A certification methodology that combines satellite imagery with on-the-ground data collection brings clarity, accuracy, and trust to the voluntary carbon market. It can be applied to conservation, regeneration, agriculture, livestock, wetlands, and mangrove projects, creating opportunities for public, private, and community stakeholders
NTT DATA has announced a regional partnership with the Chilean-Mexican startup Carbón Real to drive an innovation that is transforming the voluntary carbon market: the first certification based on near-real-time (nRT) data collected directly from the field.
This agreement marks a milestone in the voluntary carbon market and includes the launch of the ICR013 methodology, which is currently undergoing validation by the European standard International Carbon Registry (ICR). This certification methodology enables the issuance of AFOLU (Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use) credits using continuous and verifiable monitoring. As a result, credits are validated through direct, precise, and traceable data, replacing traditional estimates and inventories.
The innovation is powered by Eddy Covariance technology, a system of sensors and processors capable of measuring up to 10 times per second the actual exchange of greenhouse gases (CO₂, methane, nitrous oxide) between ecosystems and the atmosphere. This enables near-real-time visibility into carbon dynamics in high Andean wetlands, tropical forests, and other environments.
Until now, scaling this type of monitoring across large areas had been one of the main challenges. NTT DATA has successfully deployed this technology across 9,000 hectares, while Carbón Real has developed a methodology that extends monitoring to much larger areas—up to 1.5 million hectares in one case. Their joint goal is ambitious: to reach 30 million hectares monitored and certified across the region, involving small producers, rural communities, and large landowners.
“NTT DATA is investing billions of dollars in a constellation of 140 satellites set to begin operations in 2027, which will provide near-real-time global imagery with a resolution of up to 40 centimeters per pixel,” explains Alonso Dominguez, Head of Green Deal & Sustainable Engineering for Iberia, International Organisations, LATAM, and Consulting in Benelux & France at NTT DATA.
“Combined with on-the-ground data from Carbón Real, this will enhance the accuracy, frequency, and efficiency of monitoring, reducing costs and accelerating processes,” he adds. “This project reflects the value of open collaboration between science, technology, and purpose, and demonstrates that it is possible to scale high-impact solutions from Latin America,” he concludes.
This integration enables a new level of transparency and traceability for the voluntary carbon market—critical factors for attracting investment and generating maximum trust in every credit issued.
“One of the most significant advances is the reduction in the time required to develop a carbon project and generate revenue: what once took up to seven years can now be completed in 20 months, and the roadmap aims to reduce this to 12, 9, and eventually just 3 months, making investments in carbon sequestration ecosystems more competitive and globally attractive,” highlights Felipe Escalona, CEO & Founder of Carbón Real.
The main objective of the partnership is to create a “ledger of nature”: an environmental accounting system in near-real-time that democratizes access to the carbon market. The certification methodology can be applied to conservation, regeneration, agriculture, livestock, wetlands, and mangrove projects, creating opportunities for public, private, and community stakeholders.