Trees are one of the most iconic symbols of climate action. They pull carbon from the atmosphere, provide oxygen, restore biodiversity, and improve livelihoods. Afforestation (planting trees where none existed) and reforestation (restoring degraded forests) together are known as ARR projects.
Globally, ARR is one of the most widely adopted pathways in carbon markets. In India, with its vast degraded lands and dependence on agriculture and forests, ARR has immense potential.
But ARR also faces heavy scrutiny. Many projects promise more than they deliver: trees that never survive, monoculture plantations that harm biodiversity, or communities left out of benefits.
The 2025 Criteria for High-Quality CDR stress that ARR projects must be measured, durable, and just. That’s where Anaxee steps in—with last-mile reach, dMRV tools, and community-first models.
What Is ARR (Afforestation and Reforestation)?
ARR projects include:
-Afforestation: Establishing forests on land that has not been forested for decades.
-Reforestation: Restoring forests on degraded or recently deforested lands.
-Agroforestry & Bund Plantations: Integrating trees into farms, hedges, and bunds.
Done right, ARR not only removes carbon but delivers ecosystem resilience, biodiversity, and livelihoods.
Why ARR Matters for India
1. Huge Degraded Land Base
India has over 30 million hectares of degraded land—an untapped opportunity for carbon removal and ecosystem restoration.
2. Rural Livelihoods
Tree planting provides fuel, fodder, fruits, and timber—direct benefits for farmers and communities. With carbon finance, ARR becomes a long-term income stream.
3. Climate Targets
India’s NDCs under the Paris Agreement call for creating an additional 2.5–3 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent carbon sink by 2030 through forests and trees. ARR is central to this goal.
What Makes High-Quality ARR Projects?
The 2025 Criteria define key principles:
1. Social and Environmental Justice
-Avoid land grabs.
-Secure community consent and benefits.
-Respect Indigenous rights and cultural landscapes.
2. Biodiversity and Ecosystem Integrity
-No monoculture plantations in natural ecosystems.
-Native species, mixed forests, and landscape restoration.
3. Additionality and Baselines
-Projects must prove trees would not have grown without carbon finance.
-Conservative baselines for carbon stock.
4. MRV and Transparency
-Geotagged planting data.
-Satellite and ground verification.
-Independent third-party audits.
5. Durability
-Fire, drought, pests—ARR faces reversal risks. Projects must plan long-term maintenance and insurance buffers.
6. Leakage Control
-Ensure planting here doesn’t drive deforestation elsewhere.
The Challenges of ARR
-Low Survival Rates: Many plantation drives see <30% survival after a few years.
-Monocultures: Quick-growing species like eucalyptus harm ecosystems.
-Short-Termism: Projects collapse after initial funding.
-Community Exclusion: Farmers and locals often see no benefits.
This is why ARR projects face skepticism. To be credible, they must deliver quality, not just quantity.
Anaxee’s Approach to High-Quality ARR
Anaxee ensures ARR projects meet global standards while delivering local value.
1. Last-Mile Reach
-40,000+ Digital Runners mobilize communities across 26 states.
-Farmers are trained and incentivized for long-term tree care.
-Projects aligned with Verra (ARR methodologies), Gold Standard, and 2025 Criteria.
-Buyers receive auditable, traceable credits.
Case Example: Bund Plantations in Madhya Pradesh
Anaxee has pioneered bund plantations—trees planted along farm bunds:
-Carbon Removal: Sequesters carbon in biomass + soils.
-Farmer Benefits: Provides fodder, shade, and reduced erosion.
-Traceability: Each tree is geotagged and tracked in dMRV.
-Durability: Farmers protect trees because they share in revenue.
This model combines climate action, community income, and transparent reporting—a blueprint for scaling ARR in India.
India’s Global ARR Opportunity
Global buyers are looking for high-quality ARR credits:
-Microsoft, Shell, and major corporates invest in forest carbon.
-ARR credits trade actively in voluntary markets.
-Compliance markets (like India’s CCTS) may also integrate ARR soon.
If ARR in India meets quality benchmarks, it can:
-Unlock billions in carbon finance.
-Restore degraded landscapes.
-Create millions of rural jobs.
Scaling ARR: Quality over Hype
The world has seen too many “plant a billion trees” campaigns with little impact. The future is not about numbers—it’s about verified, durable, community-led ARR projects.
Scaling ARR requires:
-Quality-first design.
-Digital MRV for transparency.
-Farmer and community partnerships.
-Long-term management and durability planning.
Anaxee is building exactly this system in India.
Conclusion: Planting Trust Alongside Trees
ARR has the potential to be India’s most powerful carbon removal tool. But only if done right. The 2025 Criteria for High-Quality CDR provide the guardrails.
Anaxee ensures ARR projects are transparent, durable, and community-driven. By planting trust alongside trees, we create climate solutions that endure.
👉 Call to Action Partner with Anaxee to build high-quality afforestation and reforestation projects in India. Together, we can restore ecosystems, empower communities, and deliver credible carbon removals. Connect with us at sales@anaxee.com
Introduction: Why MRV Is the Backbone of Carbon Markets
Every carbon credit is supposed to represent one tonne of CO₂ removed or avoided. But how do we know that tonne is real? How do we ensure it isn’t double-counted, exaggerated, or reversed?
