Digital Public Good National Carbon Registry
The National Carbon Registry (NCR) is an open-source, government-grade registry system initiated by UNDP as a Digital Public Good (DPG) to help countries securely manage carbon projects, credits, issuances, transfers, and retirements. An upgraded version of the registry also operates on the Hedera network, providing a tamper-proof, audit-grade layer of transparency and traceability—without requiring countries or standards bodies to build proprietary infrastructure from scratch.
Instead of carbon market data living in PDFs, fragmented systems, or closed databases, the NCR uses Hedera’s public ledger to anchor verifiable data events (issuances, transfers, retirements, corresponding adjustments, etc.) and link them to digital MRV (measurement, reporting, verification) flows using the Hedera Guardian. This creates a provable chain of custody for carbon units, compliant with emerging international reporting requirements (e.g., Article 6.2).
The registry is delivered as open-source software (no licensing fees), which means any country or standard can adopt it, extend it, or integrate it into existing systems. The DPG NCR leverages components from the Hedera Guardian, enabling data and tokenization policies to represent real assets on-chain while maintaining confidentiality for sensitive government or project data from project proponents who work with communities to enable sustainable development projects.
For Carbon Standards
Digital MRV + Registry workflows
Standards can digitize methodologies, integrate project data, and automate validation/verification checkpoints.
Interoperability with national systems
NCR supports structured interfaces for data exchange with national registries and other carbon programs, reducing double counting exposure.
Audit-grade data and provenance
Every issuance or retirement is cryptographically verifiable, improving trust with buyers and regulators.
Lower operating cost vs. proprietary system
Open-source codebase accelerates feature delivery and avoids vendor lock-in.
For Countries / National Governments
Article 6.2 ready
Tracks corresponding adjustments, international transfers, and reporting to UNFCCC formats.
Sovereign control of data and policy
Countries determine who can register projects, approve issuances, or link to carbon credits.
AEF Reporting
Supports Agreed Electronic Format (AEF) reporting to the UNFCCC and for NDC tracking under ETF submissions.
Enhanced global interoperability
Easily integrates with voluntary registries and aligns with global data standards for cross-registry reporting and reconciliation.
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