To qualify as an OC investment, a project should meet these criteria:
Contributes to system change: Projects are expected to create favorable conditions for additional funding of emission reduction projects by the certifying entity or another entity. For example, the funding should lead to internal capacity OR system level (market, political, supply chain, collective action, just transition, etc.) changes that are conducive to reducing GHG emissions.
Climate benefit: Projects are undertaken with a primary goal of catalyzing future GHG reductions, as opposed to general environmental outcomes, and would not be undertaken otherwise.
While the intent of the OC category is to stimulate a broad range of investments in market transformation, the certification review will assess whether each OC investment fits with the goals and intent of the category, and investments will be allowed only at the discretion of the certification team. Note that OC funding has no requirement of creating direct GHG outcomes.
If there is a question about the eligibility of a project in this category, reach out to certify@changeclimate.org to confirm details BEFORE you make the investment. TCCP certifiers may refer to Project Drawdown’s Solutions Library for a comprehensive list of eligible climate solutions.