FAQ

CarbonPlus credits are voluntary carbon credits. Each credit represents one tonne of CO2e removed from the atmosphere and stored in the soil or biomass. On top of carbon removal, credits also include ecological and social co-benefits, such as soil health, ecosystem health, and animal welfare.

Both the carbon sequestration and the co-benefits are measured. The number of credits are issued solely based on the tons of CO2e sequestered, measured based on remote sensing analysis in combination with a limited set of soil samples.

In the case of the CarbonPlus Grasslands Credit, Livestock emissions (N2O and CH4) quantification is based on the number of livestock and number of days they spent in the project area.

1. Additionality - based on adopting a new activity from a pre-approved list which includes activities approved by either the Australian Government’s Carbon Farming Initiative or the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Healthy Soils Program (HSP). We accept adoption dates (the date the new project activity was applied) up to 10 years prior to project registration.
2. Permanence - 25 year, either through covenant or dedicated reversal buffer (5% of each issuance)
3. Buffer Pool - 20% of each issuance is allocated to a dedicated uncertainty pool (note, this is a separate account than the Permanence Reversal Buffer)
4. Leakage - market leakage related to grassland management activities is likely to be negligible (de minimis) but if project proponents expect above de minimis rates, an appropriate discount factor will be applied during the GHG quantification.
5. Double Counting - project proponents will be required to commit to not applying for credits for the same land and emission reduction/removal concurrently on any other registry / GHG Program
6. Verification - an independent third-party verifier provides an assurance of the integrity of the data and information provided by project proponents and the monitoring process

CarbonPlus Credits are a commodity.

CarbonPlus Credits returns are highly dependent on two factors:

• Credit Price - which fluctuates with the demand and supply of the voluntary carbon credit markets
• Carbon Sequestration Rate - which depends on land management and climatic conditions

Example:

We project average returns (net margins) of above 15% year on year, or $5 per hectare per yer. This assumes a price of $10 per each CarbonPlus Credit and a Carbon Sequestration Rate of 0.41 tC per hectare per year.

RND, Inc. cannot guarantee the above returns. It is the responsibility of each project proponent to perform their own due diligence.

The costs for a CarbonPlus Credit project are:

• Monitoring:
  • Soil Sampling - soil sampling collection and lab analysis ($25 - $100 per sample)
  • Remote Sensing Analysis - quantifies GHG based on Soil Organic Carbon measurements and satellite imagery ($7,500 to $15,000 per monitoring round)

• Verification: independent 3rd party auditor ($5,000 to $15,000 per monitoring round)

• CarbonPlus Credit Issuance fees: Regen Network charges a fee for each credit issuance.

• CarbonPlus Credit Brokerage fees: Regen Network charges a fee for optional brokerage services.

The CarbonPlus Credit Issuance and CarbonPlus Credit Brokerage fees are deferred to issuance and sale respectively, and therefore are not upfront costs. Regen Network does not fulfill the role of Verifier for projects where Regen Network is the monitor. This requires an external party, and fees associated are not charged by Regen Network Development, Inc.

Regen Network does not provide funding support for upfront project development costs. In the case that Regen Network secures forward contracts with CarbonPlus Credit buyers, Regen Network may consider supporting some projects directly.

Carbon removals are calculated using standard GHG accounting practices. Soil Organic Carbon percentages measured in soil samples are calibrated with Sentinel 2 satellite imagery in a given monitoring time period to calculate the changes in Soil Organic Carbon stocks from the baseline measurement.

Yes, a limited number of soil samples are required. The average farm will require around 25 samples per monitoring round, whereas larger farms may require 50-75 samples per monitoring round. Refer to the Monitoring Methodology document for each CarbonPlus Credit Class for further instructions.

If the adoption date of the approved project activity is within 10 years prior to project registration, we can accept historical soil sampling data as early as 2017.