The answer is MRV—Measurement, Reporting, and Verification. Without MRV, carbon markets collapse into greenwashing and mistrust. With MRV, they become a credible climate solution.
The 2025 Criteria for High-Quality Carbon Dioxide Removal makes MRV one of its central pillars. High-quality projects must measure transparently, report consistently, and verify independently.
In India, where projects span millions of smallholders and diverse landscapes, this is even more critical. Traditional MRV methods—paper-based surveys, occasional audits—are too slow and prone to error. What’s needed is digital MRV (dMRV): scalable, transparent, and cost-effective.
That’s where Anaxee comes in.
What Is MRV in Carbon Projects?
MRV stands for:
Measurement – collecting accurate data on carbon removal or emissions reduction.
Reporting – documenting and sharing the data in a standardized format.
Verification – independent auditing to ensure credibility.
For example:
-In a soil carbon project, measurement involves soil sampling and remote sensing.
-Reporting involves compiling data into methodologies like Verra’s VM0047.
-Verification means third-party auditors checking data integrity.
Without these steps, credits are just promises on paper.
Why MRV Is So Challenging in India
India’s carbon opportunity is massive—but so are the MRV challenges:
-Scale: Millions of farmers across thousands of villages.
-Diversity: Crops, soils, and practices vary by region.
-Data Gaps: Smallholders often lack records or connectivity.
-Cost: Traditional MRV can eat up 30–40% of project revenues.
-Timeliness: Manual audits take months or years, delaying credits.
These challenges risk excluding smallholders or creating low-quality credits.
Digital MRV (dMRV): The Next Generation
Digital MRV uses technology to make monitoring real-time, scalable, and verifiable. Tools include:
-Remote Sensing: Satellite and drone imagery for land-use tracking.
-IoT Sensors: Soil moisture, carbon flux, and weather data.
-Mobile Apps: Farmer surveys, geotagged photos, and activity logs.
-AI & Machine Learning: Pattern recognition for crop and forest growth.
-Blockchain: Immutable reporting and transparent registries.
Together, these make MRV faster, cheaper, and more credible.
Why MRV Is a Pillar of High-Quality Carbon Removal
The 2025 Criteria for High-Quality CDR stress MRV for three reasons:
Integrity – ensuring every claimed tonne is real.
Transparency – buyers, auditors, and communities see the same data.
Durability – tracking projects over decades to prevent reversals.
MRV isn’t just a technical box to tick—it’s what separates a market built on trust from one riddled with greenwashing.
Anaxee’s dMRV: Tech-Enabled Trust at Scale
Anaxee has built a digital MRV ecosystem designed for India’s unique challenges:
-Reversal blind spots: missing when carbon is re-released.
Weak MRV undermines market trust. Buyers walk away, farmers lose out, and the climate suffers.
India’s Opportunity: Becoming a Hub for Transparent Credits
If India can solve MRV at scale, it can become the world’s hub for credible NbS credits. Global buyers increasingly demand transparency: Microsoft, Stripe, and Frontier all require rigorous MRV.
With dMRV, India can:
-Unlock farmer participation.
-Build buyer confidence.
-Reduce project costs.
-Position itself as a global leader in carbon credit quality.
Case Example: Bund Plantations + dMRV
In Anaxee’s bund plantation projects in Madhya Pradesh:
-Digital Runners record tree planting with geotagged photos.
-Satellites confirm survival and growth.
-AI models estimate biomass accumulation.
-Dashboards show transparent progress to buyers.
The result: credits that are traceable, auditable, and trusted.
Future of MRV: Beyond Compliance
MRV will evolve from being a compliance burden to a value creator:
-Farmers can use data for better crop management.
-Corporates gain brand trust through transparent offsets.
-Communities build resilience through shared monitoring.
Anaxee’s Climate Command Centre is already pioneering this future—linking MRV with community development, financial flows, and SDG impacts.
Conclusion: MRV as the Engine of Trust
Carbon markets live or die by trust. MRV is the engine of that trust. Without it, credits are empty promises. With it, credits become real climate action.
The 2025 Criteria for High-Quality CDR made this clear. For India, the challenge is scale and credibility. Anaxee’s dMRV shows how to bridge that gap—combining last-mile reach, digital tools, and transparent systems.
The future of carbon removal will be digital, transparent, and community-driven. Anaxee is already building it.
Partner with Anaxee to deploy scalable, transparent dMRV solutions in India’s carbon projects. Let’s build trust, credibility, and impact together.
About Anaxee:
Anaxee drives/develops large-scale, country-wide Climate and Carbon Credit projects across India. We specialize in Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) and community-driven initiatives, providing the technology and on-ground network needed to execute, monitor, and ensure transparency in projects like agroforestry, regenerative agriculture, improved cookstoves, solar devices, water filters and more. Our systems are designed to maintain integrity and verifiable impact in carbon methodologies.
