The UNDP has created open-source software known as the National Carbon Registry, which aids countries in efficiently managing their carbon credit trading data and processes. This registry has received accreditation as a digital public good (DPG), employing open-source code, allowing countries to customize and replicate the information to suit their specific requirements. By offering reusable modules, software, and technical documentation, the registry can potentially reduce production costs and implementation timelines for countries.
UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner emphasizes the importance of open and collaborative digital technology in achieving global climate goals and underscores the need for safe, sustainable, and inclusive digital public infrastructure (DPI).
The registry adheres to national and international best practices, incorporating input from various countries. It is the result of ongoing efforts by the Digital4Climate (D4C) Working Group, which includes UNDP, the World Bank, the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), among others. This initiative also benefits from a community of practice for knowledge exchange.
Designed as an interoperable digital system, the registry can be seamlessly integrated with national measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems, as well as international digital platforms like UNDP’s voluntary cooperation platform and the World Bank’s global platform Climate Action Data Trust (CAD Trust). This integration can expand the suite of digital public infrastructure to tackle climate challenges comprehensively.
The World Bank’s Juergen Voegele highlights the significance of digital market infrastructure in scaling up transparent and high-integrity carbon markets to enhance global climate action.
UNDP and its partners are exploring how digital public infrastructure (some of which can be DPGs) can address nature, climate, and energy-related issues, aiming to counter the trend of siloed and monolithic software implementations.
Mr. James Grabert, Director of Mitigation Division at UNFCCC, views this initiative as an opportunity for countries to collaborate toward a shared good with potential benefits extending beyond the open-source registry system. It aligns with the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
Effective climate action necessitates substantial investment, with developing countries requiring over $6 trillion by 2030 to finance their climate goals outlined in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Carbon finance plays a crucial role in NDC implementation, enabled by market mechanisms outlined in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Despite growing global interest in carbon markets, there has been a lack of open-source software allowing countries to establish their own national registries for issuing and managing carbon credits.
The development of the National Carbon Registry has been made possible through contributions from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Government of Japan. Funding for UNDP’s voluntary cooperation platform and the World Bank’s Climate Warehouse Program was provided by the Government of Switzerland.
