For Assessors: Assessors need to apply to become a member of the Carbon Protocol of South Africa. This can be done by registering online. There will be a once-off charge of R1000 to become an Assessor. There will be a fee of R1000 to use the Carbon Protocol of South Africa Logo by customers. Assessors will need to sign an Assessor Appointment Agreement in which they undertake to act in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol and/or PAS2050 and they will be held liable if found not to comply with these guidelines. In this agreement Assessors declare that they will act out their duties in strict accordance with the Principles of the Carbon Protocol of South Africa (see the Carbon Protocol). Assessors must agree to work in accordance with the emissions factors as set out on the Carbon Protocol of South Africa website. Assessors also agree to give the Carbon Protocol of South Africa permission to develop a registry of all companies which use the Carbon Protocol of South Africa logo, including baseline and reduction information.

Assessors agree to abide by the principles of the Carbon Protocol of South Africa (as per the GHG Protocol) which are as follows:

• RELEVANCE: Ensure the GHG inventory appropriately reflects the GHG emissions of the company and serves the decision-making needs of users – both internal and external to the company.
• COMPLETENESS: Account for and report on all GHG emission sources and activities within the chosen inventory boundary. Disclose and justify any specific exclusions.
• CONSISTENCY: Use consistent methodologies to allow for meaningful comparisons of emissions over time. Transparently document any changes to the data, inventory boundary, methods, or any other relevant factors in the time series.
• TRANSPARENCY: Address all relevant issues in a factual and coherent manner, based on a clear audit trail. Disclose any relevant assumptions and limitations and make appropriate references to the accounting and calculation methodologies and data sources used.
• ACCURACY: Ensure that the quantification of GHG emissions is systematically neither over nor under actual emissions, as far as can be judged, and that uncertainties are reduced as far as practicable. Achieve sufficient accuracy to enable users to make decisions with reasonable assurance as to the integrity of the reported information.
• OBJECTIVITY AND HONESTY: The functioning and success of the Carbon Protocol of South Africa will rely on the Assessors’ ability to act in good faith, with honestly and objectivity at all times.

(Reference: www.ghgprotocol.org).

For Carbon Project Owners: Carbon Project owners need to apply to become members of the Carbon Protocol. This can be done by filling in the online application form. There will be a fee of R1000 to register a project with the Carbon Protocol of South Africa and use the Carbon Protocol of South Africa stamp. The Carbon Protocol will only accept projects that fulfill the following requirements as set out in the Carbon Protocol document. Only companies that use these project offsets will be allowed to use the Carbon Protocol Logo and claim carbon neutrality.

The criterion for awarding the Carbon Neutral stamp: offsets to be purchased from any project that is accredited under:

1. The Clean Development Mechanism (CER’s)
2. VER+
3. Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCU’s)
4. The Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA)
5. Plan Vivo
6. ISO14064
7. An offset project which can demonstrate best practice principles and processes in its methodology.