ESA APPS CCN1 – Nature-Based Carbon Measurement and Monitoring
Project type: Carbon and nature MRV for wetlands, peatlands and mixed habitats
Partners: ESA, WRA, local conservation teams
Pilot Client: CarbonClear and Notranjska Regional Park (Slovenia)
Overview
APPS CCN1 expands Aquascope's technology into a complete Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) service for carbon, water and nature assets. The project focuses on accurately measuring carbon stocks, modelling carbon fluxes, identifying additionality, and supporting certification for high-integrity carbon credits.
Technical Approach
Aquascope combines three core components:
Satellite Monitoring
High-resolution imagery to track land cover, vegetation health, moisture, and hydrological conditions across wetlands and peatlands.
Ground Truthing
Sensor and field measurements to validate satellite observations and support accurate carbon quantification.
INCA Carbon & Water Modelling
Process-based modelling of carbon fluxes, dissolved carbon, hydrology and nutrient interactions, supporting additionality assessments and future projections under different restoration scenarios.
Commercial Features Developed
AquaBase (Carbon)
Defines baseline carbon stocks, sequestration potential and project feasibility.
AquaScenario (Carbon + Water)
Runs multiple land-use or restoration scenarios to model their effects on carbon dynamics, water quality and hydrology.
AquaMonitor
Monitors certified natural assets in near-real time, tracking ecosystem health, detecting anomalies and supporting ongoing verification.
Pilot Deployment: Notranjska Regional Park
Aquascope delivered full MRV support for CarbonClear, enabling independent verification and validation bodies to certify both water and carbon components of a large mixed-ecosystem restoration project. This demonstrated the platform's capability to quantify carbon additionality, monitor long-term sequestration, and create trusted carbon assets for compliance and voluntary markets.
Market Impact
The project positions Aquascope at the forefront of high-integrity carbon MRV, addressing rising demand for transparent carbon accounting. It aligns with global trends in compliance carbon markets and emerging nature markets, and establishes long-term IP for measuring and monitoring wetlands and peatlands.