In a move to standardize how soil carbon is measured and verified across climate projects, Gold Standard has released new guidelines designed to strengthen the scientific rigor of soil organic carbon (SOC) modeling under its certification framework.
The new model guidelines, developed in collaboration with climate tech firm Seqana and sustainability consultancy Sustainable AG, lay out a seven-step workflow aimed at improving transparency and consistency in estimating soil carbon changes.
The process guides project developers and verification bodies through model selection, data collection, calibration, validation, prediction, and final verification, Gold Standard said in a statement on Tuesday.
“By providing clear direction, we aim to build confidence among practitioners, policymakers, and investors, enabling soil carbon projects to deliver credible climate and environmental benefits at scale,” Giancarlo Raschio, Senior Specialist for Nature at Gold Standard, explained.
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The guidance allows flexibility in model choice, accommodating varying geographies, soil conditions, and climates.
Rather than mandating a single platform, the model-agnostic approach permits the use of both model-assisted and digital-soil-model-based estimation methods.
This is expected to make high-integrity climate action more scalable and cost-effective, especially in regions where field sampling is logistically difficult or expensive.
According to Julian Kremers, Co-Founder and CTO at Seqana, the guidelines offer a strong scientific basis while remaining user-friendly and adaptable, supporting scalable and cost-effective approaches to soil carbon modeling.
By integrating SOC models with on-the-ground measurements, projects can achieve credible carbon stock estimates while gradually reducing the need for frequent soil sampling and lowering monitoring costs without sacrificing scientific credibility.
Gold Standard’s release is part of a broader strategy to support the growing market for nature-based solutions and advance their Nature Responsibility Framework.
A public webinar detailing the guidelines will be held October 14, with speakers from Seqana scheduled to present. Registration is open here.
Read more: Gold Standard Hosts Webinar On New Nature Responsibility Framework
