Terms of Service

Introduction

This Terms of Service ("Agreement") governs the relationship between Decarb.earth ("we," "our," or "us") and you ("Client" or "you") regarding the use of our platform and services to generate and manage emission reduction credits from renewable energy systems.

By using our services, you agree to these terms. Please read them carefully.

Services Provided

We provide a platform where you can:

1. the Website and Content may only be used by you for lawful purposes and shall not extend to the use of the source code of the Website and Content;
2. you may not frame, modify, copy, distribute, commercialise, sell exploit and/or alter the Website or Content or any part thereof or incorporate any part of the Website or Content in any other work, content or publication (including on other websites) or use the Website other than in accordance with these Terms.

Project Upload and Management

You may upload renewable energy projects at any time. Once uploaded, the following conditions apply:

1. Minimum Commitment: Projects must remain active for at least one quarter (3 months) before they can be removed.
2. Project Removal: You may remove projects after one quarter, but we require a 30-day notice prior to removal. Additional fees apply for removing projects early (see Section 6 for details).
3. Additional Projects: You are free to add new projects at any time, and they will automatically be included in the next quarterly emission reduction credit calculation.

Official fees

Project Owners will retain 80% of the emission reduction credits. Enerlink/Decarb retains 20% to cover platform operations, third-party auditing and registration fees, and giving back to socio-economic upliftment via the Reciprocity Reserve (Earth Standard: ≈3%; Verra VCS: ≈2%) - included with the 20% fee.
You may choose to hold, retire, sell your credits independently, or request us to source a buyer. Sales/marketplace fees charged by external exchanges (typically around 3%) are separate from the 80/20 structure.

For Verra credits (VCUs), additional Verra-specific fees are not included in the 20% retention and are charged afterwards separately:

1. Verra Registration Fee: USD 150 (deducted from sales)
2. Verra Annual Maintenance Fee: USD 150 per year (deducted from sales)
3. Verra Issuance Fee: USD 0.50 per tonne issued (deducted from sales)

Monetization of Emission Reduction Credits

You can choose to monetize your emission reduction credits through our platform:

1. Selling Credits: We facilitate sales on carbon marketplaces.
2. Holding Credits: You may choose to hold your credits in our system.
3. Retiring Credits: You may retire your credits for your own carbon accounting.

Project Removal and Early Termination Fees

While clients may remove projects at any time after the first quarter, the following removal fees apply to ensure the stability of the platform:

1. Project Removal Within 1 Year: If a project is removed within one year of registration, an additional 1% of the total emission reduction credits generated by the project will be charged.
2. Project Removal Within 6 Months: If a project is removed within six months of registration, an additional 2% fee based on the total emission reduction credits generated will be charged.

These removal fees are intended to discourage premature project termination and ensure our platform's long-term sustainability.

Term of Agency

If you are managing a project on behalf of the legal owner (the "Project Owner"), you are required to submit proof of permission (mandate) from the Project Owner. This document must clearly state the rights you hold over the emission reduction credits generated by the project.

1. Mandate Requirement: Failure to provide this mandate will result in the removal of the project from our platform, and you will relinquish all rights to any emission reduction credits generated.
2. Owner's Rights: We will not distribute any emission reduction credits to agents without a valid mandate from the Project Owner.

Payment Terms

Payments for monetized emission reduction credits will be made within 30 days of receiving funds from emission reduction credit buyers. You are responsible for providing accurate payment information. We are not liable for delays caused by incorrect details.

Term and Termination

Term: This Agreement is effective from the date you register on our platform and remains in force until terminated.

Termination: Either party may terminate the Agreement with 30 days' written notice. You may continue to manage existing projects until the next quarter's emission reduction credit generation is complete.

Liability

We do not guarantee the number of emission reduction credits generated, their market value, or the timing of sales. We are not liable for losses incurred due to market fluctuations, verification delays, or data inaccuracies.

Confidentiality and Data Protection

All information exchanged between you and us is confidential. We adhere to data protection laws and will not share your data with third parties without consent, except as required by law.

Amendments

We may amend these terms from time to time. Major changes will be communicated in advance, and continued use of the platform will constitute acceptance of any revised terms.