The International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance, known as ICROA, developed a Code of Best Practice for organisations providing carbon management and offsetting services. Its purpose was to create provider-level expectations around emissions accounting, reduction planning, credit quality, retirement and transparent communication.
Why a provider code was needed
Carbon standards govern how projects generate units. They do not fully govern how an intermediary advises a client, selects credits, retires them or supports a public claim. ICROA addressed that gap by setting requirements for the service provider's process.
The code emphasised credible inventories, reductions before compensation, use of recognised standards, clear retirement and accurate client communication.
What the code does not replace
Provider accreditation is not a rating of every project sold. Buyers still need to examine methodology, additionality, permanence, safeguards, delivery risk and fit with the intended claim.
A strong service provider should make that evidence easier to access, explain limitations and maintain transparent records of ownership and retirement.
The market is moving toward layered integrity
Corporate claims now sit within a wider architecture that includes the GHG Protocol, VCMI, ICVCM, national consumer protection rules and sustainability reporting standards. Each framework addresses a different part of the chain.
The practical lesson remains relevant: credible carbon use requires quality controls at both project and buyer level. Sentinel Earth combines project development knowledge with buyer-side due diligence so procurement decisions are grounded in the activity itself. Explore our services for corporate buyers.
