CarbonPlan
@carbonplan.org
We help climate solutions live up to their potential though transparency, accountability, and scientific integrity. www.carbonplan.org
Nearly six years ago, Jeremy Freeman began as CarbonPlan’s Executive Director, and we’re so grateful for his leadership. Today is another moment of growth for us, as Jeremy steps down from that role, while remaining President and Chair of the Board. In this blog post he shares about our next steps.
A letter from our Board President and Chair – CarbonPlan
Jeremy reflects on CarbonPlan's first six years, and shares about a moment of growth for the team.
carbonplan.org
November 4, 2025 at 11:44 PM
Nearly six years ago, Jeremy Freeman began as CarbonPlan’s Executive Director, and we’re so grateful for his leadership. Today is another moment of growth for us, as Jeremy steps down from that role, while remaining President and Chair of the Board. In this blog post he shares about our next steps.
Verra recently announced that more than half of the credits from the Kariba REDD+ project don’t represent real climate benefits. Our new commentary explains why carbon market participants should treat Verra’s proposed solution to excess crediting with skepticism.
Verra doesn’t have a good solution for excess crediting – CarbonPlan
Verra recently acknowledged the existence of millions of excess credits issued to the Kariba REDD+ project. Rather than resolving the issue, Verra’s proposed solution exposes a fundamental structural ...
carbonplan.org
October 22, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Verra recently announced that more than half of the credits from the Kariba REDD+ project don’t represent real climate benefits. Our new commentary explains why carbon market participants should treat Verra’s proposed solution to excess crediting with skepticism.
Wildfire Update: The Rattlesnake and Lynx Mountain Fires will likely trigger losses from California’s buffer pool, now that they’ve burned over 12,000 acres of a forest enrolled in its offset program. 🍁
The Rattlesnake and Lynx Mountain Fires in eastern Washington have burned more than 3,000 acres of the Colville forest offset project. 🍁🧪(1/3)
carbonplan.org/research/for...
carbonplan.org/research/for...
September 12, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Wildfire Update: The Rattlesnake and Lynx Mountain Fires will likely trigger losses from California’s buffer pool, now that they’ve burned over 12,000 acres of a forest enrolled in its offset program. 🍁
The Rattlesnake and Lynx Mountain Fires in eastern Washington have burned more than 3,000 acres of the Colville forest offset project. 🍁🧪(1/3)
carbonplan.org/research/for...
carbonplan.org/research/for...
September 4, 2025 at 8:37 PM
The Rattlesnake and Lynx Mountain Fires in eastern Washington have burned more than 3,000 acres of the Colville forest offset project. 🍁🧪(1/3)
carbonplan.org/research/for...
carbonplan.org/research/for...
Five years ago, the Lionshead Fire burned through one of California’s forest offset projects in central Oregon. Despite strict reporting requirements, we’re still waiting for an update about the project and the millions of carbon credits that were likely lost to the fire.
California’s forest offset program has a reporting problem – CarbonPlan
Five years later, we still don’t know the carbon consequences of the 2020 Lionshead Fire.
carbonplan.org
September 3, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Five years ago, the Lionshead Fire burned through one of California’s forest offset projects in central Oregon. Despite strict reporting requirements, we’re still waiting for an update about the project and the millions of carbon credits that were likely lost to the fire.
Agricultural liming helped create the infrastructure that enhanced weathering needs to scale up, but it also makes some enhanced weathering projects harder to support in the carbon market. We show why this tension exists and discuss some paths forward in our latest article.
Scaling enhanced weathering in limed fields – CarbonPlan
Both agricultural liming and enhanced weathering spread crushed rocks on fields and have the potential to remove carbon from the atmosphere. We explore how modifying liming for carbon removal works — ...
carbonplan.org
August 27, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Agricultural liming helped create the infrastructure that enhanced weathering needs to scale up, but it also makes some enhanced weathering projects harder to support in the carbon market. We show why this tension exists and discuss some paths forward in our latest article.
California’s offset program is not only deeply flawed, it also costs the state hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue. We dive into the details in a new commentary. carbonplan.org/research/off... (1/7)
Offsets are no free lunch – CarbonPlan
Offsets provide few climate benefits and cost California hundreds of millions of dollars each year. When lawmakers reauthorize the state’s cap and trade program this fall, they should eliminate the us...
carbonplan.org
August 21, 2025 at 10:34 PM
California’s offset program is not only deeply flawed, it also costs the state hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue. We dive into the details in a new commentary. carbonplan.org/research/off... (1/7)
We wanted @cdrxiv.org to have a distinctive design built on a reliable, open source publishing software. Getting both required collaboration with @janewayolh.bsky.social to overcome technical challenges. Here's how we did it: carbonplan.org/blog/cdrxiv-...
