EcoSafi Kenya Clean Cookstoves

BeZero Carbon Rating (BCR) and rating scale

The BCR expresses BeZero's opinion that a given carbon credit represents one tonne of CO2e avoided or removed. Making this assessment requires analysing the risks a project is exposed to and how they impact the carbon efficacy of the credits issued. The full details of how the BCR assessment is conducted can be found in the BCR methodology document.

The multi stage process of assessing a credit's carbon efficacy culminates in an analytical view of the likelihood it achieves a tonne of carbon avoided and/or removed. This view is expressed through the rating definition, i.e. the range of likelihoods assigned, and reflected in the rating scale.

The BeZero Carbon Rating follows a robust analytical framework involving detailed assessment of six critical risk factors affecting the quality of credits issues by the project.

Additionality

Additionality is risk that a credit purchased and retired does not lead to a tonne of CO2e being avoided or sequestered that would not have otherwise happened.

Additionality is weighted at 50% for determining the final BeZero rating.

Over-crediting

Over-crediting is risk that more credits than tonnes of CO2e achieved are issued by a given project due to factors such as unrealistic baseline assumptions.

Over-crediting is weighted at 20% for determining the final BeZero rating.

Leakage

Leakage is risk that emissions avoided or removed by a project are pushed outside the project boundary.

Leakage is weighted at 10% for determining the final BeZero rating.

Permanence

Permanence is risk that the carbon avoided or removed by the project will not remain so for the time committed.

Permanence is weighted at 10% for determining the final BeZero rating.

Political Environment

Political Environment is risk that the policy environment undermines the project's carbon effectiveness.

Political Environment is weighted at 5% for determining the final BeZero rating.

Perverse Incentives

Perverse Incentives is risk that benefits from a project, such as offset revenues, incentivise behaviour that reduces the effectiveness.

Perverse Incentives is weighted at 5% for determining the final BeZero rating.

You can learn more about the BeZero rating scale on the BeZero website.