COP 31 - LEAP Standard: Advancing High-Integrity Carbon Markets for Decentralized Energy Access in India

India’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, alongside its priorities for universal energy access and sustainable livelihoods, creates opportunities to mobilize climate finance for decentralized renewable energy (DRE) and clean cooking solutions.

The Lighting a Billion Lives (LaBL) 2.0 Programme, led by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), extends clean energy access beyond household lighting to support agriculture, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and rural livelihoods. In February 2026, the Global Carbon Council (GCC) and TERI signed an MoU to develop India’s LaBL Energy Access Program (LEAP) Standard, building on the approach of the Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation (ASCENT) Carbon Program, also referred to as the Energy Access Program (EAP) Standard, developed by GCC with the World Bank’s engagement for energy access initiatives in Eastern and Southern Africa.

The LEAP Standard aims to enable decentralized renewable energy and clean cooking projects to generate credible carbon credits through robust greenhouse gas accounting, digital monitoring, reporting and verification (D-MRV), and transparent registry systems.

The workshop will introduce the proposed LEAP framework, share lessons from the ASCENT/EAP experience, and explore opportunities to scale up energy access projects and mobilize carbon finance in India.

Objectives of the Session

To introduce the LEAP Standard and its proposed implementation framework, drawing on GCC’s experience in developing the ASCENT/EAP Carbon Standard, and to explore how high-integrity carbon markets can mobilize climate finance for decentralized renewable energy, clean cooking, and livelihood-enhancing projects in India.

• Present the LEAP Standard and its alignment with the LaBL 2.0 Programme.
• Share key lessons from the development and implementation approach of the ASCENT/EAP Carbon Standard.
• Explain carbon project registration, monitoring, validation, verification, and credit issuance under the proposed LEAP framework.
• Demonstrate the role of digital methodologies, D-MRV, and registry infrastructure in improving transparency, efficiency, and scalability.
• Explore opportunities to integrate eligible energy access initiatives, including relevant government-supported programmes, subject to applicable requirements.
• Identify potential partnerships among government agencies, TERI, GCC, development partners, project developers, and carbon credit buyers

Expected Outcomes

• Improved understanding of the LEAP Standard, its requirements, and potential applications.
• Knowledge sharing on lessons and best practices from the ASCENT/EAP Carbon Standard.
• Greater clarity on the carbon crediting process and the role of D-MRV and digital registry systems.
• Identification of potential project pipelines in decentralized renewable energy, clean cooking, agriculture, and rural enterprises.
• Identification of opportunities for technical collaboration, capacity building, and mobilization of climate finance.
• Agreement on priority next steps for stakeholder engagement and implementation of the LEAP Standard.

TERI Speakers: Dr Dipankar Saharia and Dr Amit Kumar ThakurDr Amit Kumar Thakur