SODA CLASS 001 - Emissions Offsets

Make climate truth the default. Real outcomes, proven first, claimed once, and easy to verify.

Emissions Offsets

SODA-001 turns completed and independently verified greenhouse-gas outcomes into digital units measured in gram-years (gy). It supports both removals (pulling CO₂ from the air) and avoided emissions, issued ex-post for a one-year service period. Sub-classes: 001SC Soil Carbon and 001B Biomass.

Targeted impact: Cut real, audited tonnes of CO₂-equivalent that actually happened in the past year—clean, simple, defensible. This Class helps organisations move from promises to proof and slot those results into mainstream reporting and transition plans.

Why the SODA Standard matters here?

Ex-post issuance, not promises. SODA is minted only after outcomes are measured and verified, reducing greenwashing risk and forward-reliance.
Litigation-Ready evidence. Every unit carries an LRPDS (project, method, data, verification, legal notices) so claims are audit-ready.
Single-claim registry. Once a unit backs a public claim it becomes non-transferable, preventing double use.
Independent verification. Methods require third-party verification aligned with ISO 14064-3/14065 prior to issuance.
Reporting fit. Designed to plug into climate disclosures and transition plans—clear “residuals-only” use alongside internal reductions.
Sub-classes

001SC — Soil Carbon

Outline: Credits measured annual increases or preservation of soil carbon within a defined boundary.
Where it applies: Regenerative grazing, cover crops, stubble retention, erosion control.
Worked example (simple): A 500-ha farm increases soil organic carbon by 0.2 tC/ha over the year (after conservative tests and leakage deductions). That’s ≈ 367 tCO₂e-year, represented as ≈ 367,000,000 gy on the registry.

001B — Biomass

Outline: Credits verified one-year net gains in living biomass carbon (e.g., woody growth) within a project’s boundary.
Where it applies: Assisted natural regeneration, restoration plantings, blue-carbon vegetation.
Worked example: A restoration block adds 200 tCO₂e-year of biomass (after baseline and uncertainty). The registry mints 200,000,000 gy.

How permanence is handled: SODA issues for a completed one-year service (no forward obligation baked into the unit). Buyers can meet their annual responsibility year-on-year (“rolling service”) or front-load additional removals to reduce the long tail of past emissions.

Claims guardrails: Keep claims specific, evidenced and in context—avoid broad, unqualified language. Link to the registry record (unit IDs, LRPDS) so anyone can check. That’s in line with the ACCC’s eight principles for trustworthy environmental claims.