Soil carbon measurement and monitoring networks
We're flying blind on climate data
Climate action is happening in the dark. We're making trillion-dollar decisions about energy systems, carbon markets, and climate adaptation based on incomplete, outdated, or simply wrong information.
Most of what we think we know about emissions comes from estimates and calculations, not actual measurements. We're guessing at how much carbon forests store, how fast cities are decarbonizing, and whether our climate projects are working. Meanwhile, climate impacts are accelerating faster than our models predicted, and we need precise, real-time data to respond effectively.
This isn't just an academic problem. Investors can't tell which climate projects deliver real results. Cities can't plan infrastructure without knowing their local climate risks. Companies can't manage what they can't measure. The gap between what we need to know and what we actually know is enormous — and it's slowing down everything else.
We can't track what land, forests, and oceans are doing to the carbon cycle
Natural systems store and release enormous amounts of carbon, but we have surprisingly little real-time data about what they're actually doing. Forests might be storing more carbon than we think, or they might be releasing it due to drought, disease, or warming temperatures. Soils could be carbon sinks or carbon sources, and we often don't know which.
This uncertainty makes it nearly impossible to account for nature-based climate solutions or predict how natural systems will respond to climate change. We're making billion-dollar bets on forest protection and restoration without knowing if they're working as expected.
Soil carbon measurement and monitoring networks
Systems for measuring and tracking carbon stored in soils, which contain more carbon than the atmosphere and all vegetation combined. This includes both ground-based sampling networks and emerging technologies like spectroscopic sensors that can measure soil carbon remotely.
Soil carbon monitoring is essential for agricultural climate solutions, carbon farming programs, and understanding how land management affects carbon storage. These systems help farmers and land managers optimize practices for carbon sequestration and provide the data needed to verify soil carbon credits.