Glossary

General

Baseline scenario	The set of processes used to model the greenhouse gas emissions of what would happen without the project. Also called the reference scenario or business-as-usual scenario.
Buffer pool	A shared account of Riverse Carbon Credits that projects issuing removal Riverse Carbon Credits contribute to, used to compensate for carbon removal reversal.
Carbon avoidance	Avoiding greenhouse gas emissions that would have occurred without the project’s mitigation activity.
Carbon finance	The financial instruments and funding mechanisms resulting from the selling of carbon credits to support projects.
Carbon removal	Physically removing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in biologic or geologic pools. Also called carbon sequestration.
Certification	The combined process of validation and verification of a project to issue Riverse Carbon Credits.
Commitment period	The duration over which carbon will be removed.
Crediting period	The duration over which a given project is eligible for Riverse Carbon Credits. Riverse limits the crediting period to a maximum of 5 years.
Discount factor	A percentage of verified Riverse Carbon Credits eliminated from each project and never issued. This acts as a safeguard against uncertainty in GHG reduction quantifications and overestimated carbon removal/avoidance.
Emission reduction	Decrease in greenhouse gas emissions between a baseline scenario and the project activity, including both removals and avoidance.
Ex-ante	Before the fact. Expected outcomes before the project mitigation activity has occurred. Provisional credits are based on ex-ante estimations.
Ex-post	After the fact. Actual outcomes after the project mitigation activity has occurred. All Riverse Carbon Credits are ex-post.
Global Warming Potential (GWP)	A measure of how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere over a specific time period, compared to carbon dioxide (CO₂). It is a relative measure of the impact of a greenhouse gas.
MCI	The Material Circularity Indicator (MCI), developed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, measures the extent to which a product's material flows are restorative.
Mitigation activity	The specific processes within a project that lead to carbon removal/avoidance.
Monitoring	Ongoing measurement of indicators to determine whether the project delivers the expected carbon removal/avoidance. Used for Riverse Carbon Credit verification.
Project	The mitigation activity/activities that are under consideration for issuance of Riverse Carbon Credits.
Project Developer	Entity responsible for executing the project, which should include a contact person plus company/organization name. The Project Developer may apply for Riverse Carbon Credits themselves (the default case), or designate a Registration Parter.
Project output	Products or services that the project generates.
Project scenario	The set of processes used to model the greenhouse gas emissions of the project, which must be functionally equivalent to the baseline scenario.
Provisional credit	The estimated Riverse Carbon Credits to be issued after operations occur and emission avoidance/removal is verified. The number of provisional credits is estimated ex-ante after the validation audit, and enables pre-purchase agreements.
Registration partner	An entity chosen by the Project Developer to apply for Reverse Carbon Credits and meet the Project Developer's obligations on their behalf.
Riverse Registry	The digital platform created by Riverse that tracks the issuance, purchases, and retirements of Riverse Carbon Credits.
Riverse Carbon Credit	1 tonne of CO2eq removed or avoided by a project’s mitigation activity.
Riverse Standard Documentation	The highest level of documentation that covers all projects and methodologies under the Riverse Standard. It includes the Riverse Standard Rules, the Procedures Manual, and other documents.
Validation	First evaluation to check if a project is eligible for Riverse Carbon Credits, and to estimate the expected number of provisional credits that will be issued.
Verification	Final evaluation of whether the expected carbon removal/avoidance occurred, based on ongoing monitoring. After verification, Riverse Carbon Credits are issued.

