SCR Glossary

1. Key Terms 

• Carbon Credit / Offset: A tradable certificate representing the removal or reduction of 1 metric tonne of CO₂e, used to offset emissions elsewhere. 

• GHG (Greenhouse Gas): Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, including CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, and F-gases. 

• Carbon Registry: Platform that records and tracks carbon credits from creation to retirement, ensuring transparency and preventing double counting. 

• Carbon Neutral / Net Zero: When a company, project, or activity balances its GHG emissions with equivalent carbon removals or offsets. 

• CDR (Carbon Dioxide Removal): Processes or technologies that remove CO₂ from the atmosphere and store it permanently. 

• Ex-ante Credit: A credit issued before actual emissions reductions/removals occur, based on projected outcomes. 

• Ex-post Credit: A credit issued after actual emissions reductions/removals have been verified. 

• Vintage: The year in which the emissions reduction or removal took place, not necessarily the year of issuance. 

• Issuance: The creation and registration of carbon credits in the SCR. 

• Retirement: The permanent removal of a carbon credit from circulation, typically for offsetting emissions. 

• Cancellation: Invalidation of carbon credits, often due to excess issuance, error, or project termination. 

• Methodology: The standardized process to calculate emissions reductions or removals for a project. 

• Additionality: A principle ensuring that the carbon reduction would not have happened without the project. 

• Leakage: When emissions are unintentionally shifted outside the project boundary, reducing net benefits.