Overview
Carbon offsets in SusDevOS represent purchased carbon credits intended to compensate for residual emissions. SusDevOS validates serial numbers against the Verra VCS and Gold Standard registries in real time. Unvalidated credits are never deducted from your net inventory total.
Adding a Carbon Offset
- Navigate to Offsets → New Offset.
- Enter:
- Registry — Verra VCS or Gold Standard
- Serial Number — the credit serial number from the registry certificate
- Vintage Year — the year the emission reduction occurred
- Volume (tCO₂e) — credits purchased
- Project Name — the underlying project name (e.g. "Kariba REDD+ Forest Protection")
- Click Save & Validate. SusDevOS queries the registry API and returns:
- ✓ Validated — credit confirmed as issued and not previously retired
- ✗ Invalid — serial number not found or already retired
Validation Rules
| Status | Effect on inventory |
|---|---|
| Validated | Deducted from gross inventory total in reports |
| Pending | Shown but not deducted |
| Invalid | Flagged; not deducted; requires correction |
This rule is enforced server-side and cannot be overridden from the frontend.
Viewing Your Offset Portfolio
Offsets (sidebar) shows:
- All credits with validation status
- Total validated tCO₂e
- Credits by vintage year and project type
- A breakdown of Verra vs Gold Standard credits
How Offsets Appear in Reports
Your GHG Protocol PDF report includes:
- Gross emissions — total before offsets
- Validated offsets — total verified credits
- Net emissions — gross minus validated offsets
The GHG Protocol does not allow offsets to reduce Scope 1/2/3 figures — they are disclosed separately as compensation, not as a reduction to the emission totals themselves.
Re-validating Credits
Validation status can change if a credit is subsequently retired by another buyer. Click Re-validate on any offset record to recheck the registry. Automated nightly re-validation runs on all pending and validated credits.