The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) has been successful in joining the current round of CivTech Challenges. This internationally leading accelerator programme, run by the Scottish Government, supports public sector innovation by solving problems and developing products.
This round focusses on developing technologies for enhancing the work of the Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code. The UKCEH solution will explore how land-based measurement instruments, such as in-situ sensors, can improve carbon validation and verification from woodland carbon and peatland restoration sites. This will help strengthen and extend the codes given that all Woodland Carbon and Peatland Code sites must record the amount of carbon dioxide they remove from or stop entering the atmosphere.
The accelerator phase of the project will allow for the development of a new business offering over the next five months. Where synergies exist, there is also the opportunity to collaborate with Rethink Carbon and Sylvera, the other companies providing complementary solutions within the programme.
New solution
UKCEH project lead Ben Roberts comments: “This is a fantastic opportunity to develop a new solution supported by the CivTech Team, Challenge Sponsors and the leading experts delivering the Accelerator workshops. By enhancing data integrity and reducing associated barriers to scheme entry, we aim to increase private finance investment into nature-based climate change mitigation, contributing to the achievement of net zero greenhouse gas emissions.”
Dr Vicky West, senior development manager for the Woodland Carbon Code, said: “We are excited to be collaborating with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Sylvera and Rethink Carbon. Their innovations have the potential to make our processes and monitoring more accurate, accessible, efficient and cost-effective, enabling more people to develop and support vital climate projects.”
Further information
Scottish Government CivTech announcement
UK Woodland Carbon Code press release