Verifier Application Requirements for Agricultural Projects

This article is for anyone interested in learning about requirements to participate in the Nori marketplace as a verifier for carbon removal through agricultural projects. For more details, please view recorded webinars. If you missed one of these webinars, the video recordings are available on our YouTube channel here.

Eligibility Overview

Nori verifiers will be independent fiduciaries with special qualifications, as required, to assess the reliability, reasonableness, and replicability of the data and evidence that will be provided by project owners and employed by baseline generators to quantify Carbon Removal claims. Initially, Nori will grandfather verifiers who are approved and in good standing in existing US CO2 offset registries, e.g. Climate Action Reserve, American Carbon Registry, and Verra. Nori will publish guidance to enable new verifiers to register in the Nori marketplace in the near future.

Here is a list of qualifications that one will need in order to become a verifier in the Nori marketplace.

Eligible verifiers in the marketplace must:

• Be accredited and in good-standing with ISO
• Have sufficient proof of identity
• Be in a position of fiduciary duty
• Have E&O (Errors & Omissions) insurance if an individual contractor
• Provide a minimum of two references if a new individual contractor
• Have technical expertise in agronomy
• Have experience in farm economy
• Provide one additional contact (secondary contact)

Requirements to maintain status as a verifier in Nori marketplace:

• Maintain active status in the marketplace. A verifier loses active status if more than three years has pass since the last completion of the last project verification by the primary owner of the verification account.
• Maintain integrity when completing verification reports. If the verifier is found to have willfully misrepresented the verification information, or if the verifier is found to have colluded with buyer, supplier, broker, or any other party to misrepresent or falsify the information submitted in project listing, then the verifier then will be blacklisted from the marketplace.

Application Process

There are two paths to become a verifier of Nori projects. The first is a fast-track path that will allow verifiers who are already accredited by markets and registries (such as Verra, American Carbon Registry, and Climate Action Reserve) to be “grandfathered” into the marketplace. These grandfathered verifiers can follow the “Fast-track” application process. However, new verifiers who are not already accredited in existing offset markets can apply via the “New verifier application” process.

Fast-track application process for existing verifiers (grandfathering)

Eligible verifiers in the marketplace must provide:

1. Proof of identity: a photocopy of a valid driver’s license, passport, or government issued ID.
2. Proof of verification accreditation:

• Name of markets accredited to act as verifier within.
• Proof that they’re an acting verifier in at least one of those markets by providing a signed verification report dated within 3 years of application to Nori marketplace.

3. Provide information for a primary and secondary contact:

• Name, email address, telephone number, address
• Proof of identity: provide a copy of a valid driver’s license, passport, or government issued ID

Additionally, verifiers will need to sign attestations of the following:

• They are in a position of fiduciary duty
• They have E&O insurance if individual contractor
• They have technical expertise in agronomy
• They have experience in farm economy

Application process for new verifiers

1. Proof of identity: provide a notarized photocopy of a valid driver’s license, passport, or government issued ID.
2. Fiduciary role acknowledgement: Submit additional form signed that serves as acknowledgement to accept role of trust and confidence when verifying Nori projects.
3. Provide contact information for a primary and secondary contact:

• Name, email address, telephone number, address
• Proof of identity: provide a copy of a valid driver’s license, passport, or government issued ID

Restriction: Only unique pairs of primary and secondary contacts can exist for any one verifying account. Example: If Sam is the primary name on a verifier account, and Avery is a secondary contact for Sam, then Avery cannot have Sam as a secondary on Avery’s own separate account as a verifier. Avery will need to provide an alternative secondary contact.

4. Provide a minimum of 2 references that can speak to items 5 & 6 below:

• Name, email address, telephone number, address

5. Proof of technical expertise in agronomy: C.V. or resume with working experience or degree in agronomy

6. Have experience in farm economy: C.V. or resume with working experience or degree in agronomy

Additionally, verifiers will need to attest the following:

• Have E&O insurance if individual contractor

If you are interested in becoming a verifier

The application process is not yet live on our website, but we have begun speaking with interested parties. Please fill out this form and we will be in touch.

Feedback welcome

This article reflects Nori’s current thinking. We are committed to transparency and to incorporating the feedback of potential stakeholders in the development of our marketplace.

Please feel free to leave a comment on this post for short commentary, or send more detailed comments and questions to feedback@nori.com with the subject “Verifier Application Requirements” and a link to this post.