Blockchain-based carbon credit platform

Abstract

A carbon credits platform of this disclosure leverages blockchain technology for generation, verification, and trading of carbon credits earned by recycling and sorting various materials, or by engaging in other greenhouse gas emission reduction activities. A verifiable calculator computes a greenhouse gas emission reduction amount corresponding to each recycling and sorting job, and a smart contract of the blockchain stores the reduction, together with the corresponding recycling job parameters, in metadata of a non-fungible token (NET) of the blockchain. The NET is associated with all recycled materials, the value of the tokens representing the amount of greenhouse gas prevented from entering the atmosphere or removed from the atmosphere due to each recycling activity. The tokens may be openly traded and redeemed for associated carbon offsets.

Description

BLOCKCHAIN-BASED CARBON CREDIT PLATFORMREFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority from a U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 764,768 entitled “Blockchain-Based Carbon Credit Platform”, filed on February 28, 2025, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for sustainable development, and in particular to methods and systems for generation, verification, trading, and disposal of carbon credits.BACKGROUND

[0003] Carbon credits are used to account for efforts on part of countries, corporations, and individuals to reduce, avoid, or offset activities that lead to the release of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), into Earth’s atmosphere. Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases may perturb Earth’s radiative thermal balance thereby impacting global climate. When an entity engages in a carbon offsetting activities such as reduction, avoidance, or removal of greenhouse gas atmospheric emissions, that entity receives so-called carbon credits. The carbon credits are a measure of impact that a carbon offsetting activity has on overall balance of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. One carbon credit represents a reduction, avoidance, or removal of one metric ton of the carbon dioxide or its equivalent (CO2e) from the atmosphere. The carbon credits can be traded or sold, thereby providing a financial initiative for managing greenhouse gas emissions.

[0004] Existing carbon offset programs rely on labor-intensive manual processes to verify and issue carbon credits. These processes often involve multiple stakeholders, including project developers, validators, and auditors, and can take weeks, months, or even years to complete. The complexity of the carbon credits generation and verification may result in deleterious effects such as double counting or omitting the carbon credits, under- or overestimated carbon sequestration, etc., and may dissuade organizations and corporations from participating in the carbon emission reductionactivities overall. Conversely, a simple, straightforward, and transparent platform for carbon credit generation, verification, and trading may encourage a greater degree of involvement on the part of organizations, corporations, and individuals in carbon emission reduction initiatives. Such initiative may provide significant material savings due to the anticipated reduction of forest fires, floods, and other environmental hazards.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

[0006] FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a method for carbon credits generation, verification, storage, and trading in accordance with this disclosure;

[0007] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an example input data structure for carbon credits generation;

[0008] FIGs. 3A and 3B are schematic diagrams illustrating a request for an external carbon credits calculation;

[0009] FIG. 4 is an example structure diagram of a carbon data block sent to a blockchain smart contract in accordance with this disclosure;

[0010] FIG. 5 is a flow chart for smart contract verification of the carbon data block to be stored on the blockchain;

[0011] FIG. 6 is an example structure diagram of non-fungible token (NFT) metadata stored on the blockchain;

[0012] FIG. 7 is an example structure diagram of carbon offset token for an individual material being recycled or diverted;

[0013] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an example computing system of this disclosure; and

[0014] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an example networking environment of this disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] While the present teachings are described in conjunction with various embodiments and examples, it is not intended that the present teachings be limited to such embodiments. On the contrary, the present teachings encompass various alternatives and equivalents, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art. All statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of this disclosure, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure.

[0016] As used herein, the terms "first", "second", and so forth are not intended to imply sequential ordering but rather are intended to distinguish one element from another, unless explicitly stated. Similarly, sequential ordering of method steps does not imply a sequential order of their execution, unless explicitly stated.

