• Despite the fact that world leaders have reached an agreement at COP26 to stop deforestation by 2030 there remain deep questions about funding and verifying progress toward this goal.
• Built on the efficient Tezos blockchain and using AI and satellite sensing, The Cambridge Centre for Carbon Credits (4C) will create a centralised market for verifiable carbon credit.
• This initiative aims to address the challenges surrounding carbon credit purchases to help advance nature-based solutions to conserve biodiversity.

New Cambridge Centre will be home to computer and conservation experts. It will create a central marketplace for carbon credits, and help support international reforestation efforts.

The Cambridge Centre for Carbon Credits (4C) – based in the Department of Computer Science and Technology, and the Conservation Research Institute – has two primary goals: to support students and researchers in the relevant areas of computer science, environmental science, and economics; and to create a decentralised marketplace where purchasers of carbon credits can confidently and directly fund trusted nature-based projects.

The Centre will build its decentralised marketplace on the energy efficient Tezos blockchain because it operates sustainably, in line with the Centre’s vision to support a sustainable future through technology. By channelling funds through market-based instruments, the goal of this marketplace is to multiply the real conservation and restoration projects based on nature.

Forests, and nature-based solutions in particular, play a crucial role in mitigating climate change’s worst effects. Public and government pressure is growing to quickly roll out an international program of Nature-Based Solutions (NbS), which will sequester many gigatons each year, and help to preserve biodiversity. Current NbS projects face serious funding challenges.

“Current accreditation systems that measure and report the value of carbon and related benefits like biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction rendered by NbS are costly, slow and inaccurate,”
Anil Madhavapeddy, Centre Director.

“These systems have undermined trust in NbS carbon credits. It is necessary to create a marketplace that allows carbon credits buyers to fund projects based on nature. And that’s the gap the Centre is aiming to fill.”
This Centre will provide support for 12 postdoctoral fellows and PhD students, as well as investment in the development of a trusted NbS market that is scalable and trustworthy. Research funded by the Centre will be from Zoology and Computer Science and Technology departments, and the Centre for Doctoral Training in Artificial Intelligence for Environment Risk.

David Coomes (Director of University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute), said:

“Conservation strategies are increasingly broadening to include large datasets, remote sensing technologies and computational approaches. The Centre for Carbon Credits is a ground-breaking initiative that will bring together computer scientists and conservation scientists in a new way.”
Andrew Balmford (Professor of Zoology) said:

“The recent announcement at COP26 of the new commitment to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030 demonstrates the crucial role forests play in carbon capture and the health of our planet. The new Centre has a significant role to play in supporting crucial research to develop new, trusted mechanisms to support reforestation projects.”
Ann Copestake (Head of the Department of Computer Science and Technology) spoke about the collaboration nature of the Centre.

“In the last few years, we’ve been expanding our emphasis on the use of computer science techniques and technologies to help address the climate emergency and the crisis in biodiversity. Our research strengths will be combined with environmental science expertise at the University of Cambridge. We are thrilled to do so. We hope the work resulting from this interdisciplinary collaboration will lay the foundation for tangible solutions to some of the environmental challenges facing the world.”
Learn more about the Centre for Carbon Credits (4C) at https://4c.cst.cam.ac.uk/

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