Permanence
Permanence refers to the long-term durability of a carbon removal or storage, ensuring that captured carbon remains sequestered and is not re-released to the atmosphere.
What is Permanence?
Permanence is a critical quality criterion for carbon credits, particularly for nature-based solutions. A tonne of CO₂ stored in a forest is only a genuine offset if that forest remains standing. If the trees are later burned, logged, or destroyed by disease, the stored carbon is released and the offset is reversed.
Different carbon removal approaches offer different permanence profiles. Geological storage (CCS) offers near-permanent storage (thousands of years). Biochar is stable for hundreds of years. Afforestation and reforestation face reversal risks from fire, disease, and land-use change. Soil carbon can be reversed through changes in farming practice.
To address permanence risk, carbon credit standards require buffer pools (a percentage of credits are set aside as insurance), monitoring and verification for defined periods, and project insurance. The ICVCM’s Core Carbon Principles include durability requirements. Buyers should consider permanence risk when selecting credits and may prefer higher-permanence options for net zero claims.
Practical Examples
A forest carbon project sets aside 20% of issued credits in a buffer pool to cover potential reversal from fire or disease, reducing the available credits but improving permanence assurance.
A company purchasing biochar credits values the 100+ year storage duration compared to a reforestation project where reversal risk is higher.
A technology company invests in direct air capture with geological storage, achieving near-permanent carbon removal at a higher cost per tonne.
How Climatise Helps
Climatise helps organisations understand the permanence characteristics of different carbon credit types when selecting offsets, supporting informed procurement of high-quality credits for residual emissions.
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