In the voluntary carbon market, projects can occasionally get canceled or suspended for a variety of reasons, including regulatory issues, concerns about project integrity, or problems with independent verification.
At CNaught, we ensure that every project in your portfolio meets our rigorous integrity standards to minimize that risk. But we go a step further — with the CNaught Guarantee, you get an added layer of confidence.
If a project you bought credits from is canceled or suspended for more than a year by a registry due to a risk that our diligence failed to address.
We'll make it right by seamlessly replacing those credits with another one of our high-integrity portfolios, at no cost to you.
To date, none of the projects we've offered have triggered the Guarantee. But if it ever happens, we've got you covered.
Credits sold by CNaught and retired within six months of purchase are covered if the underlying project meets the conditions below.
Qualifying reasons may include
Other circumstances fall outside the Guarantee. It does not apply to:
For the three years following a purchase of credits for immediate retirement, we handle monitoring, notification, and replacement on your behalf.
We track registry actions on every project in your portfolio — so you don't have to monitor industry news.
If a covered cancellation or qualifying suspension occurs, we proactively reach out. No need to file any claims.
We replace the affected credits tonne-for-tonne from our Value Portfolio, at no additional cost.
No stress, no hassle — just the knowledge that your climate action remains credible and protected. You'll be notified about any cancellation or potentially relevant suspension, so monitoring industry news is on us.
All credits in CNaught's portfolios purchased for immediate retirement are covered by the CNaught Guarantee.
Different registries have different criteria for canceling or suspending projects, including reasons that call into question the value of an issued or retired carbon credit. Any cancellation or suspension for more than 12 consecutive months by a registry that was not addressed by CNaught's diligence will trigger the CNaught Guarantee.
The CNaught Guarantee will not replace credits from projects suspended by a registry for less than 12 consecutive months, projects that get bad press, projects that have their ratings changed by a third-party agency, or credits not purchased for immediate retirement.
You don't need to do anything. If a project qualifies for a replacement under the CNaught Guarantee, we will proactively notify you.
Different registries have different processes for making cancellations or suspensions public. Our goal is to learn about issues as quickly as possible and be transparent about where things stand. We strive to have the project replaced within 60 days of the triggering event.
If you see your project in the news and haven't heard from us, please reach out at support@cnaught.com. We seek to keep our customers updated on project news, whether or not the Guarantee applies.
No. CNaught offers the Guarantee as an extension of its due diligence, designed to address the risk of project cancellations and suspensions and give our customers further confidence in their purchase.
The CNaught Guarantee (“CNaught Guarantee”) is subject to the limitations, exclusions, and conditions of these Guarantee Terms.
In the event that a Listing Registry issues a Covered Cancellation, CNaught hereby agrees to:
in each case within a reasonable period of time after CNaught's discovery of such cancellation.
The CNaught Guarantee applies to all purchases of Offsets from CNaught after April 3, 2025.
All capitalized terms used but not defined in these Guarantee Terms shall have the same meanings as in CNaught's Terms of Service and/or Privacy Policy. Except as may be explicitly provided herein, nothing in these Guarantee Terms shall be construed to invalidate any part of the Terms of Service and/or Privacy Policy, which shall remain in full force and effect.
THE CNAUGHT GUARANTEE IS NOT INSURANCE. NO CUSTOMER OR THIRD PARTY IS AN INSURED OR OTHER THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARY UNDER THESE GUARANTEE TERMS OR ANY INSURANCE POLICY. TO THE EXTENT ANY PARTY DESIRES PROTECTION BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THE CNAUGHT GUARANTEE, IT MUST PURCHASE INSURANCE THAT WILL PROVIDE SUFFICIENT COVERAGE.
PLEASE REVIEW THESE GUARANTEE TERMS CAREFULLY. CUSTOMERS MUST COMPLY WITH ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS AND CONDITIONS OF THE GUARANTEE TERMS TO BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE ANY RECOVERY HEREUNDER. FAILURE TO FULLY COMPLY WILL PREVENT RECOVERY UNDER THE CNAUGHT GUARANTEE.
NO PERSON, OTHER THAN THE CUSTOMER WHO MEETS THE CONDITIONS OF THESE GUARANTEE TERMS WITH RESPECT TO THE CORRESPONDING OFFSET, HAS ANY RIGHTS UNDER THESE GUARANTEE TERMS. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES TO THESE GUARANTEE TERMS OR ANY REPRESENTATIONS MADE BY CNAUGHT REGARDING THE CNAUGHT GUARANTEE.
In addition to terms defined within the text of these Guarantee Terms, the following capitalized terms shall have the following meanings:
A “Covered Cancellation” occurs when
“Customer” has the meaning set forth in CNaught's Terms of Service.
“Listing Registry” means the third party that tracks specific carbon credits from issuance to retirement, including, but not limited to, Verra, Gold Standard, Climate Action Reserve (CAR), ACR (formerly American Carbon Registry), and Puro.Earth.
“Offset” has the meaning set forth in CNaught's Terms of Service.
“Purchase Date” means the date that payment for the covered Offsets was received by CNaught.
(1) The CNaught Guarantee is limited to a commitment by CNaught, within a reasonable time following CNaught's discovery of a Covered Cancellation, (a) to notify Customers of that Covered Cancellation; and (b) replace Offsets affected by the Covered Cancellation with Replacement Credits.
(2) The CNaught Guarantee applies only to Customers. Only a Customer who purchased Offsets subject to a Covered Cancellation can benefit from the CNaught Guarantee, and only as to the Offsets purchased from CNaught. CNaught is the sole and final arbiter of whether a party is a Customer and whether Offsets were purchased from CNaught.
(3) The CNaught Guarantee does not ensure that Replacement Credits will meet any underlying certification (e.g., Climate Label, Climate Active), even if the cancelled credits did.
(4) In exchange for the benefits provided by the CNaught Guarantee, Customer may be required to agree to CNaught's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and release and hold harmless CNaught and its officers, directors, employees, contractors and agents from any further liability or obligations with respect to the facts and circumstances of the Covered Cancellation.
(5) Other conditions apply, including Limitations and Exclusions and Eligibility Conditions, as set forth herein.
The CNaught Guarantee does not apply to any of the following:
Notification of a Covered Cancellation and replacement of affected Offsets with Replacement Offsets are the sole and exclusive remedies available to a Customer under the CNaught Guarantee. The CNaught Guarantee does not provide any monetary compensation under any circumstances.
IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO OBTAIN REPLACEMENT OFFSETS UNDER THE CNAUGHT GUARANTEE, CUSTOMERS MUST FULLY COMPLY WITH EACH OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS. FAILURE TO FULLY COMPLY MAY PREVENT RECOVERY IN CNAUGHT'S SOLE DISCRETION. THE BURDEN OF PROOF WILL BE UPON CUSTOMERS TO DEMONSTRATE COMPLIANCE:
CNaught reserves the right to modify or terminate these Guarantee Terms at any time, in its sole discretion, and without prior notice. If CNaught terminates these Guarantee Terms, CNaught will provide Customers with notice and will continue to honor existing obligations under the CNaught Guarantee prior to the effective date of termination, but no further obligations will accrue.
These Guarantee Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, excluding its conflicts of law rules, and the parties consent to exclusive jurisdiction and venue in the state and federal courts located in San Francisco, California.
For questions about these Guarantee Terms, please contact the CNaught Support Team at support@cnaught.com.