Building CDRXIV in the open – CarbonPlan
How we built our platform for research in carbon dioxide removal using open source tools.
carbonplan.org
August 13, 2025 at 6:51 PM
We wanted @cdrxiv.org to have a distinctive design built on a reliable, open source publishing software. Getting both required collaboration with @janewayolh.bsky.social to overcome technical challenges. Here's how we did it: carbonplan.org/blog/cdrxiv-...
Early snowmelt and forecasts of a hot and dry summer ahead mean the 2025 wildfire season could be devastating. And when trees burn, sometimes carbon offsets go with them. We’ll be documenting how wildfire affects offsets. carbonplan.org/blog/offset-...
This fire season promises to be rough. We’re tracking its impact on offsets. – CarbonPlan
We’re relaunching our forest offsets tracking tool for the 2025 North American fire season.
carbonplan.org
June 25, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Early snowmelt and forecasts of a hot and dry summer ahead mean the 2025 wildfire season could be devastating. And when trees burn, sometimes carbon offsets go with them. We’ll be documenting how wildfire affects offsets. carbonplan.org/blog/offset-...
We recently hosted a workshop with Cascade and Stripe on how ERW projects should account for pre-existing aglime use when estimating new carbon removal. It’s a tricky but important question — and everyone agrees that it can’t be ignored. carbonplan.org/blog/aglime-...
Workshop notes: accounting for aglime in enhanced rock weathering – CarbonPlan
We recently held a workshop on accounting for counterfactual liming in enhanced weathering. Attendees agreed the counterfactual must be considered, but for now there is no single best way to do so.
carbonplan.org
June 6, 2025 at 7:53 PM
We recently hosted a workshop with Cascade and Stripe on how ERW projects should account for pre-existing aglime use when estimating new carbon removal. It’s a tricky but important question — and everyone agrees that it can’t be ignored. carbonplan.org/blog/aglime-...
When you extract CO2 from the ocean, how much carbon do you end up removing from the atmosphere? We worked with @cworthy.bsky.social to build a new map tool that helps answer that question — showing how direct ocean removal (DOR) performs across different ocean regions and seasons.
June 4, 2025 at 3:48 PM
When you extract CO2 from the ocean, how much carbon do you end up removing from the atmosphere? We worked with @cworthy.bsky.social to build a new map tool that helps answer that question — showing how direct ocean removal (DOR) performs across different ocean regions and seasons.
Climate change is happening quickly. Solutions research needs to move at a speed that meets the challenge. We're launching @cdrxiv.org, a new preprint server for CDR research, because transparency and collaboration help move the field forward. Let’s make better CDR, together: cdrxiv.org
CDRXIV
CDRXIV is a new open access platform for sharing preprints and data related to carbon dioxide removal (CDR).
cdrxiv.org
May 14, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Climate change is happening quickly. Solutions research needs to move at a speed that meets the challenge. We're launching @cdrxiv.org, a new preprint server for CDR research, because transparency and collaboration help move the field forward. Let’s make better CDR, together: cdrxiv.org
Want to know how fossil fuel companies use carbon offsets to claim they’re fighting climate change?
We've updated OffsetsDB — our offsets database — to allow you to search by carbon credit user. Search "Shell" and see what offsets they're using and when. (1/4) carbonplan.org/research/off...
We've updated OffsetsDB — our offsets database — to allow you to search by carbon credit user. Search "Shell" and see what offsets they're using and when. (1/4) carbonplan.org/research/off...
April 23, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Want to know how fossil fuel companies use carbon offsets to claim they’re fighting climate change?
We've updated OffsetsDB — our offsets database — to allow you to search by carbon credit user. Search "Shell" and see what offsets they're using and when. (1/4) carbonplan.org/research/off...
We've updated OffsetsDB — our offsets database — to allow you to search by carbon credit user. Search "Shell" and see what offsets they're using and when. (1/4) carbonplan.org/research/off...
A new wastewater alkalinity enhancement protocol can be used to issue CDR credits to activities that don’t increase the amount of carbon removed from the atmosphere. We wrote about how this breaks with other CDR protocols, and what it could mean moving forward.
carbonplan.org/blog/counter...
carbonplan.org/blog/counter...
