits across 27 clean cookstove projects.

C-Quest voluntarily shared its findings with Verra and U.S. regulatory authorities. Mr. Newcombe is a former Verra board member, who resigned from the board at the end of last year.

 

Verra and the voluntary carbon market (VCM) as a whole are built on trust and integrity. We take any accusation of impropriety that undermines that trust very seriously. In light of the recent allegations, Verra will conduct an independent review of the implicated C-Quest cookstove projects and will be suspending these projects until this review is concluded. For the past 15 years, Verra has strived to ensure carbon projects are implemented in accordance with our methodologies and program rules. Our goal remains to uphold the credibility and effectiveness of the VCM.

 

If proven, these allegations would indicate serious malfeasance and a direct attack on the principles underpinning confidence in this market.  We must all work together to create a market with unquestioned integrity and transparency. On behalf of the organization, I am announcing the following actions:

 

  • Suspension of Implicated C-Quest Cookstove Projects: Verra is suspending the 27 implicated projects pending the outcome of a review. Given C-Quest’s voluntary submission of the findings and its stated commitment to cooperating with Verra, we hope to finalize this review as quickly as possible.

     

  • Facilitate Potential C-Quest Corrective Action: C-Quest has informed us that it intends to cancel the number of credits equal to the alleged over-issuance, as required under Verra’s standards. If that is determined to be an appropriate and sufficient step, Verra will facilitate that process as quickly as possible.

We would also like to highlight three key integrity actions that the Verra board and staff have initiated over the past year prior to learning of these allegations:

 

  • Review of Board Governance: Verra’s Board of Directors, led by its Governance Committee, conducted a comprehensive review of the governance of the Board. This review encompassed the Board’s governance policies, processes and procedures, including its code of conduct and conflict of interest policy. These efforts included an educational refresher for the Board regarding director duties and procedures for evaluating actual and potential conflicts of interest by Board members.

     

  • Launch of VVB Performance Management System: In January 2024, Verra established a new role for managing the performance of validation and verification bodies (VVBs), the independent, ISO-accredited auditors that review all projects in the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program. This effort increases Verra’s capacity to engage with these organizations and their accreditation bodies and includes mechanisms for sanctioning VVBs when appropriate.

     

  • Establishment of Quality Oversight Role: In April 2024, Verra established a dedicated function within its Program Management Department. Led by Jerry Seager in the new role of Senior Director for Program Quality, this group will oversee the adherence of our program-related operations, processes, and activities to our rules and requirements.

print this story


More >
Media releases
More >

Government agency warns controversial bill could delay disaster response

Fri 18 Jul 2025

Media release – Greenpeace | As the cleanup begins in flood-hit Tasman, fresh documents reveal a stark warning from Land Information New Zealand that the Regulatory Standards Bill could hinder the country’s ability to respond to climate-related disasters.

Communities can’t foot the bill for climate crisis

Thu 17 Jul 2025

Media release - Te Pāti Māori O Aotearoa | Te Pāti Māori sends aroha to whānau, and communities impacted by the recent severe weather across Nelson Tasman, Banks Peninsula, Northland and beyond.

Antarctica Scholarships 2025: Ocean detectives

Thu 17 Jul 2025

Media release – Antarctica New Zealand | Antarctica’s Southern Ocean is full of unanswered questions, and this year’s Antarctica New Zealand scholarship recipients are on a mission to help solve them.

More choices for how we use, buy and sell electricity – and lower our power bills

Wed 16 Jul 2025

Media release – Electricity Authority | New Zealanders will have more choices for how they use, buy and sell electricity – so they can lower their power bills – because of new market rules confirmed today by the Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko (the Authority).

Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones

Feedback sought on national fuel security plan

Wed 16 Jul 2025

Media release - Beehive: The Coalition Government is seeking feedback on a draft Fuel Security Plan that provides a long-term strategy to ensure New Zealanders have reliable access to fuel in times of domestic and global disruption, Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones says.

Professor David Frame of the University of Canterbury

Extreme global weather events show urgent need for collective effort ahead of world’s premier climate adaptation event

Tue 15 Jul 2025

As the Northern Hemisphere experiences another major heatwave, and other parts of the world grapple with extreme weather events, experts are calling for the urgent acceleration of adaptation efforts to help manage the life-threatening impacts of a rapidly changing climate.

Councils need more clarity around climate adaptation

Mon 14 Jul 2025

Media release - Local Government NZ | LGNZ says a lack of clarity around who pays for climate adaptation puts ratepayers at risk of footing the bill – which many could not afford.

Key orange roughy population on verge of collapse, govt considers closure

9 Jul 2025

Media release - Deep Sea Conservation Coalition | New data reveals that New Zealand’s main orange roughy fishery, accounting for half of the country’s total catch, is on the brink of collapse, with one model showing it may have reached that point already, and the government’s considering closing it.

Unlocking economic growth on conservation land

9 Jul 2025

Media release - New Zealand Government | A targeted effort to reduce the backlog of applications for use of conservation land is accelerating economic growth without compromising conservation values, says Conservation Minister Tama Potaka.

High Court agrees with Environmental Defence Society - law must be followed as it stands now

7 Jul 2025

Media release – Environmental Defence Society | The Environmental Defence Society (EDS) welcomes the High Court’s finding in Box Property Investments Ltd v The Expert Consenting Panel that decisions must be made based on the law as it currently stands, not on potential future legislative changes.

Carbon News

Subscriptions, Advertising & General

[email protected]

Editorial

[email protected]

We welcome comments, news tips and suggestions - please also use this address to submit all media releases for News Direct).

Useful Links
Home About Carbon News Contact us Advertising Subscribe Service Policies
New Zealand
Politics Energy Agriculture Carbon emissions Transport Forestry Business
International
Australia United States China Europe United Kingdom Canada Asia Pacific Antarctic/Arctic Africa South America United Nations
Home
Markets
Analysis NZ carbon price
News Direct
Media releases Climate calendar

© 2008-2025 Carbon News. All Rights Reserved. • Your IP Address: 216.73.216.169 • User account: Sign In

Please wait...
Audit log: