As part of our ongoing commitment to interoperability, robustness, and future-proof data exchange, PACT will be deprecating V2.X of the PACT Technical Specifications as of 1 April 2026. According to the published Release plan, all v2.0.0 / v2.1.0 / v2.2.0 / v2.3.0 variants carry a deprecation date of 01 April 2026.

Why is PACT deprecating V2?

PACT is deprecating V2 to ensure the ecosystem continues to move toward our core vision: a truly interoperable network. While we recognize that many solution providers have invested significantly in achieving V2 conformance, aligning the community around the latest common version is essential for consistency, data quality, and seamless exchange. Deprecation also ensures that solutions undergo the most rigorous and up-to-date testing processes, specifically using the automated conformance tool, enabling higher comparability and reliability across the network.

Why this matters

1. Interoperability & Ecosystem Alignment

• Upgrading to V3 ensures seamless data exchange using the newest common standard as the ecosystem converges on V3.
• This avoids compatibility issues and keeps your solution fully connected to partners and customer systems.

2. Customer & Market Readiness

• Corporates will increasingly request V3-aligned PCFs, making V3 essential to remain usable and competitive.
• Migrating early removes sales friction and positions your solution for the next wave of adoption.

3. Data Integrity & Testing Rigor

• V3 introduces clearer rules and a more rigorous automated testing process, ensuring high-quality, comparable PCF data.
• This boosts trust with customers who depend on accurate, reliable, audit-ready carbon data.

4. Credibility & Conformant Status

• Implementing V3 maintains your visibility as a PACT Conformant Solution beyond April 2026.
• Non-V3 solutions lose promotion and may appear outdated versus V3-ready competitors.

What you should do now

1. Plan a migration to version 3 of the PACT Technical Specifications (published 30 April 2025) as soon as you can (see Release Plan).
2. Allocate testing time: We strongly advise conducting your conformance tests by end of February / early March 2026, to ensure you finish ahead of the 1 April retirement date and allow buffer time for any final fixes or remediation.
3. Leverage the new Conformance Tool: We’ve introduced the PACT Conformance Tool — a dedicated, automated testing service to verify your solution’s adherence to version 3 of PACT's Technical Specifications. The tool increases testing rigor, reduces manual effort, and ensures your solution is fully PACT-Conformant.
   • Simply configure your API endpoints and credentials
   • Run the built-in test suite
   • Review results, fix any failures, re-run as needed
   • Once you pass all mandatory tests, you’ll receive confirmation of PACT Conformance.

Important Dates

30 April 2025: Release of PACT Technical Specifications V3 published

‍End-Feb / Early Mar 2026: Recommended testing window for solution providers

‍1 April 2026: Official deprecation of version 2.x of the Technical Specifications (Release Plan)

What happens after 1 April 2026?

Post-deprecation, solutions which are not conformant to V3 will no longer be considered PACT Conformant and will be removed from the PACT website. We strongly encourage you to treat the April deprecation date as a hard deadline.

Final call to action

If you haven’t yet started your implementation of V3, now is the moment. Begin the following steps:

• Review the PACT Technical Specifications Version 3
• Register your solution for the Conformance Tool and familiarize yourself with the test suite
• Allocate resources and schedule testing in the recommended window
• Reach out to the PACT team for any support or clarification early.

Thank you for your continued commitment to interoperability within the PACT ecosystem. We are here to support you for a smooth transition. Please contact chakravarty@wbcsd.org for questions.