New blockchain platform brings credibility to carbon registries

As governments and companies race to meet climate pledges, from net-zero goals to near-term emissions cuts, Cornell researchers have developed a blockchain-based platform to improve how those commitments are recorded and verified. Carbon registries serve as repositories for documenting emissions reductions, third-party verification and the issuance of carbon credits that can be bought and sold. But according to Cornell researchers, flaws in how most registries operate can lead to weak verification standards, double counting and misleading claims about how environmentally friendly a product or service is.