Beyond climate, Anaxee is India’s Reach Engine- building the nation’s largest last-mile outreach network of 100,000 Digital Runners (shared, tech-enabled field force). We help corporates, agri-focused companies, and social organizations scale to rural and semi-urban India by executing projects in 26 states, 540+ districts, and 11,000+ pin codes, ensuring both scale and 100% transparency in last-mile operations. Connect with Anaxee at sales@anaxee.com
When we talk about climate solutions, the focus often goes to trees, solar panels, or electric vehicles. But there’s a silent climate ally right beneath us: soil.
Globally, soils store more carbon than the atmosphere and vegetation combined. Healthy soils are not just the backbone of agriculture; they are also a massive carbon sink. By adopting the right practices, farmers can draw down atmospheric carbon into soils—locking it away while boosting fertility, water retention, and resilience.
The 2025 Criteria for High-Quality CDR recognizes soil carbon as a key pathway, but with important caveats: measurement, durability, and community justice are critical.
For India—a country with over 150 million smallholder farmers—soil carbon is not just about climate. It’s about livelihoods, food security, and creating a new income stream through carbon finance.
What Is Soil Carbon Removal?
Soil carbon removal involves changing land management practices so that more carbon is stored in soils. This can be achieved through:
-Organic soil amendments – compost, biochar, or enhanced rock weathering.
-Pasture management – rotational grazing that enhances soil cover.
These changes help soils absorb and retain more organic carbon, turning farms into climate-positive landscapes.
Why Soil Carbon Matters for India
1. Agriculture Is Both Vulnerable and Powerful
Agriculture contributes to India’s emissions (methane, nitrous oxide), but it is also extremely vulnerable to climate change. Soil carbon projects can reverse degradation, improve yields, and build resilience.
2. Rural Livelihoods
Most Indian farmers operate on marginal lands with tight incomes. Soil carbon credits offer new revenue streams through global carbon markets—helping farmers while fighting climate change.
3. Scale
With millions of hectares of farmland, even modest improvements in soil carbon storage can translate into gigatonne-scale removals.
What Makes a High-Quality Soil Carbon Project?
According to the 2025 Criteria, soil carbon projects must meet strict benchmarks:
1. Social and Environmental Justice
-Ensure farmers are not locked into harmful contracts.
-Guarantee fair benefit-sharing from carbon revenues.
-Protect communities from risks like rising input costs.
2. Environmental Integrity
-Avoid overuse of fertilizers or chemicals that harm ecosystems.
-Promote biodiversity, soil health, and water retention.
3. Additionality and Baselines
-Show that soil practices would not have been adopted without carbon finance.
-Set conservative baselines that account for natural regeneration.
4. MRV (Measurement, Reporting, Verification)
-Use peer-reviewed models and direct sampling.
-Monitor soil carbon changes with scientific rigor.
-Combine field sampling with remote sensing for accuracy.
5. Durability
-Soil carbon is reversible—droughts, floods, or practice abandonment can release carbon. Projects must plan for long-term adoption and risk mitigation.
6. Leakage
-Prevent displacement of practices—e.g., if reduced tillage here leads to over-tillage elsewhere.
The Challenges in Soil Carbon
Soil carbon is powerful but tricky:
-Measurement Uncertainty – detecting small year-to-year changes is scientifically challenging.
-Permanence Risks – carbon can be re-released if practices stop.
-Farmer Adoption – smallholders may hesitate without upfront support.
-Market Trust – buyers worry about inflated or unverifiable credits.
This is why soil carbon must be implemented with robust MRV, long-term planning, and community-first approaches.
Anaxee’s Approach to Soil Carbon in India
Anaxee is working to make soil carbon projects credible, scalable, and farmer-friendly. Here’s how:
1. Farmer-Centric Model
-Farmers are partners, not just participants.
-We ensure clear contracts and transparent revenue sharing.
-We provide training in regenerative practices so benefits last beyond credits.
2. Digital MRV
-Our dMRV system combines:
Soil sampling protocols.
Remote sensing and satellite data.
Mobile-based farmer reporting (via Digital Runners).
-This ensures every tonne of soil carbon is traceable and verifiable.
3. Risk Mitigation
-Long-term engagement: multi-year contracts to prevent reversals.
-Blended portfolios: combining soil projects with agroforestry for durability.
-Early warning systems for risks like droughts.
4. Scale and Reach
-With 40,000+ Digital Runners across 26 states, we can engage farmers at scale.
-From Bund plantations in central India to regenerative farming in Punjab, Anaxee ensures projects are grounded in local context.
Soil Carbon and Global Carbon Markets
Buyers like Microsoft, Stripe, and Frontier are seeking high-quality removals—not just offsets. Soil carbon, if implemented well, can meet this demand.
However, buyers demand:
-Transparency in MRV.
-Durability guarantees.
-Clear community benefits.
By embedding the 2025 Criteria, Anaxee ensures Indian soil carbon projects meet global expectations while delivering local impact.
Case Example: Bund Plantations with Soil Benefits
In Madhya Pradesh, Anaxee has been implementing bund plantations (tree planting along farm bunds). These projects not only sequester carbon in trees but also:
-Reduce soil erosion.
-Improve water retention.
-Enhance soil organic matter.
Farmers see higher yields, lower risks, and additional carbon revenue—a model that aligns with soil carbon criteria while benefiting communities.
