Space intelligence brings rigor to forest-based carbon credits

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🗞️ Driving the news: UK-based Space Intelligence is transforming the credibility of forest-based carbon credits by using satellite data and AI to verify carbon sequestration
• Co-founded by Professor Ed Mitchard and Dr Murray Collins, the company recently raised $7 million and secured a deal with Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) to supply deforestation compliance data
• Their work supports buyers, registries, and financial markets in evaluating carbon projects with greater accuracy and trust

🔭 The context: Legacy methods for verifying forest carbon credits are costly and inconsistent, contributing to market scepticism
• Space Intelligence leverages publicly available satellite data with advanced algorithms to remotely monitor carbon storage and validate credit quality
• The company has delivered baseline assessments for countries like Tanzania, Kenya, Indonesia, and Argentina, and now supports compliance with upcoming EU deforestation rules.

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Forested ecosystems are vital carbon sinks, and preserving them is key to global climate goals
Accurate, transparent valuation of forest-based carbon credits can drive more effective conservation financing and combat deforestation
By improving data integrity, Space Intelligence helps scale high-integrity nature-based solutions

⏭️ What's next: With the EU’s deforestation regulation (EUDR) set to take effect within a year, Space Intelligence’s data will help ICE position its systems for soft commodity compliance
• Demand for their services is also growing among carbon buyers and registries seeking rigorous monitoring tools
• As forest credits regain trust, market expansion is likely

💬 One quote: “Convincing financial markets of the value of carbon credits could protect forested ecosystems,” - Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, founder of the Climate Tech Venture Review

📈 One stat: Tropical forests store over 50% of the world’s above-ground carbon, making them critical to balancing the global carbon cycle

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