Governance · Compliance · Integrity

Regulatory & Governance

The Carbon Index Protocol is built on a principle that carbon markets must be verifiable, or they are theater. This page documents the governance framework, integrity policies, regulatory posture, and legal disclaimers that guide every decision we make.

Governance principles

Integrity-first indexing

Every constituent in C100 / C500 is scored on measurable integrity signals. No issuer pays for inclusion, and no third party can purchase a rank uplift.

Independence from constituents

CIP does not accept fees, sponsorships, or in-kind contributions from index constituents in exchange for coverage, weighting, or visibility.

Public methodology

Scoring pillars, weights, universe rules, and rebalancing cadence are documented publicly at /methodology and versioned in the append-only Vault.

Change control

Material methodology changes are published as redlines at least 30 days before taking effect. Emergency removals (delisting, fraud, severe controversy) are logged with a rationale within 24 hours.

Data provenance

All input data sources are enumerated at /partners and /data-sources. Automated ingestion pipelines are audited quarterly; overrides require dual signoff.

Conflict of interest

Contributors and administrators disclose material holdings in constituents. No individual with a disclosed conflict may unilaterally alter a score, weight, or membership decision.

Oversight & change control

A three-tier committee structure governs the protocol: an Index Committee approves constituent-level changes, a Methodology Committee approves pillar and weight changes, and a Governance & Ethics Committee oversees conflicts of interest, contributor conduct, and material disputes.

All methodology changes are published as redlines at least 30 days before taking effect. Every score change, methodology revision, and constituent addition or removal is logged in the append-only Vault with a machine-readable timestamp and rationale.

Complaints, error reports, and appeals may be submitted to governance@c100.w3ai.io. Substantive appeals are reviewed within 10 business days and outcomes are logged publicly.

Regulatory alignment

CIP is designed to be interoperable with — but not certified by — the leading global frameworks for benchmarks, carbon-credit integrity, and corporate climate disclosure. The following statements describe our alignment posture, not certification claims.

IOSCO Principles for Financial Benchmarks

CIP methodology is designed to align with the IOSCO Principles governance, quality, and accountability pillars. CIP is not currently a registered benchmark administrator in any jurisdiction and does not hold itself out as one.

EU Benchmarks Regulation (BMR)

The C100 and C500 are not authorised EU BMR benchmarks. They are informational indices intended for research, analysis, and reporting — not for use in regulated financial instruments without independent verification.

ICVCM Core Carbon Principles

CIP uses ICVCM CCP labels as one signal in its Credit Quality Exposure pillar. CIP is not affiliated with ICVCM and does not certify credits under the CCP framework.

VCMI Claims Code of Practice

Corporate use-of-credit claims are scored against the VCMI Claims Code as part of ESG & Climate Compliance. CIP does not issue VCMI validations.

SBTi, CDP, ISSB / TCFD

Publicly available SBTi validations, CDP scores, and ISSB / TCFD disclosures are ingested and normalised. CIP is not a validator, verifier, or standard-setter.

CFTC voluntary carbon derivatives guidance

CIP's positioning of retirements as utility events (not investment products) is informed by CFTC guidance on VCM-linked derivatives.

Integrity policies

Pay-for-inclusion prohibited

No issuer, sponsor, or third party may purchase inclusion, a weight uplift, or preferential coverage. Violations are grounds for immediate removal and public disclosure.

Greenwashing detection

An automated AI pipeline flags claims that conflict with registry activity, MRV data, or regulatory findings. Flagged claims reduce the Sentiment Integrity pillar and trigger analyst review.

Data corrections

Material data errors are corrected within 48 hours of verification and re-published to the Vault with an errata note. Immaterial errors are batched into the weekly refresh.

Whistleblower protection

Reports of manipulation, conflicts of interest, or governance breaches may be submitted anonymously. Retaliation against a reporter — internal or external — is prohibited.

Legal disclaimers

  • The Carbon Index Protocol, the C100, the C500, and CIP scores are informational tools. They do not constitute investment advice, an offer or solicitation to buy or sell securities or carbon credits, or a recommendation of any issuer.
  • CIP is not a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, benchmark administrator, credit rating agency, ESG rating provider, verifier, or auditor in any jurisdiction.
  • Nothing on this site constitutes legal, tax, accounting, financial, or regulatory advice. Users are solely responsible for their own compliance obligations.
  • Past performance of any index, constituent, or score is not indicative of future results. Data may contain errors, omissions, or delays.
  • $CUT is a utility token used within the Carbon Index Protocol. It is not offered or sold as a security in any jurisdiction where such offer or sale would be unlawful. Availability may be restricted based on user location.

See also our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Contact

Governance & appeals: governance@c100.w3ai.io
Data corrections: data@c100.w3ai.io
Media & licensing: index@c100.w3ai.io