Trust & Verification Definitions

Veritybase is built to provide complete transparency and eliminate greenwashing in corporate sustainability procurement. Every match presents two clear signals: a Match Score and a Trust Tier Badge.

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1. Match Score vs. Trust Tier

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                          Solution Match Card                           │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Carbonfact Supply Chain Scope 3 Accounting                            │
│  Match Score: 88 / 100               Badge: [ Verified - High ]        │
│                                                                        │
│  Semantic Alignment: 92%             Audit Date: 2026-05-30            │
│  Trust Score: 0.95 (Audited ISO)     Evidence: ISAE 3410 Third-Party  │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

• Match Score (0 - 100): A composite score measuring how closely a provider's capabilities match your specific query or report gap.
• Trust Tier: A governance classification indicating the level of independent evidence verifying the provider's claims.

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2. Trust Tier Definitions

Veritybase categorizes provider solutions into four distinct trust tiers:

🟢 Verified - High Trust (Score: 0.80 - 1.00)

• Criteria: Claims backed by independent third-party audits, certified ISO 14064 GHG accounting, or ISAE 3000 / ISAE 3410 assurance reports.
• Audit Value: Directly usable for CSRD, SEC, and GRI 305 corporate reporting without additional verification.

🔵 Verified - Medium Trust (Score: 0.50 - 0.79)

• Criteria: Supported by primary evidence documents, methodology whitepapers, or verified primary activity data.
• Audit Value: High-quality data suitable for internal ESG tracking and preliminary disclosures.

🟡 Verified - Low Trust (Score: 0.10 - 0.49)

• Criteria: Owner-attested claims backed by initial company documentation or self-reported metrics undergoing review.
• Audit Value: Suitable for early market analysis and vendor screening.

⚪ Unverified (Score: 0.00)

• Criteria: Listing entry in our growing catalog that has not yet completed formal evidence verification.
• Search Behavior: Surfaced during exploratory Ask Search with a clear Unverified badge so buyers can discover options quickly. Excluded from strict Report Audit matches.

❌ Untrusted / Rejected (Score: < 0.00)

• Criteria: Entities with misleading, fraudulent, or failed audit claims.
• Search Behavior: Filtered out and excluded from all search routes across the platform.

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3. Effective Rank & Anti-Greenwashing Rules

To ensure providers cannot inflate their trust tier without supporting evidence, Veritybase enforces Effective Rank:

$$\text{Effective Rank} = \min\Big(\text{Rank}(\text{Claimed Label}),; \text{Rank}(\text{Verification Score})\Big)$$

If a provider claims a High trust label but has a verification score of 0.0, the system automatically clamps their effective rank to Unverified. Overstated or unverifiable claims can never bypass evidence requirements.

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4. Summary Table

Trust Tier Badge	Verification Score	Primary Evidence Required	Ask Search	Report Audit
Verified - High	0.80 - 1.00	Third-party audit (ISO 14064 / ISAE 3410)	✅ Surfaced	✅ Surfaced
Verified - Medium	0.50 - 0.79	Verified primary evidence & methodology	✅ Surfaced	✅ Surfaced
Verified - Low	0.10 - 0.49	Owner-attested claim + documentation	✅ Surfaced	✅ Surfaced
Unverified	0.00	Unverified catalog listing	✅ Badged	❌ Excluded
Untrusted	< 0.00	Failed audit / misleading claims	❌ Excluded	❌ Excluded