Battery second life

Auxiliary components	The individual non-electrochemical parts within a battery pack, including casings, connectors, and electronic control systems. It does not include Battery Units (BU) or Battery Management System (BMS).
	The basic functional unit in a battery, composed of electrodes, electrolyte, container, terminals and, if applicable, separators, and containing the active materials the reaction of which generates electrical energy.
Battery marketplace	An online or physical platform for buying, selling, or trading batteries or battery-related services.
	Electronic device that manages the electric and thermal functions of a battery to ensure the it’s safety, performance and service life; and manages the data for determining the battery’s state of health and expected lifetime.
	Any set of battery cells that are connected or encapsulated within an outer casing to protect the cells against external impact. One module may be used alone or in combination with other modules.
Battery pack	The item encompassing all other components described here. It includes battery units (arranged in series, parallel, or both), and depending on the specific battery type, may include a BMS and various auxiliary components.
Battery recycling	The process of recovering used batteries to extract valuable materials (such as metals, plastics, and chemicals) and ensure that harmful substances are safely disposed of. Unlike refurbishing or regeneration, the recycled battery is no longer usable after the process.
Battery refurbishing	The mechanical process of replacing worn components, reconditioning structure, disassembly, cleaning, and testing. High-quality parts are reused for "second-life" batteries, extending lifespan for battery repurposing or returning to its original application.
Battery regeneration	The process of restoring battery performance by reversing chemical degradation, via e.g. deep discharging and recharging, or applying specific electrical pulses. It can also include electrolytes replacement (Pb-acid batteries). It improves battery's capacity and efficiency without replacing major components. The regenerated battery usually returns to its original application.
Battery repurposing	A form of battery second life, where the battery is used in a different application than its original purpose and its first life use.
Battery reuse	A form of battery second-life, where the battery is used in the same application as in its first life, that it was initially designed for.
Battery second life	Extended use of a battery after it can no longer perform its original application from its first life. This reduces environmental impact by delaying recycling or disposal, and replacing the need for new battery production.
Battery Unit (BU)	A single battery (lead-acid batteries) or cells and modules (li-ion and NiMH) that can store electrical energy and provide power.
EV battery	A battery designed specifically to power electric vehicles (EVs), typically using lithium-ion and NiMH chemistry.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)	A policy approach that holds manufacturers responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, especially waste management.
Energy storage system (ESS)	A battery capable of storing energy in order to supply electrical energy at a later time.
Industrial battery	Batteries that are used in off-highway electric vehicles such as forklifts, construction equipment such as scissor lifts, excavators, and agricultural machinery.
Li-ion	Lithium ion (Li-ion) battery is a type of rechargeable battery that relies on lithium ions moving between a graphite anode and a lithium metal oxide cathode during charge and discharge cycles.
LMT	Batteries used in Light Means of Transport (LMT) such as e-bikes and e-scooters. Usually using Li-ion and NiMH battery chemistries.
NiMH	A battery Nickel Metal Hydrade (NiMH) battery is a type of rechargeable battery that uses a nickel oxide hydroxide cathode and a hydrogen-absorbing alloy anode.
Pb-acid	Lead-acid (Pb-acid) battery is a type of rechargeable battery that uses lead dioxide as the cathode, sponge lead as the anode, and a sulfuric acid solution as the electrolyte.
Preparation for reuse	Inspecting, testing, and preparing battery units, auxiliary components and packs to be reused in their original function without significant alterations
Preparation for repurpose	Inspecting, testing, and preparing battery units, auxiliary components and packs to be repurposed and used for a different function (e.g. an EV battery repurposed to an ESS).
PRO	A Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) is an organization or company responsible for ensuring that producers meet their environmental obligations under EPR frameworks.
SLI	Starting, Lighting, and Ignition (SLI) batteries are a specific type of lead-acid battery used in vehicles to power ignition, lights, and electronic accessories.
SoH	The State of Health (SoH) represents a battery's condition and energy capacity compared to its original state. Expressed as a percentage, 100% indicates perfect condition, while lower values show degradation due to factors like age and use. SoH helps evaluate a battery's performance, and is a factor in determining remaining battery lifetime.

Biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS)

Bioenergy	Renewable energy derived from organic materials, such as plant and animal waste, agricultural crops, and forestry residues, that are converted into heat, electricity, or fuels through processes like combustion, gasification, or fermentation
BECCS	BECCS (Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage) is a carbon mitigation technology that combines the use of bioenergy (from biomass) with carbon capture and storage (CCS) to remove and store carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the atmosphere
Biochar	material that is rich in stable carbon, produced through the thermal conversion of biomass in a low-oxygen environment
Delivery Risk	The potential risk that a project will not be able to deliver the anticipated results, such as the projected amount of biochar or carbon sequestration benefits.
End use application	The way biochar will be used, such as direct application to soil, mixing with compost and application of the mix to soil, mixing with cement for use in concrete.
End use point	The step in the production chain where biochar leaves the direct control of biochar producers, where it is assumed to be incorporated into its final end use application.
Embodied Transport Emissions	GHG emissions associated with the production, maintenance, and operation of transportation infrastructure and vehicles across all modes of transport (e.g., road, sea).
Feedstock	The organic material used as the raw input for biochar production, such as wood, agricultural residues, or manure.
Gasification	high-temperature process that involves the partial oxidation of organic materials in the presence of a controlled amount of oxygen (or air) and a gasification agent
GVW	Gross Vehicle Weight is the total weight of a vehicle, including its own weight plus the weight of any cargo
Loading rate	Ratio of actual load to the full load or capacity (e.g. mass or volume) that a vehicle carries per trip.
Molar H/Corg ratio	The ratio of hydrogen to organic carbon atoms in biochar, used to assess the stability and quality of biochar; lower ratios indicate higher stability.
Permanence horizon	Sequestration horizon, commitment period
Production batch	Biochar produced under the same conditions regarding production temperature and feedstock mix. A production batch has a maximum validity of 365 days.
Production batch ID	A unique identifier for each production batch.
Pyrolysis	thermal decomposition process that occurs in the absence of oxygen
Random reflectance	A measure of the reflectivity of biochar under a microscope, indicating the degree of carbonization, inertinite characteristics and permanence of the biochar.
Segment	Part of the transportation process involving the movement of inputs or products between point A and point B within the project boundary.
Transport segment	One shipment of a fixed amount of material from a known location A to a known location B. It represents a one-way trip.
Transport Unit	A general term used to describe any vehicle, vessel, or mode of transportation used to move goods or passengers from one location to another. In this module version, this includes trucks and ships.
Transport type/ mode of transport	Type of transport. E.g. by land (truck, rail, pipe), by water (boat, ferry), by air (airplane). This module's first version focuses on road and sea transport type.
Verification period	The time period of project activities that a given verification audit and carbon credit issuance covers. For biochar application to soils, this may be one calendar year, or the duration of validity of one production batch.

Biogas from anaerobic digestion

Biogas	A mixture of gasses produced by the anaerobic digestion of organic matter, primarily composed of biogenic methane and carbon dioxide. It can be used directly as a renewable energy source, or can be purified to biomethane.
Biogenic methane	Methane produced from the decomposition of organic matter, as opposed to methane derived from fossil fuels. It has a slightly lower global warming potential than fossil-based methane.
Biomethane	Methane that has been purified from biogas to meet quality standards for natural gas. It can be used for heating, electricity generation, or as vehicle fuel.
Dedicated crop	Crops specifically grown for use as feedstock in energy production, such as maize or sorghum, as opposed to crops grown for food or other purposes. They are cultivated during the main growing season and harvested at maturity.
Digestate	The nutrient-rich residue left after the anaerobic digestion of organic feedstock, which can be used as a fertilizer or soil conditioner.
Energy cover crop	Crops like clover or rye that are grown during the off-season for use as biogas feedstock. They prevent soil erosion and are harvested for energy production, unlike traditional cover crops, which are mixed into the soil.
Feedstock	Organic materials used as inputs in the production of biogas through anaerobic digestion, such as agricultural residues, food waste, or manure.
Methane	A colorless, odorless flammable gas (CH₄) that is the main component of natural gas and biogas. It is a potent greenhouse gas when released into the atmosphere.
Nitrous oxide	A potent greenhouse gas (N₂O) occasionally emitted during anaerobic digestion, especially with high-nitrogen feedstock. It has a much higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide.

