Carbon Project Assessment Framework
How we assess carbon projects for quality, risk and real-world impact.
The Carbon Project Assessment Framework (CPAF) explains how Ecologi evaluates carbon projects before they are funded by our customers. Now in its second version, it sets out a science-led approach to project-level due diligence, built on partnerships with the industry's leading carbon credit ratings agencies, and designed to manage risk while protecting real-world impact.
In brief
What it is
A structured, three-module framework (Quality, Co-benefits, Risk) for assessing carbon projects against tailored rubrics for eight distinct project types, from forest conservation to biochar production.
Who it’s for
Sustainability and climate leaders in mid-market organisations, and senior decision-makers responsible for approving climate investment.
Why it matters
Not all carbon credits deliver the same outcomes. Poor project selection creates reputational, financial and impact risk, and the same project can be rated very differently depending on which ratings agency you ask.
Applying the framework in practice
Why this framework exists
Voluntary carbon markets play an important role in financing climate action, but trust in the market remains fragile. Businesses face real challenges: wide variation in project quality, limited visibility into project-level risk, and increased scrutiny of climate claims.
Assessment typically happens at three levels: Standard, Methodology, and Project. The CPAF is our Project-level assessment, and it exists because the first two levels can't tell you whether a specific project is actually delivering. A project can come from a well-governed standard, on a sound methodology, and still be a poor-quality project in practice. The CPAF closes that gap.
How the framework works
Version 2 of the CPAF assesses every project across three modules:
Quality – scored across Climate, Nature and People, using fundamentals that apply to every project plus criteria tailored to each of eight project types (Afforestation/Reforestation/Revegetation, Biochar, Blue carbon, Cookstoves, Enhanced rock weathering, Landfill methane capture, REDD+, Regenerative agriculture).
Co-benefits – up to 10 bonus points for evidenced contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with claims we can't verify penalised rather than ignored.
Risk – every project is risk-adjusted for both Primary risks (that could compromise the project itself) and Secondary risks (that could undermine claims made by the buyer).
Projects are labelled with a traffic light rating, and only those scoring 80 or higher are eligible for funding through Ecologi.
Each assessment draws on data from multiple leading ratings agencies, including BeZero Carbon, Calyx Global and Sylvera, plus carbon intelligence platform AlliedOffsets. Using more than one provider matters because different agencies can score the same project very differently. When several independent methods agree, we have far more confidence in the result than any single source could offer. This third-party data is layered into our own in-house analysis, including satellite-based monitoring through Earth Blox.
Our core due diligence principles
ICROA-endorsed standards only. We only supply credits issued to standards endorsed by the International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance.
A short credit life-cycle. In 2024, 75% of the credits we purchased were bought directly from project developers, with no third party intermediary involved.
Consensus across ratings agencies. No single provider's blind spots go unchecked.
What good looks like in practice
High-quality carbon projects typically demonstrate:
Clear additionality and conservative baselines
Robust safeguards against reversal and leakage
Transparent monitoring and independent verification
Meaningful benefits for nature and local communities
Evidence-backed claims rather than marketing language
Learn
How to assess carbon credit quality
Avoidance vs removal: building a balanced portfolio
Aligning carbon funding with the Oxford Principles
Implement
Explore Ecologi's Restore solutions
Speak to our climate experts