New accounting rules blur the line between decarbonization and carbon dioxide removal – CarbonPlan
Isometric’s new protocol for wastewater alkalinity enhancement risks counting decarbonization as carbon dioxide removal. The rules could reshape how carbon removal is defined in other pathways, as wel...
carbonplan.org
April 15, 2025 at 5:11 PM
A new wastewater alkalinity enhancement protocol can be used to issue CDR credits to activities that don’t increase the amount of carbon removed from the atmosphere. We wrote about how this breaks with other CDR protocols, and what it could mean moving forward.
carbonplan.org/blog/counter...
carbonplan.org/blog/counter...
Forest offset projects can now use dynamic baselines to measure, rather than model, impacts on carbon. This is a step forward, but it’s still impossible for 3rd party observers to confirm climate benefits because project location data isn’t public.
carbonplan.org/blog/vm0045-...
carbonplan.org/blog/vm0045-...
Dynamic baselines close an offsets loophole, but we still need to know where the trees are – CarbonPlan
Forest offset projects are starting to measure their impact against real forests instead of unobserved, modeled counterfactuals. This change could improve the integrity of offsets, but data transparen...
carbonplan.org
March 13, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Forest offset projects can now use dynamic baselines to measure, rather than model, impacts on carbon. This is a step forward, but it’s still impossible for 3rd party observers to confirm climate benefits because project location data isn’t public.
carbonplan.org/blog/vm0045-...
carbonplan.org/blog/vm0045-...
We surveyed CDR stakeholders about the role of independent protocol review. While we found broad agreement about value of such reviews, there seem to be some important differences in what stakeholders want from outcomes and how they think the process should function.
carbonplan.org/research/pro...
carbonplan.org/research/pro...
Stakeholder views on independent CDR protocol review – CarbonPlan
Stakeholder survey reveals nuanced views on independent protocol review.
carbonplan.org
March 3, 2025 at 10:38 PM
We surveyed CDR stakeholders about the role of independent protocol review. While we found broad agreement about value of such reviews, there seem to be some important differences in what stakeholders want from outcomes and how they think the process should function.
carbonplan.org/research/pro...
carbonplan.org/research/pro...
There’s an ongoing debate over what should “count” as CO₂ removal. In a new commentary with @hausfath.bsky.social, we break down key points of contention, proposed definitions, and why no definition offers a perfect path forward. (1/5)
carbonplan.org/research/def...
carbonplan.org/research/def...
“What is CDR?” is the wrong question – CarbonPlan
We summarize the ongoing debate around what “counts” as CDR, highlighting the trade-offs of each proposed definition. We suggest an alternative set of questions that can provide a more meaningful guid...
carbonplan.org
February 25, 2025 at 7:11 PM
There’s an ongoing debate over what should “count” as CO₂ removal. In a new commentary with @hausfath.bsky.social, we break down key points of contention, proposed definitions, and why no definition offers a perfect path forward. (1/5)
carbonplan.org/research/def...
carbonplan.org/research/def...
We maintain a tool that shows how companies use offsets to comply with California’s cap-and-trade program. The tool is now updated with the latest available data, providing a complete picture of offset use in the first decade of the program — from 2013 through 2023. 🧪
carbonplan.org/blog/complia...
carbonplan.org/blog/complia...
New data added to the Compliance Users tool – CarbonPlan
We updated the Compliance Users tool to include the latest available cap-and-trade program data about who used which offsets during the program’s fourth compliance period.
carbonplan.org
December 19, 2024 at 9:40 PM
We maintain a tool that shows how companies use offsets to comply with California’s cap-and-trade program. The tool is now updated with the latest available data, providing a complete picture of offset use in the first decade of the program — from 2013 through 2023. 🧪
carbonplan.org/blog/complia...
carbonplan.org/blog/complia...
Reposted by CarbonPlan
Hey people working on marine CO₂ removal (mCDR), post your preprints to CDRXIV (pronounced C-D Archive). 🌊
Carbon Dioxide Removal research needs a central, multidisciplinary hub. We’re building it at cdrxiv.org. Read and download others' work, explore CDR pathways and topics, and help the platform grow by submitting your CDR research!