India’s Role in Scaling Soil Carbon
Globally, soil carbon is seen as one of the most scalable and affordable CDR solutions. For India:
-The sheer scale of agriculture makes it a climate opportunity.
-Programs like National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture can align with soil carbon.
-Carbon finance can create new rural economies.
The challenge is ensuring projects are high-quality, transparent, and durable. That’s the gap Anaxee fills.
Conclusion: Soil Carbon as India’s Climate and Rural Opportunity
Soil carbon is more than a climate tool—it’s a bridge between global carbon markets and local livelihoods. Done right, it improves soils, strengthens food systems, and rewards farmers while delivering credible removals.
But the “done right” is key. Without robust MRV, durability, and justice, soil carbon risks becoming another failed promise. With frameworks like the 2025 Criteria for High-Quality CDR, we now have the roadmap.
Anaxee is bringing that roadmap to life in India—combining tech, trust, and last-mile execution to ensure soil carbon projects are globally credible and locally transformative.
The future of climate action lies beneath our feet. It’s time we nurture it.
👉 Call to Action Partner with Anaxee to unlock India’s soil carbon potential. Together, we can build credible, farmer-first, and globally trusted carbon projects.
About Anaxee:
Anaxee drives/develops large-scale, country-wide Climate and Carbon Credit projects across India. We specialize in Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) and community-driven initiatives, providing the technology and on-ground network needed to execute, monitor, and ensure transparency in projects like agroforestry, regenerative agriculture, improved cookstoves, solar devices, water filters and more. Our systems are designed to maintain integrity and verifiable impact in carbon methodologies.
Beyond climate, Anaxee is India’s Reach Engine- building the nation’s largest last-mile outreach network of 100,000 Digital Runners (shared, tech-enabled field force). We help corporates, agri-focused companies, and social organizations scale to rural and semi-urban India by executing projects in 26 states, 540+ districts, and 11,000+ pin codes, ensuring both scale and 100% transparency in last-mile operations. Connect with Anaxee at sales@anaxee.com
The climate clock is ticking. The IPCC’s AR6 report is clear: reducing emissions alone will not keep us under the 1.5°C threshold. Alongside decarbonization, the world must actively remove between 100–1000 billion tonnes of CO₂ by 2100. That means by 2050, we need 5–10 billion tonnes of carbon removed annually.
But not all carbon removal is created equal. Many projects claim removals, yet face problems—weak baselines, double counting, lack of monitoring, or poor durability. This is why the 2025 Criteria for High-Quality Carbon Dioxide Removal was published—to set clear principles that ensure credibility, durability, and justice in the CDR industry.
For India, where millions depend on land, forests, and agriculture, ensuring quality in carbon projects is not just about climate—it is about livelihoods, ecosystems, and trust. And that’s where Anaxee steps in.
2. What Makes CDR “High-Quality”?
The 2025 criteria highlight seven essential pillars that define quality in carbon removal projects:
Social and Environmental Justice – projects must avoid harms and deliver fair benefits to local communities.
Environmental Integrity – protecting biodiversity, soil health, and water.
Additionality and Baselines – removals must be real and beyond business-as-usual.
Durability – ensuring captured carbon stays out of the atmosphere for decades or centuries.
Leakage Control – avoiding displacement of emissions elsewhere.
Effective Project Management – governance, transparency, and accountability.
Without these principles, carbon projects risk becoming “paper credits”—numbers that look good for corporate reporting but fail to deliver real climate impact.
3. Nature-Based vs. Engineered CDR
The report covers both nature-based (forestation, mangroves, soil carbon, agroforestry, rock weathering) and engineered methods (direct air capture, mineralization, biomass with storage).
-Nature-based solutions (NbS): cost-effective, co-benefits like biodiversity and livelihoods, but challenges in durability and MRV.
-Engineered solutions: durable storage, but expensive and limited in scale today.
In India, the immediate opportunity lies in NbS—where rural landowners, farmers, and communities can participate, provided projects follow high-quality criteria.
4. The Risk of Low-Quality Carbon Projects
A growing criticism of carbon markets is the prevalence of low-quality credits:
-Plantations in wrong ecosystems (biodiversity loss).
-Short-term projects that collapse after a few years.
-Lack of consent or benefit-sharing with communities.
-Inflated baselines that exaggerate impact.
Such failures create reputational risk for buyers and resentment among communities. Worse, they delay real climate action. That’s why frameworks like the 2025 Criteria matter—they separate meaningful carbon removals from greenwashing.
5. How Anaxee Adds Value in High-Quality CDR
Anaxee is positioning itself as India’s Climate Execution Engine, ensuring projects meet the highest global benchmarks. Here’s how:
-Last-Mile Reach: With 40,000+ Digital Runners across 26 states, Anaxee mobilizes rural communities at scale for afforestation, soil carbon, and agroforestry projects.
-dMRV Tools: In-house apps, geotagging, and AI-driven verification ensure transparent and traceable monitoring of every tree, farm, and intervention.
-Community-Centered Models: Farmers and landowners are direct beneficiaries—through revenue share, training, and alternative livelihoods.
