Methodology Ecosystem

Systemic view

The methodology ecosystem transforms scientific standards into automated, auditable verification. Each stage has defined roles, inputs, and outputs:

Methodology (scientific basis) → MvF (verification specification) → MvA (software implementation) → Orchestration (automated evaluation) → Certificates (verified outcomes) → Credits (tokenized impact)

This pipeline converts raw supply chain data — collected by Network Integrators through MassIDs — into verified, tradeable environmental impact credits.

Standards and methodologies

A standard governs the creation and management of methodologies and credit issuance. Under each standard there are N methodologies; governance sits at the standard level.

• Where no established global standard exists (e.g. recycling credits), Carrot assumes the standards role through the Carrot dMRV Standard.
• For domains with established standards (e.g. carbon — UNFCCC AMS-III.F), Carrot provides the public credit registry and dMRV infrastructure while the methodology references the external standard.

Methodology objects

Who can create a dMRV methodology

Methodology proponents can be individuals, organizations, or research institutions with domain expertise in the target environmental claim. Creating a dMRV methodology requires:

• Domain expertise — Deep understanding of the environmental science and measurement approaches
• Scientific basis — Grounding in established international standards (e.g., UNFCCC CDM methodologies, IPCC guidelines)
• Alignment with the Carrot dMRV Standard — All methodologies must meet the Standard's requirements for traceability, additionality, and transparency

Proponent qualifications

Proponents must demonstrate credentials appropriate to the type of contribution:

• Domain expertise — Scientific publications, environmental certifications, or demonstrated experience with methodologies in the target domain
• Technical capacity — For MvF proposals: ability to structure verification frameworks with testable rules, traceability matrices, and evidence policies. For MvA proposals: software engineering capability in the platform's technology stack
• Institutional standing — Clean track record with no unresolved non-conformities, conflicts of interest, or regulatory restrictions

These requirements serve as an integrity barrier — ensuring that methodology quality starts at the proponent level.

The preferred entry mechanism is through Requests for Proposals (RFP). For practical guidance on how to participate, see the RFP Participation Guide.

The proposal process follows the methodology lifecycle: proposal, community validation, development, and production deployment.

Integration and data inputs

Network Integrators are the bridge between real-world supply chain activities and the digital verification system:

1. Network Integrators collect supply chain data and submit MassID documents via the Carrot API.
2. The MvA evaluates each document against the methodology framework's (MvF) rules.
3. When MassIDs pass methodology verification, Certificates are generated.
4. Credits are minted from Certificates and rewards are distributed to participants.

See the API documentation for integration details.

Community of Experts

The Community of Experts provides governance and scientific oversight for the methodology ecosystem. It operates within the broader progressive community participation framework, applying the same three phases specifically to methodology governance:

1. Engagement — Open participation in methodology discussions, feedback, and proposals. Any domain expert can contribute.
2. Consultative — Expert review panels evaluate new methodology proposals and framework revisions for scientific rigor and practical feasibility.
3. Deliberative — Binding governance decisions on methodology approval, scope adjustments, and collision resolution.

The Community of Experts' role evolves as the ecosystem matures, with the Carrot Foundation progressively expanding community participation in governance decisions.

Platform intelligence layers

The platform includes two intelligence layers that support verification and ecosystem evolution (distinct from the Community of Experts governance body):

• Carrot Analytic Engine (CaE) — The evaluation layer of the verification stack. The CaE can analyze MvA outputs, detect anomalies, inconsistencies, and suspicious patterns across data and verification results. When the CaE flags irregularities, the platform can pause credit issuance, trigger human review, or recommend methodology and rule revisions. The CaE enhances audit quality but does not certify credits.
• Carrot Agentic Advisor (CaA) — The advisory layer of the verification stack. The CaA can learn from verification outcomes and feedback to identify opportunities for improvement, process optimization, and methodology evolution. It can recommend parameter adjustments, methodology updates, and quality improvements to authors, developers, and validation bodies. The CaA functions as an intelligence advisor, not an authority.

These layers do not replace methodology rules or governance; they signal and support decisions, and their outputs can feed into the digital evidence package when relevant.

Integrity and anti-fraud

The ecosystem includes multiple layers of protection against double counting and fraud:

• Collision detection — Scope registration and community review prevent overlapping methodologies from being deployed. See the Colliding Methodologies policy.
• Uniqueness rules — Runtime rules like waste-mass-is-unique and no-conflicting-certificate-or-credit prevent the same waste mass from being verified or credited twice.
• Audit trails — Every verification result is recorded immutably with the exact data that was evaluated, making the system independently auditable.

Interoperability

Methodologies in the Carrot ecosystem are designed to share infrastructure:

• Common document format — All methodologies use MassIDs for supply chain data, enabling consistent validation patterns.
• Shared rule libraries — Rule processors for common verifications (actor identification, weighing, geolocation) are implemented once and reused across all methodologies.
• Extendable architecture — New methodologies can build on existing rules while adding domain-specific logic (e.g., emissions calculation for BOLD Carbon (CH₄)).

Learn about the Carrot dMRV Standard · Learn about the methodology lifecycle