RCGI launches carbon credit registry with scientific rigor

Initiative combines validation with a mandatory fund that transforms credits into investments for science and society.

Agência FAPESP* – The Research Center for Greenhouse Gas Innovation (RCGI) has launched the RCGI-USP Carbon Registry, Brazil’s first national carbon credit registry. The unique features of the initiative include the development of its own methodologies, which are continuously audited and aligned with international standards, as well as the Climate, Community, Biodiversity, Science & Social (CCB-SS) model. The latter requires that part of the credits be directed to an exclusive fund to finance scientific research and socio-environmental projects.

The RCGI is an Applied Research Center (ARC) established with support from FAPESP, Shell, and other companies. It is based at the Engineering School of the University of São Paulo (POLI-USP).

In practice, a registry validates, issues, and tracks each carbon credit to ensure it is unique, verifiable, and traceable. Without registration, the credit does not exist for either those who need to meet decarbonization targets or those who wish to sell their environmental results. The cycle involves five main actors: the project proponent and developer, the independent verifier (auditing), the registrar (validation, registration, and traceability), and the buyers and sellers. This process illustrates the pivotal role of registries in the carbon market.

“A carbon registry becomes more robust when it combines two essential elements: science and public interest. The RCGI-USP Carbon Registry was created with its own methodologies, which are continuously audited, to strengthen the integrity of Brazilian credits and align them with international best practices,” says Julio Meneghini, scientific director of the RCGI and one of the leaders of the initiative (read more at agencia.fapesp.br/56669).  

Academic backing

The methodologies adopted by the RCGI-USP Carbon Registry were developed for the Brazilian context, ensuring adherence to the unique characteristics of the industry and national biomes, as well as the international standards of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The CCB-SS model stipulates that a portion of the credits must be allocated to a fund that finances scientific research, environmental conservation, and social impact initiatives. This makes these contributions structural rather than optional.

In practice, the registry reduces barriers for the productive sector by charging in Brazilian reais, setting analysis deadlines of up to 90 days (compared to 12 months for international platforms), and offering a tool for preparing greenhouse gas emissions inventories based on the international GHG Protocol standard. The system is simplified and geared toward micro and small businesses. In the case of large companies, it provides technical support for incorporating indirect emissions.

Independent governance

The RCGI-USP Carbon Registry will be operated by a startup with DNA USP. The university will develop its own scientific methodologies and certify the adequacy of external methodologies. An independent technical committee coordinated by RCGI-USP will review and audit these methodologies at all stages to ensure scientific rigor.

With methodologies tailored to Brazilian reality that are continuously audited and aligned with international standards, the registry aims to raise integrity standards, strengthen confidence in the voluntary market, and prepare the country for a future regulated market. According to the design of the Brazilian Emissions Trading System (SBCE), companies that emit more than 10,000 tCO₂e per year must monitor and report their emissions. Those that emit more than 25,000 tCO₂e per year must also deliver quotas equivalent to their emissions.

* With information from the RCGI Press Office