Overview of Rainbow
Standard scope
Rainbow supports projects globally that remove, reduce, or avoid greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Standard issues both avoidance and removal carbon credits.
Technologies eligible under a recognized methodology are automatically eligible under the Rainbow Standard. Each Rainbow methodology specifies the applicable technologies and outlines any high-level eligibility criteria for projects. All currently available methodologies are detailed in the Methodologies section.
Compliance with a methodology is determined on a per-project basis. Every project seeking certification under the Rainbow Standard shall be evaluated individually and independently audited against the Standard’s Principles and requirements, and those of the relevant methodology. All projects must be certified with a Rainbow Methodology.
Project activities must avoid locking in harmful technologies and must align with the host country’s national climate goals and net-zero commitments.
All Rainbow Carbon Credits are issued ex post, after the verification process.
Two types of RCCs are issued by Rainbow: removal RCCs and avoidance RCCs. Both types are measured by calculating the difference in GHG emissions and removals of the project scenario compared to the baseline scenario, following the approach outlined in ISO 14064-2:2019. See details in the GHG Reduction Quantification section.
Removal Rainbow Carbon Credits come from projects that physically remove carbon (present in short-lifetime biomass or in the atmosphere) and convert it into a long-term chemical or biological stable compound (i.e. high resistance to degradation process when placed in the environment).
Removal RCCs represent one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent captured and stored: 1 removal RCC = 1 .
Avoidance Rainbow Carbon Credits represent avoided GHGs that would have been emitted without the project’s intervention. They substitute products or services with lower-emitting alternatives. Avoidance RCCs represent one avoided tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent: 1 avoidance RCC = 1 .
Organization
Presentation of Rainbow
Rainbow is the registered trademark of the carbon crediting standard and platform operated by the French company Riverse SAS (SIREN: 908 082 332), headquartered at 28 Avenue des Pépinières, 94260 Fresnes, France. Throughout this documentation, “Rainbow” refers to the programs, platforms, and operations developed and managed by Riverse SAS under this trademark.
As a mission-driven company (“société à mission”), Rainbow is committed to creating measurable environmental and social impact through its activities, conducted with professionalism and in the collective interest.
Rainbow’s mission is to:
Quantify, verify, and guarantee the quality of avoided or removed CO₂ emissions through robust methodologies and processes aligned with international best practices;
Maximize the financial benefit delivered to project developers by ensuring a fair distribution of value from carbon credit sales;
Build a diverse and inclusive team, fostering equality of opportunity and representation to enable a fair, respectful, and innovative work environment.
This mission underpins all aspects of Rainbow’s certification, governance, and platform operations.
Standard and tech platform
Rainbow operates two interlinked components:
Rainbow Standard: A carbon crediting program focused on engineered carbon avoidance and removal projects. The Standard sets transparent, science-based requirements to ensure the environmental integrity of each Rainbow Carbon Credit (RCC).
Rainbow Technology Platform: The infrastructure that supports the implementation of the Standard, consisting of:
Rainbow Registry: A public ledger that ensures traceability and transparency of Rainbow Carbon Credits from issuance to retirement, preventing double counting and aligning with integrity standards.
Certification Platform: A digital interface that streamlines the certification process by supporting project developers and validation bodies with tools for impact assessment, documentation, and audit facilitation.
Both components are managed by the Rainbow Executive Team and supported by Rainbow’s internal teams.
Overview of the Rainbow organization:
Governance and teams
Rainbow’s governance structure ensures transparency, accountability, and independence in the development and operation of the Standard.
Governing Board
The board of directors of Rainbow, responsible for fiduciary oversight and strategic direction. It ensures the organization’s long-term sustainability.
Standard Advisory Board (SAB)
An independent body in charge of validating or vetoing updates to the Standard Rules, Methodologies, and Procedures. It ensures alignment with Rainbow’s mission and scientific integrity.
Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)
A consultative body composed of independent sectoral experts. It provides technical input and guidance on specific methodological or project-related matters.
Rainbow’s work is executed by cross-functional teams with clear responsibilities:
Executive Team
Manages Rainbow’s day-to-day operations and strategic execution.
Secretariat
Compiles and synthesizes feedback and updates on standard documents, and conveys these to the Standard Advisory Board for deliberation and approval.
Climate Science Team
Develops Rainbow methodologies, GHG quantification models, and contributes to the continuous alignment of the Standard with scientific and integrity criteria.
Certification Operations Team
Manages project interactions, supports validation and verification processes, and conducts technical reviews of project documentation.
Product & Engineering Team
Develops and maintains the Rainbow Registry and Certification Platform, ensuring secure, user-friendly, and interoperable systems.
Partnerships Team
Manages ecosystem relations, stakeholder engagement, and external collaboration efforts.
See the Governance Framework section for more details.
Conflict of interest and grievance mechanisms
All participants in the Rainbow ecosystem are required to adhere to Rainbow’s Conflict of Interest Policy, which outlines how actual or potential conflicts are identified, managed, and resolved.
Key participants subject to this policy include:
Members of the Governing Board
Members of the Standard Advisory Board and Technical Advisory Committee
Rainbow team members involved in standard setting, methodology development, certification operations, or registry functions
Accredited Validation and Verification Bodies (VVBs)
Project Developers and other contractors involved in certification procedures or registry operations
Rainbow’s Complaints and Appeals Policy provides a formal mechanism for all stakeholders to raise issues, submit appeals, or report misconduct.
Rainbow Registry
The Rainbow Registry, accessible at registry.rainbowstandard.io, is a public platform that provides full transparency over the lifecycle of Rainbow Carbon Credits, including:
Project information, validation/verification reports, and impact assessments
Issuance, transfer, and retirement data for all RCCs
Unique serial numbers encoding key information (e.g., project ID, credit type, vintage, geography)
Current status of each unit (issued, verified, retired, or canceled)
The registry adheres to stringent information security and transparency standards to ensure credibility, traceability, and integrity.
More details about the registry content are provided in the Registry section of the Procedures Manual.
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