CDRXIV
CDRXIV is a new open access platform for sharing preprints and data related to carbon dioxide removal (CDR).
cdrxiv.org
December 7, 2024 at 5:50 PM
Hey people working on marine CO₂ removal (mCDR), post your preprints to CDRXIV (pronounced C-D Archive). 🌊
Our latest research estimates that almost 40 percent of California’s forest offset buffer pool has been lost to wildfire. That’s roughly twice as many credits than have been set aside to address wildfire risks for the next 100 years. (1/4) 🧪https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17599
December 2, 2024 at 7:03 PM
Our latest research estimates that almost 40 percent of California’s forest offset buffer pool has been lost to wildfire. That’s roughly twice as many credits than have been set aside to address wildfire risks for the next 100 years. (1/4) 🧪https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17599
An offset project that was terminated after a wildfire is trying to re-enroll in California's forest offset program. This presents some serious problems to the program's long-term sustainability. 🧪
carbonplan.org/blog/klamath...
carbonplan.org/blog/klamath...
Think twice before resurrecting burned offset projects – CarbonPlan
For the first time, a landowner is looking to re-enroll a forest that was part of a project terminated after a catastrophic fire. While this practice is legal, it has potentially negative consequences...
carbonplan.org
November 26, 2024 at 8:02 PM
An offset project that was terminated after a wildfire is trying to re-enroll in California's forest offset program. This presents some serious problems to the program's long-term sustainability. 🧪
carbonplan.org/blog/klamath...
carbonplan.org/blog/klamath...
Projects that aim to remove carbon by tweaking existing industrial processes can end up avoiding some emissions as well. That’s a good thing for the climate — but it can pose challenges when trying to support these projects through the sale of carbon removal credits.
carbonplan.org/research/cdr... 🧪
carbonplan.org/research/cdr... 🧪
Crediting challenges when carbon removal comes with avoided emissions – CarbonPlan
Some carbon removal projects also result in avoided emissions. This is good for the climate, but can pose challenges for individual projects that are trying to earn carbon removal credits.
carbonplan.org
November 14, 2024 at 2:40 PM
Projects that aim to remove carbon by tweaking existing industrial processes can end up avoiding some emissions as well. That’s a good thing for the climate — but it can pose challenges when trying to support these projects through the sale of carbon removal credits.
carbonplan.org/research/cdr... 🧪
carbonplan.org/research/cdr... 🧪
In January, AB1305 will start requiring California companies to report which offsets they use. A few have already started making these disclosures, revealing big challenges — data is hard to find, often incomplete, and tough to analyze. Read our recommendations: 🧪
carbonplan.org/research/ab1...
carbonplan.org/research/ab1...
Analyzing initial offset disclosures under California’s AB1305 – CarbonPlan
Early disclosures demonstrate the power of transparency, but also highlight the opportunity for improvements around discoverability and usability.
carbonplan.org
October 30, 2024 at 8:43 PM
In January, AB1305 will start requiring California companies to report which offsets they use. A few have already started making these disclosures, revealing big challenges — data is hard to find, often incomplete, and tough to analyze. Read our recommendations: 🧪
carbonplan.org/research/ab1...
carbonplan.org/research/ab1...
Over the summer, we did a webinar with Journalist's Resource at Harvard to talk about how carbon markets work and how you can use our free, open-source tools to more easily investigate the projects and companies involved.
journalistsresource.org/home/carbon-...
journalistsresource.org/home/carbon-...
Carbon offsets: 4 things journalists need to understand
From our recent webinar with CarbonPlan, learn how voluntary carbon offsets work and how journalists can use OffsetsDB, a data repository.
journalistsresource.org
October 24, 2024 at 4:03 PM
Over the summer, we did a webinar with Journalist's Resource at Harvard to talk about how carbon markets work and how you can use our free, open-source tools to more easily investigate the projects and companies involved.
journalistsresource.org/home/carbon-...
journalistsresource.org/home/carbon-...
The IPCC is working on methodologies for countries to estimate and report on CDR. Now is the time to publicly share your CDR research if you want it to inform this process. 🧪
carbonplan.org/blog/ipcc-cd...
carbonplan.org/blog/ipcc-cd...
Now is the time to provide evidence to inform IPCC carbon removal reporting standards – CarbonPlan
Upcoming CDR methodologies from the IPCC will provide a blueprint for national reporting of CDR. Now is the time to share evidence.
carbonplan.org
October 23, 2024 at 4:36 PM
The IPCC is working on methodologies for countries to estimate and report on CDR. Now is the time to publicly share your CDR research if you want it to inform this process. 🧪
carbonplan.org/blog/ipcc-cd...
carbonplan.org/blog/ipcc-cd...