The need for knowledge transfer and communication among stakeholders in the voluntary carbon market

The voluntary carbon market for agricultural soil carbon sequestration is accelerating at a rapid pace with over a dozen companies and marketplaces having recently announced carbon crediting programs. These programs aim to bring verified carbon credits into the market using published measurement, reporting, and verification protocols. Given the varied approaches to measuring and accounting for changes in soil carbon represented among these different protocols, there is significant uncertainty whether a credit generated in one market has any equivalency to a credit generated in another program. We see a critical need for scientists to play an active role in helping guide protocol development and to conduct relevant research. To that end, we identify important areas where confusion about protocols and their implementation hamper progress on this front, and highlight key areas for improved communication and transparency between market stakeholders and the research community.

Automated summary

The voluntary carbon market for agricultural soil carbon sequestration is growing fast, but there is uncertainty regarding the equivalency of carbon credits generated in different programs due to inconsistent protocols. Scientists have a crucial role to play in guiding protocol development and conducting relevant research.