a) Additionality
It must be ensured that the project can only be realized if it receives additional financing through emissions trading. This means the project must be reliant upon emissions trading in order to cover its financial needs.
b) Exclusion of double counting
It must be ensured that the carbon emissions saved are only counted once — by the certificate owner. In particular, this means that certificates may only be sold once and then have to be retired.
c) Permanence
Emissions savings must take place permanently. For example, carbon sequestration in forests must be long-term in nature. A reforested area that is turned back into a livestock pasture through slash-and-burn farming a few years later cannot receive recognition as a carbon offset project.
d) Auditing on a regular basis by independent third parties
Carbon offset projects must be audited in regular intervals according to the criteria listed above. Independent third parties such as TÜV, SGS, or PwC perform these audits. Audits like these retroactively determine the actual volume of carbon emissions saved.