{"id":588052,"date":"2023-05-02T05:18:20","date_gmt":"2023-05-02T12:18:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=wherenext&p=588052"},"modified":"2024-05-13T03:37:26","modified_gmt":"2024-05-13T10:37:26","slug":"gis-and-carbon-offsets","status":"publish","type":"wherenext","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/publications\/wherenext\/gis-and-carbon-offsets","title":{"rendered":"With Carbon Offsets under Scrutiny, Some Tap Tech for Verification"},"author":501,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","castos_file_data":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[],"tags":[471031,382132,281,471021,12662],"department":[488822],"wherenext-category":[],"industry":[],"class_list":["post-588052","wherenext","type-wherenext","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tag-carbon-offsets","tag-decarbonization","tag-location-intelligence","tag-net-zero","tag-remote-sensing","department-sustainability-risk"],"acf":{"short_description":"Confirming that carbon offsets achieve what their sellers promise has been a tricky endeavor. New forms of location data are changing that.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"As business leaders work to reach net-zero status, some are taking a closer look at one popular tool.\r\n\r\nCarbon offsets have been bought and sold for decades. Each is meant to represent one ton of carbon dioxide that will not be released into the atmosphere. But the voluntary market for these credits has come under scrutiny<\/a> for what some say are inconsistent standards and a lack of transparency. No business wants to learn that it bought credits for a project that didn\u2019t exist\u2014or does more harm than good for the climate."},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Left","content":"Article snapshot:<\/strong> As industry watchers push for more rigor in the market for voluntary carbon offsets, location data gains ground.","snippet":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"To prevent such outcomes, the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market recently released standards for carbon credit issuers<\/a>, The<\/em> Wall Street Journal<\/em> reported. The guidelines would require issuers to make credit information transparent and traceable. The council also encourages the hiring of third-party auditors to sign off on emissions claims. Carbon issuers that comply would earn a Core Carbon Principles badge to verify their efforts.\r\n\r\nReputable firms are already doing much of this, with the help of a brand of business insight known as location intelligence<\/a>.\r\n

Revealing Areas Rich with Carbon <\/strong><\/h3>\r\nCarbon offset projects span a variety of activities. Some involve protecting forests<\/a>, planting trees, building renewable energy capacity, or sequestering methane emissions. The one constant is the need for location-based insights to understand where projects should be sited and to track their progress. For some leading companies, smart maps generated by geographic information system (GIS) technology<\/a> guide much of this work."},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Right","content":"Learn how one company puts these principles into practice<\/a>.","snippet":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"Take deforestation. A first step for a carbon offset issuer might be to pinpoint forests rich in carbon and biodiversity that are at risk of being torn down. To do so, GIS analysts examine satellite imagery, global databases, and on-the-ground measurements that reveal land use, soil types, and other indicators of ecosystem health. Imagery might show nearby roads and economic activity that indicate an area is in danger of clear-cutting.\r\n\r\nNext, location analysts can review historical land-use patterns to gauge the carbon likely to be released if the area were razed. Finally, when a third party has deemed it a valid project that will avoid carbon emissions, the issuer must make sure it stays that way\u2014often for decades. With eyes in the sky and boots on the ground, companies have the location intelligence needed to ensure that the land hasn\u2019t suffered from a fire, an insect infestation, or illegal cutting and encroachment."},{"acf_fc_layout":"quote","image":588022,"text":"Near real-time imagery and location-based data collected on the ground can alert carbon credit issuers and holders to early threats.","author_name":"","author_profession_organization":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Seeing More Than We Ever Have<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nFarming, drilling, building, maneuvering troops\u2014there\u2019s very little activity on Earth\u2019s surface that is truly anonymous these days. Growing numbers of satellites, drones, and sensors have ushered in a new age of visibility. Trusted carbon credit issuers are seizing on that visibility to confirm the value of carbon-offsetting projects. The same data can be used to show investors, board members, and the public that carbon-reduction projects are working.\r\n\r\nAs consumers and industry watchers call for transparency into corporate sustainability goals<\/a>, they\u2019re looking for more than passing references in sustainability reports. Maps can help verify projects and build trust that carbon offset work is having the impact its supporters claim."}],"references":null},"yoast_head":"\nCarbon Offsets Come In for Scrutiny as Data Availability Grows<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As net-zero targets gain momentum, carbon offsets come under the microscope, and location data gains ground.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/publications\/wherenext\/gis-and-carbon-offsets\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"With Carbon Offsets under Scrutiny, Some Tap Tech for Verification\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As net-zero targets gain momentum, carbon offsets come under the microscope, and location data gains ground.\" 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