Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on your program, the size of your operation and how ready your data is. We’ll give you a timeline with your quote. Starting early in the reporting year leaves time to fix any issues before your deadline.

Your emissions report or inventory, the supporting data, and the program you report under. We’ll confirm the exact list once we’ve scoped your work.

Tell us your industry and where you operate, and we’ll point you to the right program. Choose “Not sure yet” on the quote form.

Verification checks emissions you’ve already reported: we confirm the historical data is materially correct and conforms to the program’s rules. Validation looks forward: we assess whether the assumptions and methods behind a future claim, such as a project or a reduction target, are reasonable.

An independent review adds credibility and accuracy. It catches errors and inconsistencies in your data, confirms you meet the applicable standards, and gives regulators, clients and investors a figure they can trust.

The Standards Council of Canada has independently assessed our validation and verification processes and confirmed they meet ISO/IEC 17029:2019 and ISO 14065:2020, the standards regulators and buyers look for when they need to rely on a verifier’s opinion.

In Canada, we cover federal programs such as ECCC’s Output-Based Pricing System and Clean Fuel Regulations, plus provincial systems including Alberta’s TIER, BC’s GHG regulations and Forest Carbon Offset Protocol, Ontario’s EPS and Quebec’s Cap-and-Trade. In California, we verify under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard and Cap-and-Trade offset programs.

The Output-Based Pricing System is ECCC’s carbon pricing program for large industrial emitters, including the electricity sector. Facilities covered by OBPS need their emissions data independently verified, and we’re accredited to do that.

Canada’s federal Clean Fuel Regulations require fuel producers and importers to lower the carbon intensity of the gasoline and diesel they supply over time. Compliance is tracked through credits from qualifying projects and fuels, and those credits need independent verification before they can be used.

The Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) Regulation is Alberta’s carbon pricing system for large industrial emitters. It sets facility-specific emissions benchmarks, and each facility’s annual compliance report must be independently verified against them.

EPS is Ontario’s own industrial carbon pricing system, similar in structure to the federal OBPS. Large emitters are given facility-specific performance standards and must have their annual emissions reports independently verified.

FCOP is BC’s protocol for quantifying carbon offsets from forestry activities, such as improved forest management, afforestation and reforestation. Offsets generated under FCOP must be independently verified before they can be issued or sold.

CARB requires independent third-party verification of emissions and data reports under its major climate programs, including the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and Cap-and-Trade offsets, so that reported data is accurate and compliant.

Only CARB accredited verification bodies and individual verifiers can perform regulatory verification for entities subject to CARB requirements. Standard Carbon holds this accreditation.

Timing depends on the pathway type. Tier 2 fuel pathway applications are typically verified before they’re submitted to CARB, and pathway holders need ongoing verification for as long as the pathway stays active.

Data defined under the LCFS, including fuel carbon intensity scores and pathway reports, must be independently verified by a CARB accredited verification body before it’s submitted.

No. EPA verification doesn’t automatically meet CARB’s requirements, but we can help coordinate the two to simplify dual-agency compliance.

Companies formed under U.S. law, in any state, D.C. or federally, with more than US$1 billion in annual revenue that do business in California. Revenue is based on the lower of the last two fiscal years and is assessed company by company, so a Canadian business is covered through any U.S. subsidiary that meets the test. Nonprofits, insurers and government-owned companies are exempt. The first reports, covering Scope 1 and 2 emissions, are due November 10, 2026. Scope 3 isn’t required for 2026 reporting. For the November 2026 report only, companies can use emissions data they already had or were collecting by December 5, 2024, or file a statement on company letterhead if they had none.

Scope 1 covers emissions from sources you own or control, like fuel burned in your boilers and vehicles. Scope 2 covers the electricity, heat and steam you buy. Scope 3 covers everything else in your value chain, from purchased goods to business travel, and it’s often the largest share of a company’s footprint.

Yes. Scope 3 isn’t required for the first SB 253 reports due November 10, 2026, so many companies start with Scope 1 and 2. We build your inventory so Scope 3 can be added later using the same boundary and data.

We identify the emission sources in your organization, collect the relevant data, calculate emissions using established methods, and prepare a report that sets out the results.

Once a year. Most programs and best practice call for annual verification, and doing it every year keeps your trend data usable, keeps you ahead of changing regulations, and avoids a scramble when a deadline or buyer request comes in.

Tell us about your company, your locations and why you need the inventory. We’ll send a short questionnaire, agree the boundary and approach with you, and then let you know exactly which data to send.

We pair deep industry knowledge with modern software, so your inventory is precise and efficient to produce, whatever the size of your organization.

Yes. We help you set goals that are achievable and meaningful, share industry best practices, align your targets with recognized standards, and plan how to deliver them.

We track regulatory changes closely and build them into our methods, so your work stays compliant and you’re ready for what’s coming.