Carbon Credits 101 | # 9 How do we know the numbers are real?
Carbon Credits 101 | # 9 How do we know the numbers are real?
Carbon finance is built on more than a number on a spreadsheet.
Before a carbon credit can represent a tonne of CO₂e, a project needs a way to measure its impact, monitor it over time, report the results, and have those results independently verified.
Together, these processes are known as MRV: Measurement, Reporting, and Verification.
Strong MRV helps answer a fundamental question for carbon markets: does the credit actually represent the climate impact it claims to represent?
The specific methods vary by project. Forest projects may rely on field measurements, remote sensing, and carbon models, while other project types require different approaches. But the underlying principle is the same: credible climate claims need evidence behind them.
As more capital moves toward climate and nature solutions, the quality of that evidence matters.
This week in Carbon Credits 101, we’re looking at what happens between a project’s climate claim and a verified carbon credit.
