Seminar on the voluntary carbon market

The voluntary carbon market faces a crisis of trust due to accusations of greenwashing, just as companies worldwide increasingly rely on it to achieve their net-zero targets. To tackle these criticisms and rebuild trust, digital technologies are proposed as potential game-changers in the market. Among these technologies, specifically those capable of enhancing and automating monitoring, reporting (MRV) and verification of nature-based carbon projects, are gaining attention. In my research, I explore the emerging visions and imaginaries around digital MRV among stakeholders in the voluntary carbon market. I propose that digital MRV can be characterized as a form of non-disruptive disruption. This means that while digital MRV promise to restore trust in the market, the application of the technologies only addresses a fraction of the criticisms raised against the market. Simultaneously, despite visions of large-scale nature restoration, digital MRV relies on a business model centered on carbon offsetting, thus legitimizing continued emissions, which remains the greatest threat against the stability of ecosystems.