Digital MRV for forest carbon projects

Mynzo’s platform brings together forest health and growth analysis, carbon tracking, observations over time and field data for ground-truth validation. Project developers can use these capabilities to investigate changes and prepare the monitoring evidence their project needs.

Start with the reporting purpose. An internal plantation review, an investor update and a carbon programme’s monitoring report may need different measurements and checks. Agree the project boundary, method, deliverables and responsible people before choosing a monitoring schedule.

The World Bank’s guidance on digital MRV evaluates systems and the stages where digitisation can help. A digital system still needs suitable methods, data quality controls and clear responsibilities.

Use these five steps to scope a digital MRV engagement with Mynzo. The measurement method and available evidence determine the work required at each stage.

1. Define the area and the question

   Provide mapped boundaries, project activity, relevant dates and the intended reporting use. Identify the carbon pools being assessed. Record exclusions so that a later boundary change is not mistaken for a change in carbon.

2. Connect observations with field records

   Assess suitable imagery alongside the available plot locations, measurement dates and field protocols. Keep an observed tree measurement distinct from an estimate produced by a model. Identify missing or outdated records before analysis begins.

3. Check the estimates

   Review spatial alignment, units, date consistency and the model’s suitability for the forest being assessed. Examine uncertainty and compare estimates with appropriate reference measurements. Document changes to assumptions or models so comparisons between periods remain interpretable.

4. Prepare the reporting evidence

   Agree which maps, calculations and supporting records the reporting team needs. Specify the reporting period, data sources, method versions and known limitations. Confirm delivery formats and access requirements with Mynzo during scoping.

5. Support independent review

   Make the source evidence and explanations available to the appointed reviewer. Resolve questions about measurements and calculations. A monitoring output does not, by itself, establish project eligibility or authorize the issue of credits.

For a project using Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard, the project proponent prepares monitoring information. An approved validation/verification body assesses the reported outcomes. Verra reviews the request, and issuance follows the programme’s approval process. These are distinct responsibilities in the VCS project lifecycle.

A map of carbon stocks is not a credit balance. Crediting also depends on the project’s baseline, additionality, applicable deductions and other programme requirements.

Satellite data and field measurements answer related questions at different scales. A model can extend estimates across an area, but its usefulness depends on the reference data, forest conditions and intended use. Field records help assess whether the estimates are suitable for the project.

Mynzo Partner supports plantation data collection and geo-tagged photographs across sites. Agree the sampling protocol and the checks required for the intended use of those records.

The IPCC’s 2019 inventory guidance describes uncertainty across field, LiDAR and satellite estimates, and the importance of consistent data when comparing biomass through time. It is scientific inventory guidance, not a certification of a commercial platform.

Before using a carbon estimate in a report, ask which pools it covers, how it was validated and what uncertainty is reported. Confirm where further field measurements are needed. A biomass estimate alone cannot establish soil carbon or every component of a project’s climate benefit.

A useful brief lets the team assess data availability and the work needed. Include the following:

• Location and extent: country, mapped boundaries, approximate area and number of separate sites.
• Project history: land use, planting or restoration dates, species information and known disturbances.
• Existing evidence: field protocols, measurement dates, plot records, earlier imagery or monitoring reports.
• Reporting needs: intended audience, reporting period, programme and methodology if selected.
• Delivery needs: review dates, reporting formats, access permissions and who will answer technical questions.

Ask Mynzo to confirm supported measurements, geography, field responsibilities, reporting outputs and costs for that scope. A proposal should make those decisions explicit before work begins.