CarbonPlus Grasslands Credits projects must follow the instructions provided in Regen Network’s Methodology for Soil Sampling in Grazing Systems to align with the monitoring protocol. If the monitor can verify that Soil Organic Carbon has been sequestered over these historical time periods, your project may be eligible for credit issuance for 2017 onward.

In the case of the CarbonPlus Grasslands Credits:

• Ecosystem health is based on the Costanza Framework, measuring its ability to maintain structure (organization) and function (vigor) over time in the face of external stress (resilience).
• Soil health is based on Cornell University’s Soil Health Assessment, assessing micronutrients and macronutrients.
• Animal welfare is based on adherence to national animal welfare standards that track nutrition level, access to water, social contact, and more key factors.

Guidance for additional ecological co-benefits measurement is forthcoming.

Please review the Program Guide, the Credit Class and the Methodology.

Regen Registry standards can be found in the Program Guide and the respective Credit Class for each CarbonPlus Credit.

The Program Guide follows the best practices of GHG accounting, AFOLU (Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use) and SOC (Soil Organic Carbon) methodologies, including these well established reference standards:

• American Carbon Registry (ACR) Registry Standard v6.0
• The Australian Government’s Carbon Farming Initiative - Measurement of Soil Carbon Sequestration in Agricultural Systems - Methodology Determination 2018
• Gold Standard Soil Organic Carbon Framework Methodology v1.0
• VCS Standard v4.0
• GHG Protocol for Project Accounting

Regen Network accepts Verifiers who are already approved as Verifiers on American Carbon Registry, Verra, and Gold Standard. New Verifiers may apply to Regen Network for approval. See the Program Guide for more details.

Eligible approved activities include:

• Any management activity approved by the Carbon Farming Initiative related to grasslands and/or grazing.
• Any conservation practice approved by California Department of Food and Agriculture Healthy Soils Program related to grasslands and/or grazing.

Regen Network recognize that Soil Organic Carbon stocks fluctuate naturally, especially during extreme climatic conditions, such as drought. At the end of the project term we reconcile the Soil Organic Carbon stock level with the prior monitored level. If Soil Organic Carbon has been lost we use the Buffer Pool to accommodate the carbon stock gap. See the Program Guide’s Buffer Pool section for more details.

The first CarbonPlus Credits issuance happens after a new project has completed the baseline and two monitoring rounds, in Year 2 of the project. The Monitoring Methodology requires a minimum of six monitoring rounds in the 10 year Crediting Term. After each monitoring event, if there is positive change in soil carbon stocks since the last monitoring, projects can elect to issue CarbonPlus Credits.

Regen Registry allows projects to cancel prematurely. Please refer to the Program Guide’s Premature Termination section for more details.

The Project Page includes:

• Project description
• Land Steward description
• Photos and videos of the project
• Key land management activities
• Summary of the CarbonPlus Credit and ecological co-benefits
• Number of Credits Issued, Available for Sale
• Project timeline
• Monitoring Reports, including the Baseline Reports, Monitoring Reports, and Soil Samples
• Project Plan

Project Pages can be customized.

CarbonPlus Credit price is a function of demand and supply. CarbonPlus Credit price is also informed by the type and quality of each project on the Regen Registry.

Projects that choose to utilize a Permanence Reversal Buffer (rather than putting the land under covenant) are required to complete a monitoring round at the end of the Permanence Period to reconcile carbon stock levels and address any carbon stock reversals that may have occurred. See the Program Guide’s Permanence Reversal Buffer section for more details.

At this time, Regen Network is the only approved monitor.

Regen Network invites 3rd party monitors to apply for approval to become Monitors on Regen Registry. Monitors must provide monitoring services based on the published, peer-review methodologies approved by Regen Registry.

See the Program Guide for more details.

The current approved verifiers are:

1. RSM Australia Pty Ltd.

   Level 13, 60 Castlereagh Street Sydney, NSW 2000

   GPO Box 5138 Sydney NSW 2001

   T +61 (0) 2 8226 4500

   F +61 (0) 2 8226 4501

   www.rsm.com.au

The list of approved verifiers will be updated as verifiers are approved.