Refurbishing of electronic devices

Buyback	Buying used devices from consumers.
Device A	In this methodology, Device A refers to the first life of the refurbished device in the project scenario, and the waste device in the baseline scenario.
Device B	In this methodology, Device B refers to the refurbished device in the project scenario, and the new manufactured device in the baseline scenario.
Functioning device	A device that is successfully refurbished by the refurbishing project. It replaces a new manufactured device.
Non-functioning device	A device that is not successfully refurbished by the refurbishing project. It may be recycled, dismantled for spare parts to be used by the refurbisher, or sold for spare parts.
Refurbishing	The process of repairing and restoring used devices to good working order.
Residual value	The value (economic and lifetime) of a used device that is still remaining when it is sold and/or sent for refurbishing.
Scrap materials	Parts of used devices that are no longer functioning and are replaced by spare parts in the refurbishing process.
Small IT and telecommunication equipment	A category of electronic waste (e-waste) defined by the WEEE directive, composed of devices no larger than 50 cm external dimension, including mobile phones, GPS, routers, personal computers, and printers.
Sold devices	A functioning device that was successfully refurbished and sold functioning by the refurbishing project. It fully meets the market requirements and replaces a new manufactured device.
Spare parts	Functioning parts used in the refurbishing process to replace non-functioning parts, such as a battery or display. They may be new manufactured parts, or harvested from dismantled non-functioning devices.
WEEE	Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment, also called e-waste

Biobased construction materials

Biobased construction material	Materials derived from biomass that are used in construction and other applications
Biogenic carbon	Carbon from organic matter that can be sequestered and stored in biobased products during their production, and released back into the atmosphere if they are incinerated or decayed. It is considered part of the short, natural carbon cycle, as opposed to fossil based carbon
Biomass	The biodegradable fraction of materials from biogenic origin, such as trees, plants, and agricultural and urban waste
Carbon storage duration	The number of years that biogenic carbon will be stored in a construction material. This corresponds to the reference service lifetime for the material’s first use, plus extended storage periods from reuse, recycling, or landfilling
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)	A standardized and independently verified document that communicates the environmental performance of a product, including construction materials, based on a life cycle assessment
Reference service lifetime	The expected or predefined period of use for a product or construction material, measured in number of years. Used for assessing its environmental impact over its life cycle
Modules A-D	Components and terminology of an environmental assessment under EN 15804, outlining the stages of a life cycle assessment for construction materials. They encompass (A) Production, (B) Construction/Installation, (C) Use, and (D) End of Life
Project biobased material	The biobased material from the project that is subject to removal and/or avoidance Riverse Carbon Credit issuance. Its production/use is the mitigation activity for this methodology.

