On 30 July 2024 CivTech, the Scottish
government
funded innovation programme, announced a new Challenge focused on improving the voluntary
carbon
market schemes of the Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code. Challenge 10.6 invites external bodies to find more effective and efficient ways to use technologies to administer, measure and predict the performance of carbon in Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code projects.
The Challenge notes current difficulties with developing, verifying and securing auditable carbon credits.
Carbon monitoring
and auditing is often administratively burdensome, resource intensive, costly and demanding of specialist skillsets. This Challenge hopes to lead to robust, efficient, user-friendly and scalable mechanisms for carbon
monitoring
and
verification
within the Peatland and Woodland Carbon Code. The success of the Challenge will be measured by greater efficiency and functionality in
carbon markets
(particularly in how emission reductions and carbon sequestration are predicted and monitored) and reduced financial burdens on users.
Currently, CivTech are working with organisations to create on a range of technology solutions to this Challenge. These include developing web-based tools for onboarding new carbon projects, creating a
geospatial
database
to provide easier access to data held in spreadsheets, improved
remote sensing
technologies for monitoring and verification of carbon projects, and improved technology systems for validators and registries.
This Challenge suggests the growing interest in using carbon markets to meet net-zero targets, and demonstrates how smart forest worlds entwine private, public and third sectors, potentially shifting environmental
governance
towards technology companies.