[0017] A carbon credit management platform of this disclosure relies on blockchain technology to address the need for transparency, efficiency, and reliability in the generation, verification, and trading of carbon credits. The inherent immutability of blockchain records is relied upon for ensuring veracity of the saved data. The platform may use smart contracts and private and / or public blockchains to ensure the integrity of data collected from carbon creditable activities such as landfill diversion and source separation. Through its processes, the carbon credit management platform, termed herein “CarbonStream”, allows a rapid issuance of high-quality carbon credits that meet international compliance standards such as ISO 14064 and ISO 14065 standards.

[0018] Smart contracts are used to validate input data related to greenhouse gas emission activities, ensuring that only accurate, compliant, and auditable information is used for the creation of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which thus represent carbon emission reduction activities. The platform of this disclosure integrates directly with verified carbon calculators, enabling instant conversion of job data into quantifiable carbon savings. NFTs may be minted and assigned to the customer’s blockchainwallet within minutes of final product end-of-life data collection, drastically reducing time to market.

[0019] While existing systems rely on centralized databases and opaque processes, a carbon credit platform of this disclosure leverages blockchain technology to provide transparency. Every NFT minted is linked to an immutable record of the job, ensuring that all data can be independently audited at any time. Each NFT’s metadata is permanently recorded on the blockchain, making it unfeasible to alter or falsify. NFTs maintain a clear chain of custody, linking carbon offsets directly to the source materials and processes that generated them. Stakeholders, including auditors, buyers, and regulators, can access NFT data directly on the blockchain without needing proprietary tools or permissions. Buyers can track the exact materials and processes behind their purchased credits, enhancing credibility, veracity, and alignment with environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals.

[0020] NFTs serve as the foundation for creating activity-specific fungible tokens, enabling precise trading and redemption of carbon emission reduction activities related to individual materials being recycled or diverted as a part of a carbon emission reduction job. Fungible tokens may support fractional carbon offsets, ensuring that even small-scale jobs or contributions are properly recognized and rewarded. The use of public blockchain(s) ensures that NFTs and / or fungible tokens can be traded and redeemed across national borders without the need for intermediaries. Automation reduces administrative overhead, making carbon credits more affordable for smaller organizations and individuals.

[0021] In accordance with the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-implemented method for providing carbon credits. The method includes providing carbon activity data related to a first carbon emission reduction activity by an entity. The first carbon emission reduction activity is associated with at least one material processed by the entity to reduce, avoid, or offset greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon credit data corresponding to the carbon activity data is obtained, and verification of a carbon data block, comprising at least a portion of the carbon activity data and at least a portion of the carbon credit data, is initiated. Storage of the carbon data block on a blockchain is then initiated. The carbon data block may include e.g. a sender ID, a recycling activity comprising material type and quantity, and / or process metadatasuch as recycling policy ID and / or recycling details comprising at least one of material type, material quantity, carbon dioxide savings, recycling date, etc.

[0022] The carbon activity data may include e.g. type, weight, volume, geographical location, or image(s) of each processed material; an ID, a start time, or an end time of the first carbon emission reduction activity; and / or an ID or a blockchain wallet address associated with the entity. Obtaining the carbon credit data may include performing a calculation of a carbon credit value by a verified external provider using a pre-determined formula.

[0023] The verification may be performed using a smart contract process associated with the blockchain. Upon verifying the carbon data block, a non-fungible token (NFT) may be minted. The NFT corresponds to an immutable record of the carbon data block on the blockchain. The NFT may be deposited to a wallet of the blockchain and may be traded on a digital marketplace.

[0024] The carbon activity data may be associated with more than one carbon emission reduction activity. A second, different carbon emission reduction activity may be undertaken by the entity to reduce, avoid, or offset greenhouse gas emissions related to the same or different material(s). For such embodiments, the method may further include minting at least one of: a first coin corresponding to the NFT and the first carbon emission reduction activity; or a second coin corresponding to the NFT and the second carbon emission reduction activity. Subsequently, at least one of the first or second coins may be burned in exchange for obtaining a carbon credit for the first or second carbon emission reduction activities respectively.

