MRV (Measurement, Reporting and Verification) is the technical foundation of every carbon credit. Here is exactly how ours works, what it costs, and why it matters.
In 2023, investigative reporting by the Guardian and analysis by Sylvera found that a significant proportion of REDD+ (forest protection) credits issued by major registries did not represent real emissions reductions. The projects existed. The credits were issued. But the monitoring methodology relied on satellite imagery and statistical estimation — not ground-level verification. When rigorous methods were applied retrospectively, the actual sequestration was a fraction of what was claimed.
This was an MRV failure. Not a carbon market concept failure — an infrastructure failure. The market lacked the tools to know what was actually happening on the ground. Buyers who purchased those credits in good faith for their net-zero claims were left exposed.
The entire case for high-quality carbon credits rests on the answer to one question: did the carbon sequestration or emission reduction actually happen, and can you prove it? Machine-verified MRV — GPS chains, SCADA logs, EBC lab certificates, permanent sample plots — exists to make that answer verifiable by any auditor, any rating agency, any regulatory body. It is not optional infrastructure. It is the product.
Cula is the digital MRV platform we deploy on Biochar CDR projects. It provides a six-link GPS chain from biomass collection to soil application — creating a tamper-resistant audit trail that auto-pushes to the Puro.earth registry API without manual data entry.
Each link in the chain captures a GPS coordinate, a timestamp, a weight measurement, and a unique batch ID — meaning no credit can be issued for biomass that was never collected, or biochar that was never applied to soil.
Auto-push to Puro.earth API: When a batch completes all six chain links, the aggregated data record is automatically transmitted to the Puro.earth registry for credit issuance verification. No manual data entry. No spreadsheet. The data goes directly from the field device to the registry.
GPS field tag, NIR moisture meter reading, wet weight measurement, Aadhaar farmer ID verification, Cula mobile app capture. Every kilogram of rice husk or bagasse is attributed to a named, verified farmer.
Bridge scale weight, moisture retest, batch ID assignment, timestamp. Confirms the biomass volume received at the kiln matches the collection record.
SCADA continuous data log: temperature (target 500°C), residence time, input weight, output weight. Machine data — not operator entry. Cannot be retrospectively modified.
Quarterly CHNS analysis by EBC-accredited independent laboratory. H:Corg ratio, BET surface area, PAH content, heavy metals panel. Independent certificates issued directly to Puro.earth — not via Stasis Carbon.
GPS-tagged delivery vehicle, Aadhaar-linked farmer receipt, kilogram-per-bag logging. Confirms the biochar product reached the intended application site.
Agronomist GPS verification of application site, annual 10% soil sampling, soil organic carbon delta measurement. Confirms biochar was incorporated into soil — not stockpiled or diverted.
SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) is the industrial monitoring system deployed on the BESTON BST-50S pyrolysis kiln. It continuously logs:
SCADA data is stored in a tamper-resistant cloud system with hashed records. Any retrospective modification attempt is flagged. Data is available for VVB auditor review in real time via secure access portal.
The ARR Agroforestry project uses a rigorous field-based monitoring approach:
These are the questions our team is most commonly asked during the due diligence phase. Plain English answers, no greenwash.
Credits are only issued for biochar that was actually produced and applied — if the kiln is offline, no credits are generated for that period. Under your forward contract, this is addressed by the force majeure clause and the CarbonPool insurance policy, which covers non-delivery events. The insurance indemnity is triggered automatically on VVB-confirmed shortfall — you receive either replacement credits or cash compensation, depending on the policy terms.
Link 5 (delivery) and Link 6 (soil application) of the GPS chain specifically address this. GPS-tagged delivery vehicle records confirm biochar reached the designated application site. Agronomist GPS verification confirms application occurred. Annual 10% soil sampling detects whether soil organic carbon is actually increasing — an independent biochemical confirmation that biochar was incorporated. A VVB auditor reviews all six links annually. No single party in this chain has the ability to fabricate all of them simultaneously.
H:Corg is the ratio of hydrogen to organic carbon in the biochar. A lower ratio means the biochar's carbon structure is more aromatic (ring-like) and less aliphatic (chain-like) — which is what makes it chemically stable in soil. EBC research shows that H:Corg ≤0.70 indicates more than 1,000 years of mean residence time in soil. Our biochar at ≤0.38 is substantially below this threshold, indicating very high stability — hence the "100–1,000+ year permanence" claim. The Puro CORC200+ label specifically certifies 200+ year minimum permanence; our H:Corg ratio comfortably satisfies this. This is not an estimate or a model — it is measured quarterly by an accredited independent laboratory.
The Sylvera rating engagement for the ARR project has been initiated. Sylvera's assessment process typically takes 4–6 months for a nature-based solutions project. We are currently working through their data request package. There are also two specific items Sylvera will want to see resolved before issuing a rating: (1) physical tree tagging in sample plots (corrective action in progress, being installed this dry season) and (2) completion of the farmer agreement language translations (currently 40% complete). We expect to have both resolved before the rating is finalised. We disclose this because buyers of ARR credits should factor it into their timing and due diligence.
Yes — site visits are standard as part of Step 4 of our buyer journey (Week 3–4 post-NDA). For the biochar project: kiln tour, GPS chain live demonstration, biomass collection from a farmer, pyrolysis observation. For ARR: drone footage of plantation plots, DBH measurement walk-through, FPO meeting (with translation support). We can organise virtual site visits via video for buyers who cannot travel. A site visit report is prepared and submitted to your legal and ESG teams.
Credits already issued and delivered to your Verra or Puro.earth registry account are yours outright — they cannot be recalled by Stasis Carbon or any third party. Registry accounts are held by the buyer, not by us. For undelivered forward credits, the Master Purchase Agreement includes a change-of-control clause that protects buyer interests, and the project operators have independent registry access. The insurance policy (CarbonPool/Oka) also provides a non-delivery backstop. We would provide project documentation to a successor operator in the event of cessation.
In a traditional carbon audit, the VVB reviews paperwork — spreadsheets, receipts, farmer declarations — and tests a sample for consistency. This is why fraud is possible: paper can be fabricated. In our model, the VVB reviews SCADA logs (immutable machine data), EBC lab certificates (issued by a third party to the registry directly), GPS chain records (with independent timestamps), and soil sample results (from accredited labs). The VVB's job shifts from "checking whether the records look plausible" to "confirming the machine data is consistent with the physical outputs." This is a materially higher standard of verification.
Yes. For ARR, all farmer payments are made via NEFT/RTGS to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts — not cash. This creates a complete digital payment trail that the VVB reviews annually as part of the monitoring report. The FPO (Farmer Producer Organisation) holds the carbon title and is a party to the benefit-sharing agreement, which is signed and notarised. The VVB's annual review explicitly includes payment verification. Under the ICR methodology, absence of payments would result in a Corrective Action Request — which blocks credit issuance until resolved. The mechanism is structural, not aspirational.
Qualified buyers can request read-only dashboard access to the Cula dMRV platform as part of the due diligence process.
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