The carbon sequestration project being implemented by the Ukrainian agricultural holding Kernel in the Chernihiv region has been audited against the Verified Carbon Standard, an international standard set by Verra. An independent auditor verified the implementation of climate-friendly practices across 11 fields in the ‘Druzhba-Nova’ cluster.
According to a statement from the company, Verra’s final decision is expected in January.
Kernel has not provided any specific details. It is known that the project is being carried out on a 15-hectare site. There, the company has changed its approach to land cultivation, which is intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester more carbon.
Specific features of an audit
The assessment of the project’s compliance with international standards comprised interviews with the agronomy department and the cluster’s management, as well as an evaluation of the technology and project monitoring. The auditor examined the cultivation techniques, the data recording and collection system, agronomic monitoring and the laboratory’s operations.
Kernel states that, according to the audit findings, the standard of management and the accuracy of the analytics received a positive assessment.
At the same time, this project has been included in the assessment carried out by Sylvera, an international carbon market rating agency.
The company emphasises that, through this project, it sought to demonstrate the potential of the Ukrainian agricultural sector and its ability to operate under harsh climatic conditions.
"It is important for us to demonstrate that emissions reductions in agriculture can be clearly measured and verified. Kernel is implementing these practices on its own fields, so we are accountable for both the results and the quality of the data. In the long term, this experience will pave the way for other Ukrainian agricultural producers to attract international climate investment,” said Marta Trofimova, Head of Sustainable Development at Kernel.
Following final validation by Verra in January, Kernel will register the project. This will enable the company to issue international carbon credits.
As previously reported by EcoPolitic, the company will be able to sell them. The cost of one tonne of sequestered carbon ranges between $15 and $30.
This Kernel project has raised doubts amongst environmental activists. They discovered that one of the plots had been used as pasture as recently as 2019. At the same time, Verra’s standards stipulate that, to be eligible for verification, fields must not have been created by destroying natural ecosystems less than ten years prior to submission.