[0025] In accordance with the present disclosure, there is further provided a system for carbon credits generation. The system comprises at least one processor, e.g. a computer processor, and non-transitory memory with instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform the method described above, or any variant of that method as described herein. Specifically, the system provides carbon activity data related to a carbon emission reduction activity by an entity, where the carbon emission reduction activity is associated with at least one material processed by the entity to reduce, avoid, or offset greenhouse gas emissions. The system obtains carbon credit data corresponding to the carbon activity data andinitiates a verification of a carbon data block comprising at least a portion of the carbon activity data and at least a portion of the carbon credit data. The system may then initiate storage of the carbon data block on the blockchain.

[0026] In accordance the present disclosure, there is further provided a computer-readable memory comprising instructions. The instructions, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method described above, or any variant of the above method disclosed herein. Specifically, the at least one processor provides carbon activity data related to a carbon emission reduction activity by an entity, where the carbon emission reduction activity is associated with at least one material processed by the entity to reduce, avoid, or offset greenhouse gas emissions. The at least one processor then obtains carbon credit data corresponding to the carbon activity data and initiates a verification of a carbon data block comprising at least a portion of the carbon activity data and at least a portion of the carbon credit data. The at least one processor may then initiate storage of the carbon data block on the blockchain.

[0027] Referring now to FIG. 1, a method 100 for providing carbon credits to an entity is illustrated. The method 100 operates on carbon activity data 102 representing a carbon emission reduction activity. Herein and throughout the rest of the specification, the term “carbon emission reduction activity” relates to reduction, avoidance, or removal of any greenhouse gas emission from Earth’s atmosphere, not necessarily only carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction, avoidance, or removal. Accordingly, the terms “carbon credit” or “carbon credits”, “carbon data block”, and similar terms including the word “carbon” are used herein for brevity only, and do not imply working only with a carbon-containing material. Other types of materials, the processing of which may improve the overall greenhouse gas balance in the atmosphere, are also considered to be within the scope of the carbon emission reduction activities as disclosed herein.

[0028] The carbon activity data 102 may be implemented as a structured object, e.g. a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) object. The structured object may include a number of fields. By way of a non-limiting illustrative example, a Source ID field of the carbon activity data 102 may identify the entity, e.g. a material processing facility, submitting the carbon activity data 102. Herein, the abbreviation “ID” refers to anidentifier, such as a unique name, number, or a combination thereof. The Source ID field may be used to ensure traceability of the issued carbon credits to the originating source, e.g. for purposes of documentation and verification of information related to the material processing facility.

[0029] A Source Location Data field may be provided in the carbon activity data 102. The Source Location Data field may include an address and / or latitude and longitude geographical coordinates of the processing facility, capturing the geographical location where the carbon emission reduction activity has occurred. Each submission may be tied to a unique Job ID, which serves as the identifier for the landfill diversion or material processing work.

[0030] Temporal details of the carbon emission reduction activity may be provided. The temporal details may include e.g. Job Start Time and Job End Time recorded in standard time, e.g. as Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) or Zulu time, to establish the time and duration of the job, i.e. the time and duration of the carbon emission reduction activity being recorded.

[0031] A Job Materials field may include a nested structured object detailing all creditable materials processed, along with associated metrics such as weight, volume, or quantity (for discrete units). Additionally, a Customer ID may link the data to the customer who initiated the request to issue carbon credit(s). A Customer Wallet Address field may specify the blockchain address that will receive the ownership of the generated NFT and carbon credit tokens. Finally, a Job Photos or multimedia field may include links or pointers to photographic, video, and other optional multimedia evidence of the material processing having taken place. The multimedia evidence provides visual validation and further enhances data veracity, quality, and transparency.

[0032] The carbon activity data 102 capturing the details of the carbon emission reduction activity may be provided to a calculator, e.g. a verified external carbon credit calculation service, to obtain (104) carbon credit data, e.g. to calculate the carbon credit values, for each material type used in the carbon emission reduction process. The calculation may be performed using formulae pre-defined according to an adopted standard. The carbon activity data 102 may be provided to the carboncredit calculation service e.g. by using a suitable application programming interface (API). The selected carbon emission calculator may adhere to international compliance standards such as ISO 14067, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol. The carbon emission calculator may be periodically audited to ensure its methodologies remain accurate, reliable, and aligned with evolving regulatory requirements.