-Transparency & Compliance: Projects align with Verra (VM0047, ARR, Soil Carbon), Gold Standard, and now emerging high-quality CDR criteria.
In short, Anaxee bridges the gap between global buyers demanding quality and local communities implementing projects on the ground.
6. India’s Role in the Global CDR Market
Globally, companies like Microsoft are already purchasing millions of tonnes of removals, For India, this creates an economic opportunity:
-Farmers and rural communities can access carbon finance.
-Corporates can meet CCTS (Carbon Credit Trading Scheme) compliance and voluntary commitments.
-India can position itself as a hub for NbS carbon credits, provided the projects are high-quality.
Anaxee’s role is to ensure India’s carbon projects are not just cheap offsets, but globally credible removals that meet durability, MRV, and justice standards.
7. The Road Ahead: Scaling Quality, Not Just Quantity
Scaling CDR is not just about planting millions of trees—it’s about doing it right. The future of the carbon market depends on trust. That means:
-Buyers must demand high-quality removals only.
-Developers must invest in dMRV and transparent reporting.
-Communities must be equal partners in the climate economy.
Anaxee’s Climate Command Centre, community-first models, and tech-driven transparency offer a template for how India can scale CDR without repeating past mistakes.
8. Conclusion
High-quality carbon removal is no longer optional—it is the foundation of credible climate action. The 2025 criteria give the world a common yardstick. For India, the challenge is turning these principles into practice at scale.
Anaxee is already doing this—by combining tech, trust, and last-mile reach to deliver projects that remove carbon, support communities, and stand up to global scrutiny.
The climate challenge is massive, but with quality, transparency, and collaboration, India can be a leader in the next generation of carbon removal.
About Anaxee:
Anaxee drives large-scale, country-wide Climate and Carbon Credit projects across India. We specialize in Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) and community-driven initiatives, providing the technology and on-ground network needed to execute, monitor, and ensure transparency in projects like agroforestry, regenerative agriculture, improved cookstoves, solar devices, water filters and more. Our systems are designed to maintain integrity and verifiable impact in carbon methodologies.
Beyond climate, Anaxee is India’s Reach Engine- building the nation’s largest last-mile outreach network of 100,000 Digital Runners (shared, tech-enabled field force). We help corporates, agri-focused companies, and social organizations scale to rural and semi-urban India by executing projects in 26 states, 540+ districts, and 11,000+ pin codes, ensuring both scale and 100% transparency in last-mile operations. Connect with Anaxee at sales@anaxee.com
MRV and Digital MRV in Carbon Projects: Ensuring Transparency and Trust
Introduction
For carbon markets to work, trust is essential. Buyers want to know that every carbon credit they purchase represents a real, measurable, and permanent reduction or removal of greenhouse gases. Communities want assurance that their participation is recognized and rewarded. Investors want confidence that the credits they finance won’t later be invalidated. The system that provides this trust is called Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV). Traditional MRV methods have been around since the earliest compliance markets, but as carbon finance scales globally, new tools are emerging. Digital MRV (dMRV) — powered by satellites, AI, sensors, and blockchain — promises faster, cheaper, and more transparent systems. This blog explores the evolution of MRV, the rise of dMRV, and what this means for the credibility of carbon markets.
What is MRV?
MRV stands for Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification:
Monitoring: Collecting data on project activities (e.g., tree growth, energy savings, emissions avoided).
Reporting: Documenting the methods, data, and calculations in line with recognized standards.
Verification: Independent third-party auditors confirm the accuracy of the reported data.
Together, MRV ensures that carbon credits represent actual climate benefits.
Why MRV Matters
-Credibility: Without robust MRV, carbon credits lose legitimacy. -Investor Confidence: Reliable MRV attracts capital into projects. -Market Integrity: Prevents greenwashing and inflated claims. -Community Trust: Ensures benefits reach Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs).
Traditional MRV: Strengths and Limitations
Strengths:
-Based on established methodologies (Verra, Gold Standard, CDM). -Accepted by regulators, investors, and buyers. -Provides detailed documentation.
Limitations:
-Expensive: Field surveys and manual data collection require significant resources. -Slow: Verification cycles can take years, delaying credit issuance. -Limited Coverage: Ground teams can only measure a fraction of the project area. -Risk of Errors: Human bias and measurement gaps.
The Rise of Digital MRV (dMRV)
dMRV uses technology to automate and improve the MRV process. Tools include: -Satellites & Remote Sensing: Monitor forest cover, biomass growth, or land-use change. -Drones: Provide high-resolution imagery and monitoring in hard-to-reach areas. -IoT Sensors: Track soil carbon, air quality, or energy usage in real time. -AI & Machine Learning: Analyze massive datasets to detect patterns and anomalies. -Blockchain: Records data securely and transparently, preventing tampering. -Mobile Apps: Enable community monitors to collect field data directly.
Benefits of dMRV
Lower Costs: Reduces the need for expensive field surveys.
Speed: Faster verification cycles mean quicker credit issuance.
Scalability: Can cover millions of hectares globally.
Transparency: Data available to all stakeholders increases trust.
Community Inclusion: Digital tools allow local monitors to feed into global systems.
