Embracing the Future: Carbon Project Development with Digital MRV

Published on

28 Aug

2023

Carbon

Peter Moulton

Wondering how MRV (Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) platforms and technologies like Sensand's are shaking things up in the carbon market?

Firstly, we're focused on bridging the gaps in project operations, helping to make day-to-day project management easier. How? By uniting and leveraging high-quality remote sensing and on-the-ground truthing. We aim to ultimately increase quality project data output, enhance reporting ease and empower users to share data transparently with the market.

Sensand’s ecosystem provides data visibility and an ability to verify a carbon project's integrity and additionality. Our goal is to streamline the collection and interaction between all data points obtained in a carbon project and the accompanying supporting materials. These advancements in MRV technology are transforming the way we approach carbon credit integrity and management.

The raw power of data provability will turbocharge the popularity and adoption of Digital MRV. Because let's face it - credit buyers will want rock-solid proof that what they bought is real and makes a genuine, positive impact on our environment. In the long run, this push for superior data quality will set new industry benchmarks.

Soon, buyers will be able to perform desktop project-level due diligence to mitigate risks with access to remote sensing and visual representations of sequestration and abatement data. When combined with ground truthing it makes preliminary due diligence accessible at a lower cost for everyone, slashing the chances of well-intentioned buyers falling prey to fraud.

MRV tech to date has focused on increasing efficiencies in carbon project processes. However, this often led to a leapfrog approach - introducing remote sensing tech that entirely sidesteps on-the-ground data collection. Sensand’s combined approach using Digital MRV is particularly enticing because it creates efficiencies and works towards eventually scaling down the need for as many time-consuming, costly, and logistically challenging physical site visits.

However, let's not get ahead of ourselves! The truth is that manual, boots-on-the-ground data collection is indispensable for maintaining project integrity and accurately quantifying the abatement activities of the project. The goal is seamlessly blending remote sensing with on-the-ground data collection into MRV processes. We're not looking to replace but rather enhance traditional methods with technology. We need to capture high-resolution data, identify changes or anomalies, and provide a comprehensive project overview from start to finish.

We often overlook the imagery we use daily, like Google Maps. It's remarkable to consider how frequently we open it and how it empowers ordinary people to leverage remote-sensing data. Like mapping software, DMRV can be easily visually interpretable, especially in the context of forestry projects. This technology translates into the ability to detect changes and track reforestation, deforestation, and more over time and can be easily visualised through datasets like change models like forestry loss.

There are also many benefits for emerging agriculture-based projects. Similar remote-sensing technology can be utilised to support ground-truthing activities. The maintenance of digital records can reduce headaches and enhance the reporting process for quantifying abatement activities against business as usual.

The movement towards operationalising remote-sensing-based analysis calls for a coordinated dance between registries, auditors, technology companies, carbon service providers, project proponents and verifying bodies. Together, they’ll need to tweak methodologies, standards, and protocols to integrate this technology and ensure the carbon market's credibility and transparency are enhanced.

And the good news? This shift is already happening! For example, take a look at methodologies like Verra's VM0042, Methodology for Improved Agricultural Land Management. Digital MRV presents a unique chance to unite and serve both sides of the market, investing to enhance carbon project development a worthwhile endeavour.

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