Two years of BeZero Carbon Ratings

The start of April marks two years since BeZero launched the world’s first global carbon rating platform and made public the headline letter ratings for more than 180 projects. Today, that number stands at more than 400 projects as well as numerous projects at the pre-issuance stage, and all our ratings methodologies. We rate all types of projects, at all stages, and all project-based carbon markets.

Then as now we believe that investing in effective carbon projects is essential to tackling climate change because they:

• Get everyone to set a price on their CO₂e emissions.

• Accelerate net zero.

• Maximise climate impact per $ spent.

• Transfer capital to the global south. 

• Create a revenue stream for preservation and restoration of nature.

• Carry wide ranging co-benefits beyond carbon. 

• Are an essential tool to fund innovative new technologies.

Then as now we also believe independent, risk-based, project level carbon ratings are essential to that investment. 

Then as now we believe in an analytical approach to ratings where expert analysts are powered by curated datasets and proprietary models. That’s why we’ve built a world class team featuring nearly 100 scientists with tens of thousands of relevant academic citations.

Then as now we believe the fact that not every carbon credit is equal in reality, and see understanding and valuing project risks as the keystone to scalable carbon markets.

Then but not now carbon markets believed in “a tonne is a tonne” and so much of the criticism in 2023, and lack of correlation between price and carbon efficacy (or quality), can be traced back to this over simplification.

Today, ratings are changing this. More than a hundred companies including many of the world’s largest corporations subscribe to our ratings, and thousands more access BeZero’s publicly available headline ratings to make better climate decisions. We take this responsibility very seriously and remain committed to being humble analysts, ever curious, and always practising the transparency we preach.

Now but not then, the market has a system of risk analysis it can trust and that ultimately ensures better projects are rewarded with higher prices and more investment.

Now, and forever, carbon markets, ratings, and BeZero are evolving. 

A flurry of regulations and market standards will define market structure. New innovations, technologies, methodologies, and Standard Bodies will improve the quality supply in nature and technology. Compliance markets will increasingly be the key destination for carbon credits. And with buyers returning the scrutiny on quality will only increase further. 

At BeZero we will be continuing to invest heavily in building the risk tools, ratings, and datasets essential to bring confidence to every transaction.