Enhanced rock weathering

NFZ	Near field zone, the immediate area where rocks are weathered and where weathering products infiltrate horizontally or vertically, typically close to the spreading event. This methodology counts both CDR gain and loss from the NFZ.
FFZ	Far field zone, the area further away from the deployment where weathering products and signals disperse over time. Depending on the project this may include soil below the depth of the NFZ, groundwater, surfacewater in the deployment area's hydrological basin, and the ocean. In this methodology only CDR loss from the FFZ is considered.
Base Cations	Positively charged ions that are released when silicate or carbonate minerals dissolve, including but not limited to $Ca^{2+}$ and $Mg^{2+}$. Base cations increase alkalinity and drive CDR when they react with CO2aq, and are critical indicators in measuring how much weathering has occurred.
DIC	Dissolved inorganic carbon, the sum of inorganic carbon species ($CO_2$, $HCO_3^-$, $CO_3^{2-}$) in water, critical for tracking carbon sequestration.
Carbonate System Parameters	Key chemical properties that regulate carbon storage in water, including pH, alkalinity, DIC, and partial pressure of $CO_2$, (p$CO_2$,).
Alkalinity	The ability of water or soil to neutralize acids, primarily driven by bicarbonate ($HCO_3^-$) and carbonate ($CO_3^{2-}$). In ERW, it is the most direct indicator that $CO_2$, removal has occurred, as increased alkalinity reflects mineral weathering and atmospheric $CO_2$ conversion into dissolved inorganic carbon.
Weathering Signal/Products	A wide array of measurable evidence that minerals have broken down (weathered), releasing chemical elements into the environment, e.g. base cations ( $Ca^{2+}$ and $Mg^{2+}$), bicarbonate ( $HCO_3^-$), dissolved silica ($SiO_2$), precipitated carbonates (e.g., $CaCO_3$ formation in soils or water bodies). These indicators confirm that weathering is occurring and can be used to estimate CDR.
Project Area	The sum of all spreading areas in a project where rock spreading occurs, referring directly to the spreading sites and not the associated FFZ.
Spreading area	The specific site/s where crushed rock (e.g., basalt, olivine) is applied for enhanced weathering. This area is carefully chosen based on soil properties, land use (e.g., cropland, pasture), and accessibility for long-term monitoring. One spreading area includes one treatment plot plus its associated representative control plot.
Control Plot	A designated area where no rock is spread, used as a reference to compare against the treatment plot. This ensures that credited changes in soil or water chemistry are due to enhanced weathering from spread rock rather than natural weathering. The control plot defines the baseline. ERW projects are only issued removal credits for the removal that occurs beyond baseline removals. The same monitoring requirements and calculations apply to both the control and treatment plots.
Treatment Plot	The area where crushed rock is applied in order to drive CDR from enhanced weathering. This is considered the Project Scenario according to the Riverse Standard.
Business As Usual Control Plot	A control plot managed according to normal agricultural or environmental practices without enhanced weathering. For example, if the study is on farmland, the BAU plot would follow conventional pH management practices such as liming, which drives CDR. This is the preferred type of control plot, but is not always practical and feasible for farmers to maintain.
Negative Control Plot	A control plot that receives no BAU liming treatments.
Strata	Distinct groups of spreading areas that share relatively homogeneous characteristics affecting CDR through ERW. These are determined based on key climate and soil properties, such as soil type, pH, topographic wetness index (TWI), and temperature.
Stratification	The process of grouping spreading areas into strata based on key environmental factors that influence ERW. This process ensures that control and treatment plots are representative of the conditions under which weathering occurs, reducing variability and improving the reliability of CDR quantification, and can prove a project's eligibility for spatial extrapolation. Stratification must be completed before rock spreading and documented in the PDD.
Spatial Extrapolation	The process of extending measured results from monitored sites (original sites) to new sites (extrapolation sites) within the same stratum to reduce the density of field sampling. Project Developers may only do this after proving low variance in measured and verified CDR for a given strata. It allows Project Developers to expand deployment areas while maintaining rigorous CDR monitoring.
Original Sites	A site within the project that has undergone full-density sampling, monitoring, and verification. It provides the first set of monitoring and measurements used to evaluate CDR and to validate whether new sites within the same stratum are eligible for spatial extrapolation.
Extrapolation Sites	A site added under reduced monitoring requirements after validation confirms it shares key characteristics with an Original Site and falls within a low-variability stratum. At least one round of sampling is required to confirm similarity; no separate control plot is needed.
Spatially Integrated	Measurements that combine data from multiple locations (depth and lateral) to provide an overall assessment of weathering in the NFZ.
Temporally Integrated	Data collected over time to capture variability and cumulative CDR over the reporting period.
Charge Balanced	A system is charge-balanced when the total positive charges (cations) equal the total negative charges (anions) in solution. In ERW, this specifically refers to base cations being charge balanced by bicarbonate ions, as opposed to other ions like sulfate or nitrate, to ensure that weathering leads to CDR rather than non-carbonic acid weathering.
Feedstock source	A given site where feedstock is sourced from, with one set of GPS coordinates, name of the mine/quarry/area, and feedstock waste status.
Feedstock batch	A given amount of feedstock that comes from the same feedstock source, in the same delivery round (within 24 hours). It is assumed that all feedstock in the same batch has the same characteristics, and samples and measurements only need to be taken once per feedstock batch.