HOW IT WORKS
CARBON TECHNOLOGY BEHIND A CARBON PROJECTREDIT RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT & COMMERCIALISATION
A credible Carbon Credit Project requires far more than protecting an area of forest. It requires the ability to define, measure, monitor and document environmental outcomes using scientific fieldwork, geospatial technology, recognised methodologies and independently reviewable data.
MainStreet Renewables combines boots-on-the-ground Project development with mapping, GPS, remote sensing, forest measurement, digital Project records and specialist technical providers to build the evidence required to progress qualifying Carbon Projects toward validation, verification and ultimately Carbon Credit Unit issuance.
GEOSPATIAL MAPPING
Defining Project boundaries and understanding the landscape through GPS, GIS, satellite imagery and spatial data.
FOREST MEASUREMENT
Collecting field data required to understand forest condition, biomass and the carbon characteristics of the Project area.
REMOTE SENSING & MONITORING
Using satellite, LiDAR, drone and other remote-sensing technologies where appropriate to support Project development and ongoing monitoring.
CARBON DATA & MRV
Bringing field and digital information together within a structured Measurement, Reporting and Verification framework capable of supporting independent technical assessment.
SCIENCE IN THE FIELD. DATA IN THE SYSTEM.
Project teams collect and document information about Project boundaries, forest condition, vegetation, land use and other environmental characteristics. GPS and geospatial systems allow that information to be connected to specific locations within the Project area.
Satellite imagery, remote sensing and, where appropriate, LiDAR and drone-based observations can provide additional layers of information across areas that may extend over many thousands of hectares.
The result is not simply a collection of photographs and measurements. It is the development of an evidence base that can support the Project Design Document, applicable methodology, technical assessment, monitoring and independent validation and verification.
INNOVATION, NOT IMITATION
Technology does not replace the people developing a Carbon Project. It gives them better tools.
Modern Carbon Project development can combine traditional field surveys and community knowledge with satellite imagery, GPS, GIS mapping, remote sensing, digital records and increasingly sophisticated forest-monitoring technologies.
MSR’s approach is to bring these tools together with regional Project development capability, local knowledge and independent specialist expertise.
The objective is to convert observations made in the physical Project area into structured environmental data that can be measured, analysed, documented and subjected to independent technical review.
TECHNICAL APPLICATIONS
Science on the Ground. Data You Can Trace.
Project development requires information that can be traced back to the physical Project area. Field teams can establish sample plots, identify and measure vegetation, record GPS coordinates, document forest condition and collect information required by the applicable methodology and technical specialists.
Tree diameter, height, species, location and forest condition are examples of field observations that may form part of a broader forest inventory and biomass assessment.
Eyes Above the Forest. Insights at Scale.
Satellite imagery and remote-sensing technology provide a broader view of the Project landscape. These systems can assist with mapping forest cover, Project boundaries, historical land-use patterns and environmental change over time.
LiDAR, drone imagery and other geospatial technologies may provide additional information about canopy structure, terrain and forest characteristics where appropriate to the Project methodology and technical requirements.
EYES ABOVE THE FOREST
REMOTE SENSING & PROJECT MONITORING
Carbon Projects can cover extensive and sometimes difficult terrain. Drone and remote-sensing technologies can complement satellite information and field observations by providing high-resolution imagery of selected Project areas.
Depending upon the Project methodology and technical requirements, these technologies may assist with mapping, vegetation assessment, Project monitoring and the identification of environmental change.
LiDAR and related remote-sensing techniques can provide additional information about the three-dimensional structure of vegetation and terrain, while GIS systems allow multiple data layers to be brought together for spatial analysis.
Technology provides the view from above. Field teams provide the evidence on the ground. Together they contribute to a more complete understanding of the Project landscape.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT TECHNOLOGY IS USED TO DEVELOP A CARBON PROJECT?
Carbon Project development can draw upon a combination of field measurement, GPS, GIS mapping, satellite imagery, remote sensing, LiDAR, drone observations, digital data management and carbon-modelling tools. The exact technologies used depend upon the Project type, applicable methodology, landscape and technical requirements.
WHAT IS GIS AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
A Geographic Information System, or GIS, allows information to be connected to geographic locations. In Carbon Projects it can be used to define Project boundaries, combine mapping and environmental data, analyse land-cover information and maintain spatial records associated with Project development and monitoring.
HOW IS GPS USED IN FOREST PROJECTS?
GPS technology allows field observations to be linked to precise locations. It may be used to establish survey points and sample plots, record Project boundaries, locate measured trees and connect field observations with the broader geospatial Project record.
WHAT IS REMOTE SENSING?
Remote sensing is the collection of information about an area without direct physical contact with every part of the landscape. Satellite imagery, aerial photography, drones and LiDAR are examples of technologies that may be used to observe forest cover, vegetation structure, terrain and environmental change.
WHAT IS LiDAR?
LiDAR — Light Detection and Ranging — uses laser pulses to measure distance and create detailed three-dimensional information about terrain and vegetation structure. In appropriate applications it can assist technical specialists in analysing canopy height, forest structure and related environmental characteristics.
HOW ARE TREES AND FOREST BIOMASS MEASURED?
Field teams may establish sample plots and record measurements such as tree diameter, height, species and location. Technical specialists then apply the relevant methodology, sampling design and approved calculations to estimate forest biomass and associated carbon values. The specific process varies between methodologies and Project types.
WHAT DOES MRV MEAN?
MRV means Measurement, Reporting and Verification. It describes the structured process through which Project outcomes are measured and documented and then subjected to the applicable reporting and independent verification requirements.
WHAT IS A PROJECT DESIGN DOCUMENT?
A Project Design Document, commonly called a PDD, describes the Project, its boundaries, methodology, baseline, monitoring approach, expected environmental outcomes and other information required under the applicable carbon standard and regulatory framework.
WHAT IS INDEPENDENT VALIDATION AND VERIFICATION?
Validation and verification are independent technical assessment processes undertaken by appropriately qualified bodies under the applicable standard or program. Validation generally examines whether the Project design meets the required rules, while verification examines reported Project outcomes before eligible credits may proceed toward issuance.
WHAT IS A CARBON REGISTRY?
A Carbon Registry is the system used by the applicable carbon standard or program to record issued carbon units and their identifying information. Registry systems support traceability and help record the status, ownership, transfer or retirement of units according to the applicable rules.
HOW DOES AN ISSUED CCU BECOME TRACEABLE?
Once an eligible Carbon Credit Unit has completed the required processes and is lawfully issued or serialized within the applicable Registry, it can be associated with identifying Registry information. That record allows the unit to be traced and dealt with according to the Registry rules and relevant commercial arrangements.
FROM DATA TO ENVIRONMENTAL ASSETS
MEASURE. MONITOR. VERIFY. ISSUE.
Technology provides the tools. Science provides the evidence. Independent assessment provides the verification.
Together, these elements allow qualifying Carbon Projects to progress from forests and communities on the ground to measurable environmental outcomes capable of supporting the lawful issuance of traceable Carbon Credit Units.
The process begins with the forest itself and progresses through field data, geospatial and remote-sensing information, carbon modelling, independent validation and verification, Registry processes and — where all applicable requirements are successfully satisfied — Carbon Credit Unit issuance.
