From a measurement to a credit
How Bark Methane Measurements Could Support Credits
SelvaFlux measures uptake and is developing a crediting method. Before credits could be issued, a registry would need to approve the method and an independent auditor would need to check the project.
- 01
Measure Methane Uptake
We measure methane flux on trees and their woody surface area in the field. We have built a satellite mapping tool using a patent-pending method. Pilots will calibrate and test its landscape estimates against field measurements. An approved crediting method would set the evidence and uncertainty requirements for an auditor to assess those estimates.
- 02
Build the Methodology
A registry must approve a methodology before it can credit methane uptake. The methodology sets the rules for what can be credited and how it must be verified. None exists yet for bark methane, so we are developing one for registry review. It would set baseline, additionality and permanence requirements. It must also state the methane quantity, the metric used to convert it to CO₂-equivalent units, and what the buyer can claim. Our main financial calculation uses GWP20. The terms of any credit would depend on the approved method.
- 03
Obtain Independent Verification
SelvaFlux would not verify or certify its own credits. Under an approved method, an accredited third party would check the project estimate before a registry could issue a credit.
Pilot Preparation and Registry Review
The method is patent pending, and the mapping tool is built. No pilot agreement has been signed. We are discussing candidate sites with developers and preparing the field measurement system and pilot terms. No registry credits bark methane today. Gold Standard is considering the crediting concept under NMC 187. Verra’s parallel module, M0423, is on hold. Verra plans to decide in the first quarter of 2027 whether to restart development. That decision would not approve the module. SelvaFlux plans for a first issued credit in 2030 or later. Approval is not guaranteed, and registry timelines can slip.
Methane Accounting Rules
See how GHG Protocol, SBTi, registries and national reporting treat methane, and which rules are changing.