Global carbon ratings agency BeZero Carbon has partnered with Kayrros, an environmental intelligence company based in France with worldwide operations. The partnership will see Kayrros map the Amazon basin using satellite imagery and geospatial data to rate carbon projects.
Satellite-based data on forest structure and carbon produced by Kayrros will inform BeZero Carbon risk assessments of credits from the region. BeZero Carbon assesses the quality of carbon credits, providing market participants with the risk-based tools needed to invest in the most environmentally impactful projects.
The new partnership will see Kayrros’ satellite-based mapping of the Amazon basin feed into BeZero Carbon’s ratings, providing additional high-resolution, real-time data on tree cover and height as well as above-ground biomass, to better understand carbon project effectiveness.
Kayrros uses satellite imagery and analytics to produce information and insights relating to wildfire risk, methane emissions and biodiversity, among other key climate data. This information is then supplied to companies, investors, and organisations, including the UN Environment Programme. TIME also named Kayrros as one of the world’s 100 Most Influential Companies, for its verified environmental information.
With carbon markets projected to grow exponentially in the coming years, this partnership aims to bolster data-sharing within the ecosystem and drive investment into the most impactful climate solutions. The voluntary carbon market (VCM) is widely understood to be an important way to accelerate the transition to net zero by combining climate impact and financial returns, provided that forest conservation and afforestation projects are rigorously monitored and documented.
Underpinning all climate action with information “of the highest possible quality”
Phil Platts, director of geospatial and earth observation at BeZero Carbon, said: “We’re really pleased to be partnering with Kayrros, whose data for the Amazon are at the cutting edge of remote forest monitoring. Combined with BeZero’s in-house models and expertise, this partnership will enhance our ratings and platform experience. It’s through data-sharing like this that the VCM can scale, embedding a wide evidence-base into environmental investments.”
Antoine Halff, chief analyst and co-founder of Kayrros, also explained the : “We’re pleased to be forming this partnership with BeZero Carbon, and bring together expertise and experience in our respective fields to promote greater transparency and accountability to the voluntary carbon market.
“With robust, independent, verifiable and empirical data, we can get a precise understanding of carbon credit performance and communicate that understanding in a clear and standardised way. Kayrros and BeZero Carbon share a commitment to ensuring that all climate action is underpinned by information and insights of the highest possible quality.”
BeZero Carbon and Kayrros deploy extensive knowledge of remote sensing, geoanalytics and AI, and are also committed to strengthening accountability and trust in the VCM through the application of robust empirical methods.
