Protocols—also known as standards or methodologies—are the rulebooks of the carbon dioxide removal (CDR) industry. They set out how carbon removal must be monitored, reported, and verified, and the requirements projects must meet in order for credits to be issued by a registry. At the core of each protocol is a simple but crucial objective: ensuring that every credit represents one tonne of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere.
At Isometric, we’ve developed protocols for 14 different carbon removal pathways, alongside 25 modules that can be applied across pathways depending on a supplier’s approach. In this article, I’ll take you inside the process of creating an Isometric CDR protocol and how protocols can and should evolve over time to reflect the latest scientific advances and techniques.
How protocols are created
Every protocol starts with the impetus to create one. Typically, this comes from demand by carbon removal suppliers developing projects in a particular pathway, or buyers seeking scientifically rigorous credits. Alongside initial demand, the pathway must also align with first principles: it must be scientifically sound, have the potential to scale, and be safe for the environment and society.
Once these conditions are met, members of Isometric’s Science Team with expertise in the relevant pathway produce an initial draft, drawing on existing scientific literature, the latest peer‑reviewed research, insights from real‑world deployments, and input from leading academic experts. This draft undergoes internal review before being shared with Isometric’s independent Science Network—which includes more than 300 researchers and practitioners with deep subject‑matter expertise—for feedback. Their input is carefully considered, and the draft is updated as needed.
Following the expert review, the protocol is published on the Isometric Registry for public consultation. For a minimum of 30 days, anyone—buyers, suppliers, scientists, and members of the public—can comment and share feedback. Every comment receives a response, and a full summary of the feedback and resulting changes is published on the Registry.
After consultation and any necessary updates, the protocol is certified on the Isometric Registry. From that point on, credits can be issued under the protocol, provided projects meet all requirements and complete validation and verification.
Why protocols evolve
Protocols are not meant to be static. To remain scientifically rigorous, they must evolve as new research emerges, technologies develop, and to take on board learnings from real-world deployments.
At Isometric, the process for updating a protocol mirrors the process for creating one: drafting, expert review, and, where material updates are made, a new round of public consultation. All versions—major and minor—are documented, archived, and publicly available on the Registry, ensuring transparency.
A good example is the evolution of our Enhanced Weathering Protocol from v1.0 to v1.1, which incorporated learnings from verifying the world’s first Enhanced Weathering credits for InPlanet. The update gave suppliers greater flexibility in taking direct measurements on the ground by accounting for the unique conditions of each project—all while maintaining the scientific rigor of the original protocol.
Protocols are the foundation of trust in carbon removal. They set clear requirements for measurement, reporting, and verification—ensuring that every credit represents real climate impact. But they cannot stand still. As science advances and technologies develop, protocols must evolve too. Scientific rigor and transparency are what enable the industry to scale responsibly and fast.