CarbonPlus credits are voluntary carbon credits. Each credit represents one tonne of CO2e removed from the atmosphere and stored in the soil or biomass. On top of carbon removal, credits also include ecological and social co-benefits, such as soil health, ecosystem health, and animal welfare.

Both the carbon sequestration and the co-benefits are measured. The number of credits are issued solely based on the tons of CO2e sequestered, measured based on remote sensing analysis in combination with a limited set of soil samples.

In the case of the CarbonPlus Grasslands Credit, Livestock emissions (N2O and CH4) quantification is based on the number of livestock and number of days they spent in the project area.

1. Additionality - based on adopting a new activity from a pre-approved list which includes activities approved by either the Australian Government’s Carbon Farming Initiative or the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Healthy Soils Program (HSP). We accept adoption dates (the date the new project activity was applied) up to 10 years prior to project registration.
2. Permanence - 25 year, either through covenant or dedicated reversal buffer (5% of each issuance)
3. Buffer Pool - 20% of each issuance is allocated to a dedicated uncertainty pool (note, this is a separate account than the Permanence Reversal Buffer)
4. Leakage - market leakage related to grassland management activities is likely to be negligible (de minimis) but if project proponents expect above de minimis rates, an appropriate discount factor will be applied during the GHG quantification.
5. Double Counting - project proponents will be required to commit to not applying for credits for the same land and emission reduction/removal concurrently on any other registry / GHG Program
6. Verification - an independent third-party verifier provides an assurance of the integrity of the data and information provided by project proponents and the monitoring process

CarbonPlus Credits are a commodity.

CarbonPlus Credits returns are highly dependent on two factors:

• Credit Price - which fluctuates with the demand and supply of the voluntary carbon credit markets
• Carbon Sequestration Rate - which depends on land management and climatic conditions

Example:

We project average returns (net margins) of above 15% year on year, or $5 per hectare per yer. This assumes a price of $10 per each CarbonPlus Credit and a Carbon Sequestration Rate of 0.41 tC per hectare per year.

RND, Inc. cannot guarantee the above returns. It is the responsibility of each project proponent to perform their own due diligence.

The costs for a CarbonPlus Credit project are:

• Monitoring:
  • Soil Sampling - soil sampling collection and lab analysis ($25 - $100 per sample)
  • Remote Sensing Analysis - quantifies GHG based on Soil Organic Carbon measurements and satellite imagery ($7,500 to $15,000 per monitoring round)

• Verification: independent 3rd party auditor ($5,000 to $15,000 per monitoring round)

• CarbonPlus Credit Issuance fees: Regen Network charges a fee for each credit issuance.

• CarbonPlus Credit Brokerage fees: Regen Network charges a fee for optional brokerage services.

The CarbonPlus Credit Issuance and CarbonPlus Credit Brokerage fees are deferred to issuance and sale respectively, and therefore are not upfront costs. Regen Network does not fulfill the role of Verifier for projects where Regen Network is the monitor. This requires an external party, and fees associated are not charged by Regen Network Development, Inc.

Regen Network does not provide funding support for upfront project development costs. In the case that Regen Network secures forward contracts with CarbonPlus Credit buyers, Regen Network may consider supporting some projects directly.

Carbon removals are calculated using standard GHG accounting practices. Soil Organic Carbon percentages measured in soil samples are calibrated with Sentinel 2 satellite imagery in a given monitoring time period to calculate the changes in Soil Organic Carbon stocks from the baseline measurement.

Yes, a limited number of soil samples are required. The average farm will require around 25 samples per monitoring round, whereas larger farms may require 50-75 samples per monitoring round. Refer to the Monitoring Methodology document for each CarbonPlus Credit Class for further instructions.

If the adoption date of the approved project activity is within 10 years prior to project registration, we can accept historical soil sampling data as early as 2017.

