Resource visibility
- Until resources are submitted as part of a GHG statement, they are visible only to members of your organization.
- After statement submission, they are visible to the verifier assigned to the GHG statement.
- Once credits have been issued, GHG entries are added to the public registry, and associated resources are visible publicly, with the exception of source documents.
- Sources uploaded in the Certify platform are kept private by default once published on the Isometric registry (file names will be displayed). Contact Isometric to update public source visibility. Sources added via the API can be set
publicon submission.
Resources
The main resources used in Certify are sources, datapoints, components and GHG entries.Sources
- Sources represent a piece of evidence for a particular datapoint used in carbon accounting calculations.
- Source documents are private, and only shared with the verifier assigned to a related GHG entry.
- Other information associated with a source, such as its display name, is visible publicly once the GHG entry is on the public registry.
- Verifiers are not notified when new sources are added to datapoints in a submitted GHG entry, but they will immediately have access to the source documentation. Please notify the Isometric Registry Operations team when sources are added on a verifier’s request so that we can ensure that the verifier is aware.
Datapoints
- Datapoints represent any value used in carbon accounting calculations.
- When creating datapoints, sources should be referenced to provide evidence for the value used.
- A standard deviation should be provided if the datapoint is to be included in the variance propagation method of uncertainty analysis.
- All datapoints are considered statistically independent for the purpose of variance propagation, although if a datapoint is used twice within a GHG entry calculation, this dependence is captured.
Components
- Components represent physical activities whose CO₂e flux needs to be accounted for.
- Components are created from component blueprints that contain sets of equations used to calculate a transfer of CO₂e into or out of the atmosphere.
- A blueprint defines a set of inputs that are the datapoints to be used in the calculation. For instance, a transport emissions blueprints would ask for datapoints representing a distance, mass and carbon intensity.
- When creating a component from a blueprint, the blueprint must be specified, as well as a list of datapoints for the expected blueprint inputs. Learn more about components in Identifying Components.
GHG entries
- GHG entries represent a series of activities that result in CO₂e being removed from the atmosphere or reduced relative to a baseline.
- The carbon accounting of a GHG entry typically contains sequestrations, counterfactuals and activities (emissions).
- GHG entries are structured using a template, defined in your LCA.
- Templates are divided into component groups. For instance, a biochar template may contain a
Feedstock sourcinggroup. - Groups can contain multiple components.
- Components can also be partially attributed to GHG entries, if the activity the component represents contributed to multiple GHG entries.
- The final uncertainty discounting is done on the GHG entry level - the API will return the CO₂e removed with and without discounting.
- See the Create a GHG entry guide for more details.
Feedstock types
- Many carbon removal methods involve a feedstock, for instance biomass feedstock in BiCRS or silicate rock in enhanced weathering.
- Feedstock types are used to describe the feedstock used in a GHG entry.
- When creating a GHG entry, a feedstock type can be optionally specified so that Isometric and verifiers can see which GHG entries use which feedstocks.
- This is important if different feedstocks are used in a single GHG statement.
- See the Add feedstock guide for more details.