BCarbon's Soil Carbon Protocol stands out in the carbon market space for its specialized focus and approach:

• Exclusivity in Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) Measurement over time: BCarbon is dedicated solely to measuring the accumulation of SOC, providing a protocol specifically designed for soil carbon sequestration projects.

• Six-Step Process for SOC Quantification: The protocol defines a comprehensive six-step process, including initial SOC measurement, project stratification, monitoring, and documentation, all aimed at accurately quantifying the net carbon mass accrued over a true-up period.

• Statistical Reliability and Sale of Carbon Credits: BCarbon's methods ensure the statistical reliability necessary for the certification and sale of carbon credits, focusing on the measured increase in SOC over time.

• Customization and Adaptability: The protocol allows flexibility in setting the true-up period's end date according to the user's discretion, geographic location, climatic conditions, and project needs.

• Detailed Project Documentation: For certification, a comprehensive report describing the carbon project and documenting the net increase in SOC over the true-up period is required, ensuring transparency and accountability.

• Unique Approach to Additionality: BCarbon has a distinct definition of additionality focused on documented, measured carbon sequestration rather than potential or projected reductions.

• Simplified Risk Management: The risk management process at BCarbon is contractually stipulated, emphasizing practicality and applicability.

• Transparent Calculations: BCarbon's methodologies are designed to be transparent, verifiable, and science-based to be less susceptible to manipulation or gaming.

• No Deduction for Operational Emissions: Unlike other registries, BCarbon does not subtract operational emissions, focusing purely on sequestration impacts.

• Inclusivity of Existing Regenerative Practices: BCarbon allows for the inclusion of existing practitioners of regenerative agricultural practices, recognizing and rewarding the ongoing efforts of good stewards in soil carbon sequestration.

For many legacy registries, a “standard” contains information on the approach to aspects of the program including buffer pool, risk assessment, VVBs, standards/methodologies adoption, post-project monitoring, and loss procedures.

At BCarbon, the Protocols and Principles are the basis of our philosophy and processes. We are actively developing new protocol documents and verification procedures that include further elaboration on our work with third parties, which typically occurs at cost to the project developer. We anticipate these complete and stakeholder-approved verification procedures being operationalized in 2024.

We are working to improve project transparency, especially as the technology for digital MRV and web3 reporting continues to progress. We work primarily through our blockchain system, attaching documents and fact findings, such as those regarding additionality. Maps, certificates, and other project documentation can be appended to credits on-chain. We are cognizant of project owner privacy concerns and stipulate a minimally viable amount of public information to be provided for creation and labeling of the credits. Our upcoming on-chain/off-chain blockchain ledger will more than meet the requirements of ICVCM and address the issues facing other registries regarding a public ledger tied to private project-specific data.

BCarbon bases our soil carbon credits on measurement over time. Additionality notes detailing improved land management practices may be appended to credits on the registry platform. For current projects, no counterfactual or hypothetical baselines are used; instead, each project site (ranch/farm or collection of farms/ranches) has an initial baseline in year zero that is calculated through statistically significant soil sampling. Accrued carbon is then credited at the true-up measurement step. Interim credits are available between measurement intervals based on conservative projections derived from relevant and geographically proximate peer-reviewed literature, and they are equilibrated with the actual accrued carbon at the true-up measurement step.

BCarbon does not prescribe land or agricultural management practices. We have found that current definitions of additionality often exclude good land stewards, small landowners, indigenous communities, and regenerative practitioners from participation in the carbon market.

BCarbon is actively striving to uphold the CCPs that align with our goals and methodologies. Project documentation will be provided at our registry page at https://bcarbon.changecode.io/ and our own website www.bcarbon.org.

Our internal validation process involves a third-party consultant(s) brought in to assist staff review and provide subject matter specific scientific and technical input into application review and certification decisions. Projects are validated internally at the time of application. Post-issuance, and throughout the term of the crediting period and minimum soil disturbance clause, project verification may entail the use of third parties in collaboration with BCarbon staff. BCarbon has also vetted ISO certified VVBs.

Our beta platform is located at www.bcarbon.topl.co, the blockchain explorer associated with each project that will permit the viewing of credit transactions. Using this platform, we memorialize transactions, projects, and carbon credits both on-chain and off-chain. The Topl-based ledger is projected to be viewable on the blockchain explorer by January 2024.

Monitoring provisions are in place but not yet implemented to verify compliance with contractual terms and conditions given the nascency of currently approved projects. Non-permanence is addressed through enforceable contractual procedures. All certified projects are contractually committed to a 10-year post crediting Minimum Soil Disturbance clause that does not allow for tilling, plowing, or physical disturbance of the accrued carbon in the soil.