CarbonPlus Grasslands Credits projects must follow the instructions provided in Regen Network’s Methodology for Soil Sampling in Grazing Systems to align with the monitoring protocol. If the monitor can verify that Soil Organic Carbon has been sequestered over these historical time periods, your project may be eligible for credit issuance for 2017 onward.

In the case of the CarbonPlus Grasslands Credits:

• Ecosystem health is based on the Costanza Framework, measuring its ability to maintain structure (organization) and function (vigor) over time in the face of external stress (resilience).
• Soil health is based on Cornell University’s Soil Health Assessment, assessing micronutrients and macronutrients.
• Animal welfare is based on adherence to national animal welfare standards that track nutrition level, access to water, social contact, and more key factors.

Guidance for additional ecological co-benefits measurement is forthcoming.

Please review the Program Guide, the Credit Class and the Methodology.

Regen Registry standards can be found in the Program Guide and the respective Credit Class for each CarbonPlus Credit.

The Program Guide follows the best practices of GHG accounting, AFOLU (Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use) and SOC (Soil Organic Carbon) methodologies, including these well established reference standards:

• American Carbon Registry (ACR) Registry Standard v6.0
• The Australian Government’s Carbon Farming Initiative - Measurement of Soil Carbon Sequestration in Agricultural Systems - Methodology Determination 2018
• Gold Standard Soil Organic Carbon Framework Methodology v1.0
• VCS Standard v4.0
• GHG Protocol for Project Accounting

Regen Network accepts Verifiers who are already approved as Verifiers on American Carbon Registry, Verra, and Gold Standard. New Verifiers may apply to Regen Network for approval. See the Program Guide for more details.

Eligible approved activities include:

• Any management activity approved by the Carbon Farming Initiative related to grasslands and/or grazing.
• Any conservation practice approved by California Department of Food and Agriculture Healthy Soils Program related to grasslands and/or grazing.

Regen Network recognize that Soil Organic Carbon stocks fluctuate naturally, especially during extreme climatic conditions, such as drought. At the end of the project term we reconcile the Soil Organic Carbon stock level with the prior monitored level. If Soil Organic Carbon has been lost we use the Buffer Pool to accommodate the carbon stock gap. See the Program Guide’s Buffer Pool section for more details.

The first CarbonPlus Credits issuance happens after a new project has completed the baseline and two monitoring rounds, in Year 2 of the project. The Monitoring Methodology requires a minimum of six monitoring rounds in the 10 year Crediting Term. After each monitoring event, if there is positive change in soil carbon stocks since the last monitoring, projects can elect to issue CarbonPlus Credits.

Regen Registry allows projects to cancel prematurely. Please refer to the Program Guide’s Premature Termination section for more details.

The Project Page includes:

• Project description
• Land Steward description
• Photos and videos of the project
• Key land management activities
• Summary of the CarbonPlus Credit and ecological co-benefits
• Number of Credits Issued, Available for Sale
• Project timeline
• Monitoring Reports, including the Baseline Reports, Monitoring Reports, and Soil Samples
• Project Plan

Project Pages can be customized.

CarbonPlus Credit price is a function of demand and supply. CarbonPlus Credit price is also informed by the type and quality of each project on the Regen Registry.

Projects that choose to utilize a Permanence Reversal Buffer (rather than putting the land under covenant) are required to complete a monitoring round at the end of the Permanence Period to reconcile carbon stock levels and address any carbon stock reversals that may have occurred. See the Program Guide’s Permanence Reversal Buffer section for more details.

At this time, Regen Network is the only approved monitor.

Regen Network invites 3rd party monitors to apply for approval to become Monitors on Regen Registry. Monitors must provide monitoring services based on the published, peer-review methodologies approved by Regen Registry.

See the Program Guide for more details.

The current approved verifiers are:

1. RSM Australia Pty Ltd.

   Level 13, 60 Castlereagh Street Sydney, NSW 2000

   GPO Box 5138 Sydney NSW 2001

   T +61 (0) 2 8226 4500

   F +61 (0) 2 8226 4501

   www.rsm.com.au

The list of approved verifiers will be updated as verifiers are approved.