Carbon Credit Ratings
Valence Four Carbon Credit Rating
A credit-level rating that evaluates the integrity of a specific carbon credit issuance. Applied to issued credits across all major registries and project types, the Valence Four Carbon Credit Rating gives buyers and institutions a clear, independent quality signal.
Evaluation Dimensions
What we evaluate.
Additionality
We assess whether the emissions reductions or removals would have occurred in the absence of the carbon finance mechanism. This includes analysis of common practice, regulatory environment, financial barriers, and project-specific counterfactuals.
Permanence
Credits representing temporary storage carry inherent reversal risk. We evaluate buffer pools, reversal liability mechanisms, and the long-term physical and political durability of claimed sequestration.
Verification
Independent third-party verification is a minimum requirement. We go further, assessing the competence and independence of the verifier, the depth of the audit, and the consistency of reported data with primary sources.
Co-benefits
We evaluate claims of social and biodiversity co-benefits against documented evidence, not developer self-reporting. Inflated co-benefit claims are a material factor in downgrading a credit rating.
How It Works
From credit to rating.
The Valence Four Carbon Credit Rating can be initiated by a subscriber submitting a credit or issuance identifier. Our analysts review all available documentation - including issuance records, monitoring reports, and verification statements - and apply our internal evaluation standards.
The resulting rating is expressed on our AAA to D scale, accompanied by a detailed rationale covering each of the four evaluation dimensions. Ratings are reviewed and updated following material changes or new verification cycles.
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Who uses it
Built for every participant who touches a credit.
Buyers
Screen credit portfolios, set procurement standards, and defend purchasing decisions to stakeholders.
Financial Institutions
Prepare carbon credit quality signals for ESG reporting frameworks and portfolio risk assessments.
Exchanges and Platforms
List and differentiate credits by quality tier, enabling price discovery based on fundamentals.
Compliance Entities
Demonstrate credible offset quality to regulators and auditors.