Last modified: October 7, 2025
What are the terms of the Guaranteed Assurance program for California SB 253?
Watershed’s Guaranteed Assurance program is designed to give companies reporting to SB 253 peace of mind as they navigate assurance.
The Guaranteed Assurance program is available to companies that (1) use Watershed to prepare carbon disclosures for California’s SB 253, (2) use our standard methodologies to measure their emissions, and (3) purchase our Verification Support package.
When you join the program, a Watershed expert will work hand-in-hand with you and your auditor through the assurance process – answering auditor questions, tracing back to raw data, explaining methodologies. We commit that we will work with you until you pass assurance.
To underscore that commitment: if you enroll in the program and don’t pass assurance within 9 months after verification begins, Watershed will waive the fee for the next year of your Watershed subscription – up to $250,000, covering the software modules and services you’d previously purchased. We’ve never had a customer fail an audit, and we want to give you complete confidence as you navigate California’s assurance requirements.
This applies to (1) assurance required by SB 253 – initially, limited assurance of Scope 1-2 emissions; Scope 3 and reasonable assurance as requirements phase in, (2) greenhouse gas inventories that use Watershed’s standard methodologies and emissions factors. The guarantee does not apply if you fail assurance because you uploaded inaccurate or incomplete data, or if you decline to respond to requests for more information or correction through the assurance process.
When you join the program, detailed terms will be included in your Order Form.
Reach out if you’d like to join the program or chat with an expert about navigating assurance.