South Pole, Gaïago, and Gold Standard have issued the first carbon credits under Gold Standard's Soil Organic Carbon Framework Methodology. The credits come from the European Soil Revitalization Program, covering an initial 6,000 verified hectares in France and Belgium. The program plans to expand to 39,282 hectares across 727 farms, with expected removals of 264,174 tCO2e over the first crediting period. The project uses the FAO GSOC MRV protocol and tracks against SBTi's Ongoing Emissions Responsibility recognition scheme. South Pole handled development and verification for Gaïago, which operates the program on the ground. Corporate buyers looking for land-based removal credits can now access soil carbon credits from a Gold Standard certified methodology, but should review permanence and baseline assumptions before purchase.