Challenges of dMRV
-Data Gaps: Satellites may struggle with cloud cover or dense forests. -Standardization: Lack of universally accepted digital methodologies. -Access Issues: Communities may lack digital infrastructure. -Trust in Tech: Buyers and regulators may question automated systems without human oversight. -Cost of Technology: Initial setup of sensors and platforms can be expensive.
Case Studies
Kenya – Reforestation with Remote Sensing
Projects use high-resolution satellite imagery to monitor forest growth, reducing verification costs by 40%.
India – Cookstove Monitoring via Mobile Apps
Households log fuel use on mobile apps, feeding data directly into verification systems.
Brazil – Amazon REDD+ Projects
AI-driven analysis of deforestation alerts helps ensure additionality and prevent leakage.
The Role of Standards and Registries
-Verra & Gold Standard: Exploring integration of digital tools into methodologies. -ICVCM: Core Carbon Principles emphasize transparency and data quality. -Article 6 of Paris Agreement: Digital MRV will be crucial for international transfer of mitigation outcomes (ITMOs).
The Future of MRV and dMRV
-Hybrid Systems: Combining traditional ground surveys with digital tools for accuracy. -Global Standardization: ICVCM and Article 6 frameworks may harmonize MRV requirements. -AI at Scale: Machine learning can make continuous monitoring the norm. -Open Data Platforms: Sharing dMRV data publicly to enhance market trust. -Integration with Finance: Investors may demand real-time MRV dashboards before committing capital.
Conclusion
MRV is the backbone of carbon markets. Without it, trust collapses. Traditional MRV has provided a foundation, but it is too slow and costly for the scale of climate finance needed. Digital MRV offers a solution: faster, cheaper, and more transparent systems. Yet challenges remain in standardization, cost, and community access. The future will likely be a hybrid: combining human oversight with digital innovation. If designed well, dMRV will not just ensure the credibility of carbon credits but also empower communities and investors with real-time insights. In doing so, it can make carbon markets both more trustworthy and more effective.
About Anaxee: Anaxee drives large-scale, country-wide Climate and Carbon Credit projects across India. We specialize in Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) and community-driven initiatives, providing the technology and on-ground network needed to execute, monitor, and ensure transparency in projects like agroforestry, regenerative agriculture, improved cookstoves, solar devices, water filters and more. Our systems are designed to maintain integrity and verifiable impact in carbon methodologies.
Beyond climate, Anaxee is India’s Reach Engine- building the nation’s largest last-mile outreach network of 100,000 Digital Runners (shared, tech-enabled field force). We help corporates, agri-focused companies, and social organizations scale to rural and semi-urban India by executing projects in 26 states, 540+ districts, and 11,000+ pin codes, ensuring both scale and 100% transparency in last-mile operations. Connect with Anaxee at sales@anaxee.com
The Ideal Process Flow for Agroforestry Projects (Especially on Farmer Land)
In many agroforestry projects, people get excited and start rushing things.
Pits are dug by generic labourers & contractors, approx number of saplings dispatched to site, plantation begins- but then problems start coming one after another. Plants don’t survive, saplings count in mismatched saplings are either short or over supplied on a plot, it leads to waste of sapling, or opportunity. You are dependent on field supervisors for information about the project, rather depending on quality checked data. You are at the mercy of people on the ground.
Even worse, after 2–3 years, there’s no proper data of actual plantation done, which affects the carbon credit process.
From our experience on farmer lands, we advise Project Developers and Investors a very different scalable work-flow for a foolproof Agroforestry project. We suggest using Technology from Day 1, during the planning stage. The technology should drive actions done on the field, and not vice versa.
Here is how the flow should look like:
1. Baseline Survey + KML Mapping
Before touching the land parcel, understand it properly. Do a proper baseline survey and Polygon mapping, generate KML files to digitally mark the boundary of each farmer’s land.
Then use this polygon mapping to study the shape of the land and check for any barriers like water bodies, houses, slopes or bunds. This helps you know how much area is actually usable and available for plantation
2. Pit Digging & Infrastructure Setup
Calculate exact number of trees possible in that land parcel. Don’t let the labourers dig pits randomly. Decide how many pits to dig, where to dig and what spacing to keep between saplings. Create a layout for every plot, similar to how architects create drawings for every room in a house. If it’s a bund plantation, count the available bunds and total trees which can be accommodated on that bund.
Also plan and install drip irrigation before plantation begins. Water supply is very important in the first 2–3 years of plant life. Don’t delay it.
3. Digital Count of the Pits
Once the pits are ready, do the pits counting digitally.
If possible, use drones to get aerial visuals and understand the area better.
This gives a more accurate number of how many saplings you really need.
4. Plantation + Geo-Tagging
During plantation, make sure each sapling is geo-tagged or marked with a unique ID.
This helps you track which sapling was planted where, and makes it easier for monitoring later.
Think of every tree like a data point.
5. Digital Monitoring & Replantation Planning
After plantation, don’t forget the plants. Do follow ups regularly- after the first rain, after 6 months, and again after 1 year. If some saplings die, you’ll know exactly which ones need to be replanted if they’re geo-tagged. Otherwise, replantation becomes full of guesswork and confusion.
