OurOffset – Minimum Verification / Audit Requirements

(Based on the internal Audit Policy: Formal and substantive requirements for MRV audit reports for the purpose of registry-side compliance checking and acceptance)

Version: 2.0

Release Date: February 5, 2026

Effective Date: February 5, 2026

Review: Annually or as needed

Predecessor: Internal audit and compliance procedure (2013–2026)

Version History:

• v1.0 (October 10, 2013) – Internal audit and compliance procedure (not published)
• v1.1 (April 15, 2023) – Internal tightening following the release of the ICVCM CCP guidelines
• v2.0 (February 5, 2026) – Publishable format, structurally unified policy, aligned with ICVCM CCP principles.

Publisher: OurOffset Nonprofit Ltd. (acting as a registry function provider)

Public informational document

Relation to the Internal Audit Policy

This public document is based on the internal Audit Policy of OurOffset Nonprofit Ltd. and is a summary extract intended for external parties. It outlines the minimum formal, substantive, and independence requirements necessary for registry-side acceptance, the fulfillment of which is essential for the evaluation of audit and verification reports. The detailed procedures, internal controls, and decision-making mechanisms are contained in the internal Audit Policy; it is not public and governs solely the internal operations of OurOffset. In case of any discrepancy, the internal Audit Policy shall always prevail.

1. Purpose of this Document

The purpose of this document is to establish under what minimum professional, ethical, and independence requirements OurOffset Nonprofit Ltd., as an independent carbon market registry (organization providing registry functions), is entitled to accept and evaluate an audit or verification report prepared by a third party.
This document does not constitute the selection, accreditation, or pre-approval of auditors or verifiers; it solely describes the minimum conditions for acceptability on the registry side.

2. Scope of Application

The minimum requirements apply to all verification activities that:

• are related to carbon credit issuance,
• examine methodology or project compliance,
• are aimed at auditing an MRV (Monitoring, Reporting & Verification) system or software,
• are submitted for the purpose of acceptance into the OurOffset registry.

3. Principle of Independence

OurOffset will only accept audit or verification reports prepared by a third party that is independent of the project developer, methodology user, MRV system developer, and financier.
The verifier:

• is independent of the project developer, methodology user, MRV software developer, and financier,
• is not in an employment or ownership relationship with the organization under review, or with the family members of the auditor or organization,
• does not have a direct or indirect decision-making interest in either the project developer/credit owner, the credit buyer, or the registry that would jeopardize independent project assessment,
• has not participated in the development of the project or MRV system under review, or in performing the calculations in a manner that compromises independent evaluation.

4. Minimum Professional Competence

The individual or organization performing the verification must demonstrably possess:

• relevant professional qualification or verified experience (e.g., in climate, energy, ESG, environmental economics, IT, data, or system audit fields),
• practical experience appropriate to the nature of the activity under review,
• the competence necessary to interpret the applied methodologies and calculation logic.

5. Ethical and Professional Conduct

The verifier is obligated to conduct the audit in a:

• professionally substantiated,
• documented,
• verifiable,
• and bona fide manner,

in accordance with international best practice, particularly in the spirit of the ICVCM Core Carbon Principles (CCP).

6. Mandatory Declarations

The audit report must be accompanied by declarations of independence and absence of conflict of interest, proof of professional competence, and a statement of accountability.

7. Delimitation of the Registry’s Role

OurOffset:

• does not select,
• does not nominate,
• does not commission,
• and does not accredit

actors in the verification chain.
The registry’s role extends solely to evaluating submitted documentation based on its own independent internal procedures from a formal and substantive perspective, and as a result, making a decision on acceptance or rejection.

8. Final Provision

This Minimum Verifier Requirements document does not create an entitlement</strong to automatic acceptance into the OurOffset registry and does not constitute a preliminary compliance statement.