Reliance Hierarchy Statement

This statement establishes the hierarchy of reliance and authority among documents and materials related to the emissions avoidance project associated with the project located in Los Angeles County, California, USA (onshore)

Its purpose is to clarify which materials control interpretation in the event of inconsistency, dispute, audit, or regulatory review.

 

Order of Reliance (Highest to Lowest Authority)

When evaluating, interpreting, or relying on information about the project, the following order of authority applies:

1. Executed Legal Agreements
   Fully executed contracts, deeds, and legally binding instruments governing asset ownership, non-extraction obligations, and transaction terms.
2. Independent Validation and Assurance Reports
   Final third-party validation or assurance reports issued under recognized standards (including ISO 14064-3), within their stated scope and limitations.
3. Project Design and Technical Documentation
   Project design documents, methodology descriptions, boundary definitions, and quantified emissions avoidance calculations that form the documented basis for claims.
4. Governance and Claim-Control Materials
   Governance frameworks, claim use guidance, approved claim language, and disclosure control policies that constrain how claims may be described or used.
5. Public Website Content and Explanatory Materials
   Summaries, explanations, FAQs, media materials, and other public-facing content published on this website.

 

Interpretive Rule

If any inconsistency, ambiguity, or difference in emphasis arises between materials at different levels of this hierarchy, the higher-authority material governs.

Public summaries and explanatory content:

• Do not expand underlying claims
• Do not supersede documentation or validation
• Are provided for transparency and context only

 

What This Statement Does Not Do

This statement does not:

• Create new rights or obligations
• Modify executed agreements
• Expand project scope or claims
• Imply regulatory approval or compliance status

It simply clarifies how existing materials should be read together.

 

Why This Matters

Climate-related disclosures are often reviewed retrospectively by:

• Regulators
• Auditors
• Courts
• Institutional counterparties

 

Clear reliance hierarchy:

• Reduces interpretive disputes
• Prevents over-reliance on summaries
• Strengthens defensibility of disclosures
• Signals disciplined governance