Permanence concerns how long carbon remains stored. Reversal risk is the possibility that previously stored carbon associated with credits is released again. For an agricultural or forestry project, ask which monitoring duties and remedies apply: a serial number or certificate does not remove this risk.
Why carbon may return to the atmosphere
Fire, drought, pests or management changes can affect carbon stocks. Visible damage does not automatically establish a quantified reversal: the effect must be measured under the applicable methodology and rules. ACR’s approach to non-permanence risk also distinguishes intentional and unintentional events.
This differs from vintage: a recent credit does not by itself demonstrate longer storage. Read the outcome date, monitoring period and commitment horizon separately.
What a buffer pool does
A buffer pool is a shared reserve of credits used to address losses under its rules. In the VCS programme described by Verra, land-based projects contribute according to a risk assessment. Cancelling reserve credits can address the accounted loss; it does not physically restore a damaged forest.
A reserve is not an unlimited guarantee and does not necessarily constitute insurance. Consider covered events, available quantities, responsible parties and what happens if the reserve is insufficient. Do not apply another registry’s contribution percentages or coverage to a project.
Rules differ between programmes and versions
The Climate Action Reserve adopted a revised approach in June 2026 and describes a process for updating its protocols. This illustrates why readers need the version applicable to their project, rather than assuming a change immediately applies to every existing credit.
Similarly, permanence obligations in Australia’s ACCU scheme belong to that system. Durations and discounts used elsewhere do not become requirements for Italian projects by analogy.
The evidence to request for a project
- Method and version: what outcome is counted and how is a loss measured?
- Duration: when does the obligation start and end, and which commitments continue afterwards?
- Monitoring: who checks the stocks and who must report critical events?
- Responsibility: who quantifies a loss and who provides the remedy?
- Coverage: is there documented reserve, replacement or insurance coverage? What exclusions and limits apply?
- Traceability: where can you find updates, losses and operations affecting the relevant units?
Record any unanswered question. A general programme document does not establish coverage for a particular unit; connect it to the project and relevant period.
Using these questions at Carbonetica
Review the public projects and available documents. Carbonetica is a private voluntary registry: registration does not replace independent verification. This guide does not attribute VCS, ACR or Reserve buffer protection, or undocumented insurance, to its projects.
Ask for project clarification, identifying the document, period and permanence question. An enquiry does not certify coverage or reserve credits. For the dates attached to units, also read the vintage guide.