South Pole, Gaïago, and Gold Standard have issued the first carbon credits from the European Soil Revitalization Program, marking a global first as the inaugural project worldwide to be design-certified and issue carbon credits under Gold Standard’s Soil Organic Carbon Framework Methodology. Launched in 2022 and implemented on the ground in France and Belgium by agtech company Gaïago with carbon asset development from South Pole, the program assists farmers in adopting regenerative practices while facilitating carbon dioxide removal. The initial issuance encompasses the first 6,000 verified hectares of project land, offering corporate net-zero-oriented buyers access to scientifically verified land-use carbon removal credits.

The primary challenge addressed by the initiative involves establishing verifiable trust and integrity for soil carbon removals, which historically struggled with rigorous measurement and scalability. To overcome this hurdle, market participants needed a standardized framework capable of accurately quantifying soil organic carbon changes while aligning with strict international standards and scientific criteria. Furthermore, engaging local farmers and ensuring they adopt sustainable land management practices required structured training programs and reliable monitoring protocols.

To address these challenges, the collaborators utilized Gold Standard’s Soil Organic Carbon Framework Methodology alongside the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s GSOC MRV protocol and the FAO RECSOIL Initiative. South Pole managed the development and verification processes required for Gold Standard certification, while Gaïago deployed operational frameworks on the ground. Additionally, the project aligned its methodology with the Science Based Targets initiative’s Ongoing Emissions Responsibility recognition scheme, and successfully trained nearly two thousand local stakeholders on soil health.

These coordinated efforts resulted in the successful issuance of novel European soil carbon credits now available on the market. Looking ahead, the European Soil Revitalization Program plans to expand coverage to 39,282 hectares utilizing a network of 727 participating farms, with expectations to remove 264,174 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent over its first crediting period. This milestone demonstrates that soil carbon removals can be accurately measured, verified, and delivered at scale to unlock vital climate finance for sustainable agricultural management across Europe.