[0033] For each material type such as, for example and without limitation, plastics, organics, cardboard, etc., the calculator determines the associated carbon avoidance or reduction in metric tons of CO2 equivalent (tCChe). This granular approach ensures that the savings from each material and / or each carbon emission reduction activity are independently tracked and can be used to issue material- and / or activity-specific carbon credits. For example, 0.8 tons of cardboard diversion might yield a different offset value than 0.8 tons of plastic processing due to varying carbon intensity factors.

[0034] The calculated carbon credit data are appended to the job record, and thereby obtained carbon data block may be forwarded (106) to a blockchain. The carbon data block being forwarded may include a breakdown of the total carbon savings achieved, as well as the savings attributable to each material type. Before storing on the blockchain, the carbon data block, which includes at least a portion of the carbon activity data 102 and the carbon credit data (values) calculated by the carbon credit calculator, may be sent (108) to a smart contract that verifies the data before storing them on the blockchain. The smart contract, which is a transaction protocol configured to automatically execute, control or document events and actions according to the terms of a contract or an agreement, may be deployed on the blockchain to control critical aspects of the carbon credit generation, ensuring transparency, automation, and security. The smart contract controls the validation and storage of carbon data blocks, automates the creation of NFTs and tokens, and enforces pre-defined relationships between these digital assets. The smart contract may be configured to maintain a seamless link between the data generated during the job process and the resulting carbon credits.

[0035] Once the smart contract verifies the job metadata, an NFT may be minted (110). The minted may NFT correspond to an immutable record of the carbon data block stored on the blockchain. In some embodiments, fungible tokens may be subsequently minted (112) from the NFT. Different tokens may correspond todifferent carbon emission reduction activities related to various materials being utilized. Any variance from material to material will be reflected by and accounted for in the carbon dioxide emission calculations. One full token may correspond e.g. to a metric ton of CO2 or its equivalent being removed or prevented from entering the atmosphere. When the NFT is created, its metadata may include a reference to the corresponding Job ID and material-specific carbon savings. Similarly, when tokens are minted from the NFT, they may inherit key metadata, including the original carbon offset values and reference to the parent NFT. The NFT and tokens, if any, may be deposited (114) to a digital wallet of a customer (e.g. the entity engaged in the carbon emission reduction activity) for subsequent trading the NFTs or tokens on a Carbon Stream NFT 116 or token 118 marketplaces, respectively. The trading may involve other clients or government entities administering the carbon emission reduction and control policies.

[0036] The smart contract may also support burning of tokens (120), either partially or fully, e.g. to mark corresponding carbon credits as redeemed. Each bum event may be immutably recorded on the blockchain along with a reference to the originating NFT. This ensures that every carbon credit’s lifecycle, from creation to redemption, is fully traceable and verifiable. The minting process 110 may be followed by burning (122) transaction fee coins as form of payment for any or all of blockchain transaction fees. In some embodiments, the NFT / token use may be extended for rewards, discounts, and the like. It is further noted that carbon credits may be converted (124) into cryptocurrency stablecoins, such as Tether (USDT), upon verification 108 of the metadata by the smart contract. Other stablecoin types may be used.

[0037] The underlying processes and corresponding data structures will now be considered in more detail. FIG. 2 provides a non-limiting illustrative example of a structure 200 of the carbon activity data 102 of FIG. 1. The structure 200 may include a plurality of data fields. For example, a Material ID field 202 may be provided. The Material ID field 202 may include a digital identifier of a specific piece or volume of material being processed. The Material ID field 202 may be associated with a timestamp of the record creation. A Material Status field 204 may indicate the preparedness of the material for utilization, as well as the location of the materialhaving the specific Material ID 202. For example, the Material Status field 204 may include the current material location such as “on pellet”, “in gaylord”, etc.

