OFFSET TERMS
carbon credit procurement & retirement covenants
Transparent commercial terms, pricing breakdowns, and registry verification covenants for enterprises purchasing verified carbon credits and micro-offsets.
1. Commercial Scope & Buyer Eligibility
These Carbon Offset Terms and Conditions govern the purchase, allocation, and permanent registry retirement of verified environmental commodities through ZeroCarbon. ZeroCarbon provides direct connectivity to certified mitigation projects registered on the Verified Carbon Standard (Verra), Gold Standard, American Carbon Registry (ACR), and the Indian Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS).
Offsets purchased through ZeroCarbon are designated exclusively for voluntary corporate sustainability claims, supply chain net-zero goals, and customer-facing carbon mitigation.
2. Transparent Pricing Architecture
ZeroCarbon enforces 100% price transparency. Every transaction invoice provides a line-item cost decomposition:
| Fee Component | Recipient | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Project Credit Cost (80% - 90%) | Project Developer | Base price per metric tonne of CO2e based on project methodology, vintage, and location |
| Platform Facilitation Fee (6% - 12%) | ZeroCarbon | OCR extraction, audit trail anchoring, API telemetry, and reporting software maintenance |
| Registry Retirement Fee (2% - 4%) | Registry (Verra/GS/CCTS) | Statutory fee charged by registry operator to irrevocably retire serial numbers |
3. Registry Direct Retirement & Serial Numbers
ZeroCarbon guarantees that 100% of carbon credits purchased on behalf of Customer are directly and irrevocably retired on official public registry databases:
- Serial numbers are retired in the name of Customer or designated legal entity.
- Retirement statements note the exact purpose (e.g., "Corporate Scope 1 & 2 emissions compensation for FY 2025-26").
- Public registry URLs and unique serialization ranges are embedded within Customer's digital certificate.
4. Fulfillment SLA & Retirement Certificates
Instant Reservation
Upon checkout, inventory is immediately locked in ZeroCarbon's custodial registry account to prevent double allocation.
Formal Serialization SLA (7-14 Days)
The official public registry certificate and unique serial ranges are finalized within 7 to 14 business days, depending on registry operating hours.
5. Corporate Claims & Anti-Greenwashing Standards
Customer agrees to make public claims in strict compliance with the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) Environmental Claims Guidelines, the UK CMA Green Claims Code, and the US FTC Green Guides:
- Customer shall not claim that purchasing carbon offsets renders a physical product or factory "zero emissions at source."
- Customer must accurately represent offsets as compensation or balance for residual emissions after active decarbonization efforts.
- ZeroCarbon provides standardized disclosure wording verified by climate legal practitioners.
6. Non-Speculative Nature & Resale Prohibition
Carbon credits purchased through ZeroCarbon are strictly non-speculative environmental commodities intended for immediate end-use retirement. Customer acknowledges that credits do not constitute securities, shares, or speculative financial instruments under SEBI regulations or the Indian Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956. Once retired on a registry, carbon credits cannot be traded, resold, or transferred.
7. Allocation Policies & Dispute Redressal
Carbon Asset Management Desk
ZeroCarbon Technologies Inc.
All retirement disputes or certificate verification inquiries are resolved within 5 business days.
Contact: offsets@zerocarbon.org.in