State of the science behind scalable MRV technology

Measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) tools are essential in providing more specific information needed to track signatory countries’ NDCs. Moreover, making sure that these data are available at the farm level allows farmers to access climate financing through emission reduction credits (ERCs). MRV also allows farmers to turn their sustainable practices into credits with monetary value. Both opportunities and challenges to effectively scale MRV technologies were tackled in the side event titled “ State of the science behind scalable MRV technology ” which was held at the sidelines of the 6th International Rice Congress (IRC 2023) in October. The session was organized by IRC 2023 Silver Sponsor, Regrow Ag.

Global temperatures are projected to rise by 2 degrees Celsius (C) due to climate change. The Paris Agreement, adopted during COP21, aims to keep global temperatures well below 2 degrees C above pre-industrial times while pursuing means to limit the increase to 1.5C.

For transparency, signatory countries are urged to submit Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) which are also known as national climate action plans. These are documents that detail the countries’ plans and progress to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to meet the global goals set by the Paris Agreement.

Historically, trying to track carbon emissions in rice farming has been a laborious process. MRV approaches relied solely on ground surveying and chamber measurements, which don’t scale and make carbon projects cost prohibitive for all but government-backed initiatives. Now, emerging technologies are enabling a new era of MRV for rice projects. These cutting edge techniques combine biogeochemical modeling, remote sensing and machine learning with strategic ground sampling and GHG measurements to validate and scale projects across more acreage without sacrificing scientific rigor. The discussion aimed to unveil the state of the science behind MRV, and…