6. Carbon Monitoring & Reporting
If your goal is to earn carbon credits, you need 2–3 years of consistent digital records.
This includes:
– Tree survival data
– Geo-tagged reports
– Replantation logs
– Irrigation reports
Only with this kind of digital documentation and tech-based process, your project will qualify for carbon credit eligibility.
Agroforestry is not just about planting trees- it’s about managing them like large-scale operations. And for that system to work, you need a proper process.
Follow this flow strictly, especially when working on small holding farmers’ land.
It saves time, reduces plant loss and improves the overall impact of the project.
Anaxee drives large-scale, country-wide Climate and Carbon Credit projects across India. We specialize in Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) and community-driven initiatives, providing the technology and on-ground network needed to execute, monitor, and ensure transparency in projects like agroforestry, regenerative agriculture, improved cookstoves, solar devices, water filters and more. Our systems are designed to maintain integrity and verifiable impact in carbon methodologies.
Beyond climate, Anaxee is India’s Reach Engine- building the nation’s largest last-mile outreach network of 100,000 Digital Runners (shared, tech-enabled field force). We help corporates, agri-focused companies, and social organizations scale to rural and semi-urban India by executing projects in 26 states, 540+ districts, and 11,000+ pin codes, ensuring both scale and 100% transparency in last-mile operations.
Carbon markets face a credibility crunch. Manual MRV is slow, costly and prone to error. Digital MRV (dMRV) promises transparent, near‑real‑time proof of impact—yet many solutions lack on‑ground validation at scale. Anaxee Digital Runners bridges this gap with a 40,000‑member field force synced to an AI‑driven data cloud, slashing verification costs by up to 70 % while empowering smallholders across 120,000 Indian villages.
1 The Trust Deficit in Carbon Markets
By 2025 the voluntary carbon market (VCM) surpassed USD 2.1 billion in annual value. Yet credibility lags. A 2024 Guardian investigation found that nearly 30 % of issued credits showed overstated impact or dubious baselines. Corporations—fearful of greenwashing headlines—now demand bulletproof data trails.
Traditional MRV, built on sporadic field visits and manual paperwork, simply cannot meet today’s expectations for timeliness, granularity or transparency. Verification invoices often exceed USD 6–8 per tCO₂e for small projects, eroding developer margins.
dMRV has emerged as the antidote: integrate satellites, sensors and secure ledgers to automate evidence gathering. But technology alone does not solve the “ground truth” gap—the need to confirm that what the pixels show, actually exists.
Digital Measurement, Reporting & Verification (dMRV) layers tech across the classic MRV triad.
Pillar
Digital Enhancer
Examples
Measurement
Remote sensing, drones, IoT
Sentinel‑2 imagery; smart stove meters
Reporting
Cloud dashboards, APIs
JSON data feeds to Verra’s Climate Check
Verification
Immutable ledgers, AI anomaly detection
Hyperledger‑fabric records; ML leakage alerts
Key Standards to Know
-D‑VERA: Digital Guidance under Verra’s VM0047 methodology.
-Gold Standard Digital MRV Sandbox: Fast‑track protocols for tech‑enabled projects.
-ISO 14 064‑1:2023: Introduces digital data assurance clauses.
Tip for developers: Align your data schema with emerging open‑source ontologies like dMRV‑O to future‑proof registry integration.
3. Anaxee’s Origin Story: From Digital KYC to Climate KYC
Founded in 2016, Indore‑based Anaxee Digital Runners originally performed doorstep KYC verifications for banks and telecoms. By 2020 the company had assembled India’s largest gig‑enabled field network—Digital Runners—covering every second village.
In the same period, climate developers struggled to monitor dispersed assets such as agroforestry plots or rural cook‑stoves. Anaxee spotted the adjacency: replace KYC forms with “Climate KYC” tasks—geotagged photos, sapling girth measurements, sensor swaps—synced via the existing mobile app.
Pivot Year (2021): Anaxee signed its first carbon client—a 5,000‑ha bamboo agroforestry venture in Madhya Pradesh. The pilot cut verification time from 14 months to 6 months, attracting more projects and sparking a dedicated Climate Tech division.
4 Building the Tech Stack: Acquisition → Processing → Ledger → Insights
4.1 Data Acquisition Layer
Satellites – 10‑m Sentinel‑2 and PlanetScope streams ingested via AWS Open‑Data.
Drones – Hire‑per‑day VTOL drones capture <5 cm ortho‑mosaics for baseline plots.
Mobile Surveys – Runner app enforces photo+video evidence with AI on‑device QC.
4.2 Processing Layer
-AI Biomass Engine – CNN models classify tree species & diameter at crown spread with 92 % precision. -Leakage Detector – Multi‑temporal NDVI change triggers human audit within 72 h. -Sensor QA/QC – Dual‑channel median filters catch drift; flagged outliers auto‑dispatch a Runner.
4.3 Ledger Layer
-Hyperledger Fabric – Permissioned consortium chain co‑run with registry auditors. -IPFS Storage – Stores raw imagery hashes for audit reproducibility.
4.4 Insights Layer
–Custom dMRV Dashboard: Climate KPIs, geospatial heatmaps, CO₂e ticker. -API Kit: Plug‑and‑play endpoints for Verra, Gold Standard, SAP Sustainability Control Tower.
