Discontinuation Policy
Methodology banning and discontinuation policy — when and how methodologies are retired.
When is a methodology discontinued?
A dMRV methodology may be discontinued when it no longer serves its intended purpose or when continued operation would compromise the integrity of the Carrot Network. Discontinuation criteria include:
- Scientific invalidity — The methodology's scientific basis has been disproven or superseded by new research.
- Regulatory change — Changes in environmental regulation make the methodology's verification approach non-compliant.
- Superseded — A newer methodology covers the same scope with improved accuracy or efficiency.
- Inactivity — The methodology has had no active submissions for an extended period, indicating it is no longer relevant to the market.
- Governance decision — The Community of Experts or the Carrot Foundation determines that discontinuation is in the network's best interest.
Discontinuation process
Discontinuation follows a three-phase transition:
Phase 1: Communication & notice
The Carrot Foundation publishes the decision with advance notice, notifying all active participants, MvF author, MvA developer, and credit buyers. The notice includes: technical justification, transition timeline, guidance for active operations, and replacement methodology (when one exists). Typical notice period: 90–180 days.
Phase 2: Restricted operation
The methodology continues operating for MassIDs that started processing before the notice date, but no new MassIDs can be created under the methodology. Validation rules and calculations remain active for in-transit MassIDs, preserving credit integrity.
Phase 3: Archive
The methodology is formally deactivated. No new events are accepted. The MvF, MvA, artifacts, and complete history are archived with a "discontinued" status. Credits issued before discontinuation remain valid and tradeable.
Impact on existing credits
Credits and Certificates issued before discontinuation remain valid and tradeable. Discontinuation is forward-looking — it prevents new verifications but does not retroactively affect previously verified claims.
The audit trail for all past verifications remains accessible through the Carrot Explorer and on the blockchain.
Governance
Discontinuation decisions are made by the Carrot Foundation with input from the Community of Experts. As the ecosystem matures, the Foundation will progressively expand community participation in discontinuation decisions.
Banning
Banning is an exceptional measure reserved for situations of immediate or severe integrity risk. It can be executed without a transition period.
Banning triggers
- Fraud or deliberate manipulation of data, evidence, or parameters.
- Structural MvF/MvA failures resulting in credit issuance without valid technical basis, uncorrectable by versioning.
- Judicial or regulatory orders preventing continued operation.
Banning process
- Immediate suspension — No new events and no new issuances.
- Preventive credit blocking — Credits are blocked for analysis.
- Immediate notification — All participants, buyers, registries, and VVBs are notified.
- Investigation — The impact scope is determined.
- Public report — Findings, justification, and measures are published.
Impact on issued credits
| Outcome | When it applies |
|---|---|
| Confirmation | The fault did not affect previously issued credits |
| Revision & adjustment | The fault partially impacted results — recalculation where affected |
| Revocation | Credits based on compromised data or logic — invalidated |
When applicable, the review is conducted with independent auditors.
Learn about the versioning policy · Learn about the methodology lifecycle