Impact, Technology, People - a year at SustainCERT

2021 was a milestone year at SustainCERT. One of impact verification for carbon markets and value chains; one of digitalization and harnessing the power of technology to drive speed, scale and accuracy for verification services; one of growth and new ambitions with a US$ 10 million capital raise and people joining our team.

Impact

We continued working with carbon developers and corporates to ensure their projects and actions for the climate deliver the quality that they promise. In 2021 we certified 684 carbon projects as an official certification body for Gold Standard and contributed to a total of 35 million avoided tonnes of CO2e. Our team also launched the SustainCERT Academy to build capacity and increase understanding of certification requirements as well as carbon market dynamics.

On Scope 3, we supported 6 corporates in their efforts to credibly reduce value chain emissions and worked on pilot verification trajectories for 10 value chain interventions. The Value Change Initiative, a multistakeholder forum bringing together some of the world’s largest companies, leading civil society actors and internationally recognized frameworks to collectively define best practice and drive down Scope 3 emissions at scale, was officially launched together with Gold Standard.

Technology

We reached two important milestones on our technology roadmap in 2021. The first is the release of a completely re-engineered platform to help remove barriers for carbon project developers seeking certification under Gold Standard. A new look & feel combined with a more responsive interface, digitized workflow, clear process visualization, online document management or online review booking to help navigate the certification process more efficiently. Most importantly, the platform’s new architecture and infrastructure provides the necessary foundation for the development of more advanced capabilities.

The second milestone is the release of the alpha version of a Scope 3 domain that lets companies track, account and report verified emission reductions in their supply chains to help meet their net-zero targets. The software helps verify climate impacts from interventions that reduce and remove emissions in value chains and generates a unit that can then be exchanged among value chain actors and used for reporting against Scope 3 targets. Testing and piloting of the alpha Scope 3 domain will continue in 2022.

People

The greatest asset of a company is its people. You have probably heard this before but it’s a statement we hold dear. Last year, 36 incredible new people from all over the globe joined our team. From engineering to software development, research & innovation, certification, finance & operations, communications, or business development, we stacked-up on individuals with top-notch expertise, big ideas and the belief that our work can change the world.