5. Human‑in‑the‑Loop: Why Last‑Mile Validation Still Matters
Purely remote dMRV solutions often stumble on:
-Occult Tree Loss – Under‑storey sapling mortality invisible to satellites.
-Device Tampering – Stove users might remove SIM modules to save power.
Anaxee’s Digital Runners close these gaps:
-Presence Proof – Runners geotag each sapling, capturing 360° imagery.
-Sensor Integrity – Monthly field visits include QR‑coded photos, preventing ghost devices.
Each Runner earns ₹25–40 per task, converting idle time into income while ensuring data fidelity.
6. Navigating the Regulatory Maze: Article 6, NAPCC & Beyond
6.1 Article 6 of the Paris Agreement
UN supervisory bodies have signalled that digital reporting templates will become default. Anaxee’s ledger design aligns with the Article 6 Information Matrix, mapping every credit to a unique digital asset.
6.2 India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)
Eight sub‑missions now encourage digital transparency. Anaxee’s APIs feed directly into the National Carbon Registry sandbox run by the Ministry of Environment.
6.3 Data Privacy & Security
Compliant with DPDP Act 2023: personal identifiers are tokenised; only statistical aggregates leave India’s borders.
7 Case Studies
7.1 Agroforestry & Trees‑Outside‑Forests (TOF)
-Location: Vidarbha, Maharashtra.
-Scale: 18,400 farmers, 11,900 ha.
-dMRV Edge: 3.2 million tree crowns mapped; Runner spot‑checks confirm 97 % model accuracy.
-Outcome:125,000 credits issued at USD 9/tCO₂e, 68 % cost reduction vs manual MRV.
7.2 Clean Cooking & LPG Shift
-Households: 64,000 rural homes, Madhya Pradesh.
-Tech: GPRS stove meters; UPI micro‑payments.
-Impact: 1.7 tCO₂e avoided per home. Verification cycle compressed to quarterly, enabling rolling issuances.
8. Cost–Benefit Analysis: dMRV vs Legacy MRV
Metric
Manual MRV
Anaxee dMRV
Delta
Verification Cost (USD/ha/yr)
14.5
4.2
−71 %
Issuance Lag (months)
14
5
−64 %
Auditor Site Visits
2/year
Remote + 0.3 on‑site*
−85 %
Farmer Revenue Share
51 %
68 %
+17PP
*Average across 2024 projects.
9. Scaling Internationally: Kenya, Brazil & The Franchise Model
Kenya Pilot (2024): Partnered with local NGO to recruit 2,200 “Runner‑Lites” mapping agro‑pastoral land. API integration with Africa Carbon Exchange.
Brazil Pilot (2025): Mato Grosso regenerative cattle project. LoRa sensors on herd collars track methane proxies; Runner franchise handles sensor upkeep.
Shift to energy‑harvesting IoT chips; Runner‑triggered battery swap alerts.
AI Bias on Minor Species
Incorporate spectral libraries from ICAR & Kew Gardens; active‑learning loops.
Data Sovereignty Jurisdictions
Deploy sovereign cloud nodes via Azure Arc.
Scaling Runner Quality
Gamified training app; quarterly certification exams.
Upcoming Features (H2 2025):
-Zero‑Knowledge MRV Proofs for privacy‑preserving validation.
-Generative AI dashboards auto‑explain anomalies to auditors.
-Tokenised Credit Marketplace enabling T+1 settlement for smallholders via CBDC‑compatible rails.
11 Conclusion: A Call for Collaborative Climate Infrastructure
Carbon markets cannot thrive on blind faith. They demand infrastructure of trust—transparent, verifiable and inclusive. Anaxee Digital Runners has demonstrated that the fusion of satellites, sensors and a human mesh network can deliver that trust at scale, putting more revenue into the hands of the rural communities who steward our planet’s carbon sinks.
Whether you are a corporate sustainability head, a registry auditor, or a project developer seeking scale, Anaxee’s dMRV playbook offers a proven path forward.
About Anaxee:
Anaxee is India’s Reach Engine! we are building India’s largest last-mile outreach network of 100,000 Digital Runners (shared feet-on-street, tech-enabled) to help Businesses and Social Organizations scale to rural and semi-urban India, We operate in 26 states, 540+ districts, and 11,000+ pin codes in India. We Help in last-mile execution of projects for (1) Corporates, (2) Agri-focused companies, (3) Climate, and (4) Social organizations. Using technology and people on-the-ground (our Digital Runners), we help in scale and execute projects across 100s of cities and bring 100% transparency in groundwork. We also work in the Tech for Climate domain, providing technology for the execution and monitoring of Nature-Based (NbS) and Community projects. Our technology & processes bring transparency and integrity into carbon projects across various methodologies (Agroforestry, Regen Agriculture, Solar devices, Improved Cookstoves, Water filters, LED lamps, etc.) worldwide.
Anaxee Digital Runners Private Limited 303, Right-wing, (use Lift#1) New IT Park Building 3rd floor, Pardesi Pura Main Rd, Electronic Complex, Sukhlia, Indore,
Madhya Pradesh 452003
