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CERT Foundation
Governance

Governance strong enough to say no.

A registry’s credibility is decided on its worst day — when a large client’s project deserves rejection, when an error demands public correction, when revenue and rigour collide. CERT’s governance is engineered for those days.

Board of Trustees

Two-thirds independent. Independent Chair. Staggered terms. Published minutes. The Board sets strategy, approves the annual budget, and holds the Secretariat accountable — but does not make individual project or methodology decisions.

Reserved matters
Amendments to the Rulebook, methodology creation, and enforcement decisions require a 2/3 supermajority. No single voice — including the Chief Executive — can bend the standard.

Separated powers

The people who write the rules are not the people who apply them. The people who apply them are not the people who police conflicts. Independence is not a slogan; it is an org chart.

Standards Committee
Chaired by: Independent scientist

Writes and revises the Registry Rulebook and methodologies. Recommends approval to the Board.

Secretariat
Chaired by: Chief Executive

Applies the Rulebook. Issues and retires CRUs. Operates the ledger.

Ethics & Integrity Committee
Chaired by: External counsel

Polices conflicts of interest, receives whistleblower reports, decides sanctions.

Appeals & Grievance Committee
Chaired by: Retired judge / external legal

Independently reviews contested decisions, hears grievances from projects, buyers, and affected communities.

Stakeholder Council

Developers, buyers, VVBs, civil society and host communities — including Indigenous Peoples — have a formal public voice. The Council reviews policy proposals and can request Board hearings. The Board must respond in writing within 60 days.

Stakeholder Council
Chaired by: Rotating stakeholder representative

Formal public voice from every constituency. Guaranteed 60-day Board response window.

Indigenous Peoples & Local Communities Circle
Chaired by: Rotating IP/LC representative

Advises on FPIC implementation, land-rights disputes and safeguards.

Independence in practice

  • No CERT employee is compensated by issuance volume.
  • Committee members and staff publish their Register of Interests annually.
  • Committee members serve fixed terms and cannot serve in more than one operational committee simultaneously.
  • Minutes of Board and Committee meetings are published, subject only to a narrow, published confidentiality standard.