From Paper Maps to GPS: How Digital MRV and Tokenization Can Unlock the Promise of Nature-Based Solutions
- karenhardy65
- Apr 27
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 28
Last month, I had the opportunity to present at the inaugural Nature Tech Unconference at the London School of Economics. It was curated by the Nature Tech Collective, with sessions voted by the community to bring together innovators at the intersection of nature, technology, and finance. My session, “Digital MRV and Tokenization: Scaling Transparent and Equitable Nature-Based Solutions,” explored how emerging technologies are reshaping the carbon markets and how they can help overcome the barriers that have historically blocked funding, trust, and access for community-led climate projects.
Nature-Based Solutions Are Full of Promise, But Face Systemic Barriers
We began by level-setting on the current state of the voluntary carbon market. Nature-based solutions are essential to global climate and biodiversity goals, yet they remain underfunded, unverified, and too often treated as an afterthought by investors. At the same time, they are frequently out of reach for the very communities and project developers doing the critical on-the-ground work.
Why Digital MRV and Tokenization Matter
I introduced two core concepts designed to address these systemic challenges:
Digital MRV (Measurement, Reporting & Verification): Automates and enhances environmental data collection through satellite imagery, AI sensors, and blockchain – similar to transforming MRV from a “paper map” into “GPS.”
Tokenization: Converts verified environmental credits into digital assets - similar to moving from “paper money” to “credit cards”, enabling traceable, transparent, and efficient credit issuance, trade, and retirement, with or without cryptocurrency.
Importantly, these tools don't replace existing standards, they enhance them. Through shared workflows, real-time data, and smart contracts, they can make nature-based credits more credible, scalable, and equitably accessible.
The InterWork Alliance dMRV Framework – An initiative of the Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC)
I also introduced the InterWork Alliance’s Digital Measurement Reporting & Verification (dMRV) Framework, an open standard that defines terminology, roles, workflows, and data models for digital credit origination. It ensures interoperability across the carbon market supply chain from project developers to verifiers to issuing registries and is designed to be extensible across methodologies, ecosystems, and impact types.
Observations from the Room: A Healthy Skepticism on Blockchain
One insight from the session (and the broader event) was that many participants associated digital MRV primarily with AI, sensors, and satellite imagery and data.
In fact, there were a few healthy skeptics in the room who raised valid concerns:
Isn’t blockchain energy-intensive?
Doesn’t it complicate systems that are already hard to navigate?
What’s a real-world use case where blockchain actually adds value?
These are important questions, and ones we should continue to surface, especially as the space matures.
In response: blockchain is not a silver bullet, but when used responsibly, it offers unique value, particularly in the context of tokenization and traceable credit issuance. For example, corporations investing in nature-based solutions want certainty, transparency, and verifiability. The benefit of tokenization, when paired with dMRV, is that it creates a tamper-proof audit trail that links credits to data offering buyers like corporations a higher level of trust and accountability. Low-energy blockchain networks like Hedera, XRPL (XRP Ledger), and Algorand provide a foundational trust layer for sustainability markets in urgent need of transparency and accountability.
What’s Next?
A tremendous opportunity exists to cultivate a collaborative ecosystem among startups, innovators, and blockchain networks that are helping push these boundaries forward.
At Nature Wired, we are focused on helping corporations invest in credible, transparent, and community-led nature-based solutions that leverage digital MRV and tokenization to strengthen accountability and impact. If you work at a corporation in sustainability or social impact, we would love your input. Please consider participating in this short 1- minute survey to help shape more effective sustainability engagement solutions.
As a GBBC Ambassador for Sustainability and Environment and an active member of the InterWork Alliance’s dMRV Taskforce, I am excited to support these open standards and help advance practical adoption across the market.
Let’s keep the conversation going:
Photos provided with thanks to the Nature Tech Collective Unconference.
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