Planet Labs PBC a leading provider of global, daily satellite imagery and geospatial solutions announced that they have signed a multi-year, seven-figure deal with Laconic, a company leading a global shift in climate finance, empowering governments to monetize natural carbon assets through its Sovereign Carbon securitization platform.
In this deal, Laconic can use Planet’s 3-meter Forest Carbon Monitoring product and 30-meter Forest Carbon product for the next three years.
Laconic’s CEO Andrew Gilmour said,
“Planet’s Forest Carbon products give us a best-in-class data layer from which we can extract critical insights for our customers. The scope of their product is exceptional. Nowhere else could we get trusted forest carbon data at this high of a cadence or resolution.”
The partnership aims to establish a reliable, data-rich system for generating and trading sovereign carbon, a financial asset created by nations to reduce deforestation in their rainforests.
Planet’s Revolutionary Forest Carbon Monitoring System
Forests play a vital role in absorbing carbon dioxide, yet accurately estimating the carbon they store has always been challenging. Traditional methods like ground surveys, costly airborne missions, or inconsistent satellite data have some cons. They are either expensive or impractical on a large scale. Planet’s Forest Carbon Monitoring products address these challenges with advanced, scalable solutions.
What is Forest Carbon Monitoring?
Planet’s Forest Carbon Monitoring provides a global dataset offering detailed estimates of aboveground forest carbon, tree height, and canopy cover. It enables users to analyze every hectare of forest and woodland on Earth. This data uses advanced ML features to combine historical satellite imagery with laser-derived LiDAR data. This ensures high-level precision and scalability.
The system supports crucial activities like carbon project accounting, digital monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV), reforestation efforts, and deforestation tracking. It can monitor the full range of forest changes ranging from massive wildfires to small agricultural clearings and minor deforestation.
Unique Features of Planet’s Forest Carbon Monitoring
Global Coverage at High Resolution: The 3-meter resolution dataset provides quarterly updates on aboveground carbon, canopy height, and cover across the entire Earth. Dating back to 2021, this is the first global monitoring system at such a high resolution.
Historical Archive: The Forest Carbon Diligence product offers global aboveground carbon data at a 30-meter resolution, covering changes since 2013. This historical archive is invaluable for understanding forest dynamics over time.
Advanced AI Integration: The product leverages Planet’s extensive satellite imagery and a global library of LiDAR data. AI processing ensures data accuracy and consistency, making it an affordable alternative without sacrificing scientific quality.
Source: Planet
Why It Matters?
The detailed, consistent data provided by Planet’s products is critical for voluntary carbon markets, regulatory compliance, and deforestation mitigation. Governments can use this system to establish accurate baselines for their forests and measure the success of their carbon sequestration policies. Notably, the system is aligned with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) that defines deforestation boundaries and highlights forest degradation and carbon loss.
The datasheet also provides critical insights for compliance and reporting. This means the data can be used to quantify deforestation with high accuracy. It will further allow stakeholders to track forest changes globally with unmatched precision and confidence.
Now that organizations can access this tool to monitor forest health, they can act effectively against climate change. Additionally, users can chart out impactful reforestation projects, track carbon credits, and contribute to global sustainability goals.
Interestingly, Planet’s Forest Carbon Planetary Variable can measure carbon stocks and forest area changes over time and accurately track losses and gains. The company believes this technique is far more affordable and globally accessible as compared to airborne approaches.
Planet’s CEO Will Marshall expressed his excitement about this partnership by saying,
“It’s time for the world to start valuing trees alive and standing, and putting carbon onto our balance sheets. The technology is here to capture it, and the data is here to validate it. We are very happy about this partnership with Laconic. By getting our Forest Carbon data into their expert hands, we’re excited to see how governments and investors start to make informed carbon trading decisions – changing how we see and value our essential global forests.”
Laconic’s Sovereign Carbon®: A New Frontier in Climate Finance
Laconic delivers high-end environmental intelligence and data management tools that drive transparency and fairness in carbon-linked financial activities. They empower governments, corporations, and financial institutions to engage openly and fairly in the carbon market.
Now their blueprint Sovereign Carbon tool introduces a transformative financial asset class that can potentially generate $1 trillion annually in carbon trading.
This innovative approach advances global Net-Zero efforts by monetizing natural resources like forests and wetlands and turning them into sustainable revenue streams.
Additionally, their Carbon Securitization Platform delivers real-time, secure data to support large-scale carbon transactions aligned with Article 6.
• This platform empowers nations to convert climate commitments into high-value financial products. This will further retain transparency and trust for governments and investors alike.
For instance, through the Securitized Sovereign Carbon nations can transform their natural capital, such as forests and wetlands, into tradable securities. This creates a profitable alternative to deforestation while attracting institutional investors to conservation efforts.
Laconic is headquartered in Chicago, with offices in Toronto, London, and Singapore. The company’s trademarks—SADAR, LUEI, and LUCID—reflect its dedication to driving environmental and financial innovation. The company proudly withholds its motive to redefine climate finance by channeling investments into emissions reduction while supporting the net zero goals of our planet.
By combining Planet’s meticulous Forest Carbon data with Laconic’s Sovereign Carbon securitization platform and industry expertise, the collaboration aims to unlock new ways to value natural capital and drive sustainability-focused markets.