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The Carbon Market

Process leading to the Issuance of Offset Credits

Register of Offset Credit Projects

Forms

Documentation

User Support

The process leading to the issuance of offset credits was designed in accordance with the objectives set out in the following official documents of the WCI:

The process for issuing offset credits that has been developed and adopted for offset credit projects makes it possible, among other things, to issue quality offset credits and ensure the fungibility of offset credits from different projects in partner markets. The process also aims to ensure the environmental integrity of the cap-and-trade system by issuing ex-post offset credits.

Before being eligible for the issuance of offset credits, a promoter must plan and implement a series of actions in accordance with the Regulation respecting a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emission allowances and offset credit protocol acknowledging the reduction or sequestration activity. The process leading to the issuance of offset credits comprises four key steps:

Project registration

Registering an offset credit project is the first step in the process leading to the issuance of offset credit. It involves providing summary information about the project and entering the project in the Register of Offset Credit Projects. The register is a database that provides information and documentation on various projects eligible for the issuance of offset credits under the Québec cap-and-trade system. By referring to this register, anyone interested in the activities of the offset credit component can track a project’s progress and consult documents pertaining to the project’s planning and implementation (e.g., project or verification report).

A promoter wishing to implement an offset credit project must first complete the Application to Register, Modify or Renew an Offset Credit Project Form (French, PDF, 1.2 MB).

After it has been completed, signed and dated, the form must be sent in paper format in a single mailing to the following address:

Offset Credits
Carbon Market Division
Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques
675 René Lévesque Blvd. East, 5th Floor, Box 30
Québec City, QC G1R 5V7

The form must also be sent electronically (without handwritten signature) via the secure file transfer platform used by the Carbon Market Division. To gain access to the platform or for more information about the electronic transfer of documents, please contact the Carbon Market Division by phone at 418 521-3868, ext. 7700, or email at dmc.creditscompensatoires@environnement.gouv.qc.ca. Please do not send personal or confidential information to this email address as it is not secure.

The processing of the application to register offset credit projects cannot begin until the Carbon Market Division has received the form, in accordance with the C&T Regulation. Once the registration application has been accepted, some of the information it contains will be published in the register of offset credit projects.

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Offset credit project implementation and monitoring

An offset credit project’s implementation and monitoring phase primarily involves carrying out the project and establishing procedures and measures for acquiring and managing information and data needed to quantify the greenhouse gas emissions that are reduced or sequestered in accordance with the Regulation’s requirements.

Offset credit verification and issuance

Based on the applicable protocol, promoters wishing to obtain offset credits must file a project report at the end of each offset credit issuance period (using the Offset Credit Project Report Template (French, Word, 110 KB). The report must indicate the status of the offset credit project’s implementation and demonstrate the amount of reduced or sequestered GHGs resulting from its activities. The project report must be verified by an independent accredited third party in accordance with the Regulation. The verification of an offset credit project must make it possible to establish the accuracy and credibility of the results of the emission reduction or sequestration activities of a registered project. It must also establish its compliance with the conditions set out in the Regulation.

Once the verification has been completed, promoters wishing to obtain offset credits must submit the Application for the Issuance of Offset Credits and Promoter Declaration (French, PDF, 1.6 MB) to the Carbon Market Division as well as the project report along with the verification report from the external organization. Based on the applicable protocol, applications for the issuance of offset credits must be submitted no later than six months after the end of the offset credit issuance period concerned.

After the documents have been completed, signed and dated, they must be sent in paper format to the following address:

Offset Credits
Carbon Market Division
Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques
675 René Lévesque Blvd. East, 5th Floor, Box 30
Québec City, Qc G1R 5V7

The documents must also be submitted electronically (without handwritten signature) via the program’s secure file transfer platform. To gain access to the platform or for more information about the electronic transfer of documents, please contact the Carbon Market Division.

The processing of applications for the issuance of offset credit cannot begin until the Carbon Market Division has received the documents in accordance with the Regulation. Once the issuance has been authorized, some of the information will be published in the Register of Offset Credit Projects.

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Project renewal

A project’s eligibility period for the issuance of offset credits may vary depending on the protocol that applies to it. Before the end of the eligibility period, a promoter wishing to renew his project must submit an application for renewal (French, PDF, 684 KB). This step enables the promoter to update information on a project’s implementation or ensure that the project complies with new requirements, amendments and changes introduced to the Regulation after the project was registered in the register of offset credit projects.

For more information on offset credits and the process leading to the issuance of offset credits, please contact the Carbon Market Division by phone at 418 521-3868, ext. 7700, or email at dmc.creditscompensatoires@environnement.gouv.qc.ca. Please do not send personal or confidential information to this email address as it is not secure.

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