An open-access database of nature-based carbon offset project boundaries
Abstract Nature-based climate solutions (NBS) have become an important component of strategies aiming to reduce atmospheric CO2 and mitigate climate change impacts. Carbon offsets have emerged as one of the most widely implemented NBS strategies, however, these projects have also been criticized for...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Scientific Data |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-04868-2 |
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| _version_ | 1849712943795535872 |
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| author | Akshata Karnik John B. Kilbride Tristan R. H. Goodbody Rachael Ross Elias Ayrey |
| author_facet | Akshata Karnik John B. Kilbride Tristan R. H. Goodbody Rachael Ross Elias Ayrey |
| author_sort | Akshata Karnik |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Nature-based climate solutions (NBS) have become an important component of strategies aiming to reduce atmospheric CO2 and mitigate climate change impacts. Carbon offsets have emerged as one of the most widely implemented NBS strategies, however, these projects have also been criticized for exaggerating offsets. Verifying the efficacy of NBS-derived carbon offset is complicated by a lack of readily available geospatial boundary data. Herein, we detail methods and present a database of nature-based offset project boundaries. This database provides the locations of 575 NBS projects distributed across 55 countries. Geospatial boundaries were aggregated using a combination of scraping data from carbon project registries (n = 433, 75.3%) as well as manual georeferencing and digitization (n = 127, 22.1%). Database entries include three varieties of carbon projects: avoided deforestation, afforestation, reforestation and re-vegetation, and improved forest management. An accuracy assessment of the georeferencing and digitizing process indicated a high degree of accuracy (intersection over union score of 0.98 ± 0.015). |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2eb3a59a04f443659e26cff6813dca72 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2052-4463 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Data |
| spelling | doaj-art-2eb3a59a04f443659e26cff6813dca722025-08-20T03:14:07ZengNature PortfolioScientific Data2052-44632025-04-011211910.1038/s41597-025-04868-2An open-access database of nature-based carbon offset project boundariesAkshata Karnik0John B. Kilbride1Tristan R. H. Goodbody2Rachael Ross3Elias Ayrey4Renoster Systems Inc.Renoster Systems Inc.Renoster Systems Inc.Renoster Systems Inc.Renoster Systems Inc.Abstract Nature-based climate solutions (NBS) have become an important component of strategies aiming to reduce atmospheric CO2 and mitigate climate change impacts. Carbon offsets have emerged as one of the most widely implemented NBS strategies, however, these projects have also been criticized for exaggerating offsets. Verifying the efficacy of NBS-derived carbon offset is complicated by a lack of readily available geospatial boundary data. Herein, we detail methods and present a database of nature-based offset project boundaries. This database provides the locations of 575 NBS projects distributed across 55 countries. Geospatial boundaries were aggregated using a combination of scraping data from carbon project registries (n = 433, 75.3%) as well as manual georeferencing and digitization (n = 127, 22.1%). Database entries include three varieties of carbon projects: avoided deforestation, afforestation, reforestation and re-vegetation, and improved forest management. An accuracy assessment of the georeferencing and digitizing process indicated a high degree of accuracy (intersection over union score of 0.98 ± 0.015).https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-04868-2 |
| spellingShingle | Akshata Karnik John B. Kilbride Tristan R. H. Goodbody Rachael Ross Elias Ayrey An open-access database of nature-based carbon offset project boundaries Scientific Data |
| title | An open-access database of nature-based carbon offset project boundaries |
| title_full | An open-access database of nature-based carbon offset project boundaries |
| title_fullStr | An open-access database of nature-based carbon offset project boundaries |
| title_full_unstemmed | An open-access database of nature-based carbon offset project boundaries |
| title_short | An open-access database of nature-based carbon offset project boundaries |
| title_sort | open access database of nature based carbon offset project boundaries |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-04868-2 |
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