From field observation to a reviewable claim
A measurement becomes useful when another person can trace what was observed, where it came from and how it informed a reported result.
Published 29 September 2026
An illustrative field record
Imagine a team measures a mangrove plot and records the location, date, method, observer and measurements. That observation is a source record. It is not yet a carbon outcome or a credit. The team checks the record and relates it to the right project area and monitoring period.
From observation to calculation
A method may combine the plot with other field samples, spatial data and calculation rules. Each transformation should remain explainable: which observations were used, what assumptions applied and which result was reported. A reviewer needs to move both ways between the result and its sources.
Where people still decide
The project team resolves gaps and prepares the report. An independent body assesses the evidence under the relevant methodology; a programme decides whether credits may be issued. Digital records can make this work clearer, but do not replace those decisions.