The Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) Association is putting the finishing touches to four new registries of carbon credits ahead of their launch this September.

Speaking at a roundtable event in London earlier today, VCS chair Mark Kenber said that the standards body had now selected four companies to manage the registries and a database provider to manage the central database that will hold data on those credits that have attained VCS accreditation and was aiming to launch the new services in the third week of September.

Caisse des Depots in France, Bank of New York Mellon in the US, and TZ1 in New Zealand have each been chosen to operate a registry, while US-based environmental and energy markets infrastructure provider APX Inc will provide one registry and the central database.

Kenber said the aim of the registries and database was to provide a means for customers to check the authenticity and status of the VCS-approved carbon credits they are buying.

"You'll be able to check the database to read the verification documents, find out where credits are registered and whether they have been retired or not, " he explained. "It should serve to increase liquidity in the market and also increase customer confidence."