[0038] A Material Type field 206 may include a plurality of sub-fields such as primary type (e.g. plastic, cardboard, etc.), secondary type (e.g. type of plastic or cardboard), grade (e.g. Grade A, Grade B, etc.), and the like. A Material Origin field 208 may include a plurality of sub-fields indicating a company name, a specific facility of the company, a collection date, a bin ID, a bin type, a location including postal address and / or geographical coordinates, etc. A Measurements field 210 may include a plurality of sub-field indicating the amount and state of the material, such as initial and / or current weight, volume, density, etc.

[0039] A Sorting Details field 212 may include information related to the materials sorting process, such as, for example, sorting facility ID, sorted date, sorting method (e.g. manual or automatic), quality score, contamination level, and the like. A Bundle Info field 214 may include such information as gay lord ID, position, bundle completion level, co-mingled materials and their parameters, and so on. A Chain of Custody field 216 may include time-stamped information about each owner of the materials being processed, such as location ID, handler ID, attributed action, as well as notes related to the completed action.

[0040] A Media field 218 may include photos and / or videos of the materials and their processing, as well as processing-related documents. Links to respective media files may be provided in lieu of the actual files. Timestamps and / or hash values may be provided for traceability and verification purposes. A Sustainability Metrics field 220 may include such parameters as carbon footprint of the material being processed, processing date, processing method, water usage, energy consumption, etc.

[0041] An End of Life field 222 may include information about a facility where the processed materials are finally stored, such as facility ID and / or location, processing date, processing method, etc. A Blockchain Metadata field 224 may include any information related to a corresponding information block stored in the blockchain such as, for example, block number, transaction hash, a timestamp, etc. Once the carbon activity data 102 (FIG. 1) passes initial validation, the Job Materials data suchas e.g. Material Type 206, Measurements 210 (FIG. 2) etc. may be used to calculate the carbon savings achieved by the completion of the corresponding job.

[0042] FIGs. 3A and 3B provide non-limiting illustrative examples of interaction of the system of this disclosure with a verified external carbon calculator. In a first example 300A illustrated in FIG. 3A, a client or entity 302, e.g. a processing facility, sends a first request 306 to a verified external carbon calculator 304 via an API. The first request 306 includes an API key e.g. “ABC12345678”, an activity ID e.g. polyvinylchloride (PVC) waste treatment, and a weight of the material being treated e.g. 3001bs. The carbon calculator 304 returns a response 308 including carbon credit data, e.g. equivalent CO2 emissions e.g. 6600kg, a calculation method identifier e.g. “ar4”, an emission factor including an ID, geographical region, year, source e.g. a database name, category e.g. “waste”, and other parameters as required.

[0043] The example 300B of FIG. 3B includes sending, by the client 302, a second request 310 to the carbon calculator 304 via the API including the API key, the activity ID of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste treatment, and a weight of the material being treated e.g. 15001bs. The carbon calculator 304 returns a response 312 including carbon credit data, e.g. equivalent CO2 emissions of 2250kg, the same calculation method identifier “ar4”, the emission factor, and other parameters as may be required.

[0044] In accordance with the present disclosure, a carbon data block, which includes at least a portion of the carbon activity data and at least a portion of the carbon credit data, may be stored on a public blockchain ledger. Before storage, the carbon data block may be verified by the smart contract deployed on the blockchain. FIG. 4 shows an illustrative non-limiting example of a carbon data block 400 for sending to the smart contract. The carbon data block 400 may include a sender blockchain ID, recycling activity description, and metadata. The recycling activity description may include material type (PVC, PET, cardboard, etc.) and quantity (weight, volume, units, etc.). The metadata may include policy ID, which includes recycling activity NFT, which may include name, description, recycling details (material type, quantity, carbon savings, date, etc.), the issuer’s name, among other parameters.

[0045] An example procedure 500 for smart contract verification of data to be stored in the blockchain for carbon savings NFT and tokens minting is illustrated in FIG. 5. The procedure 500 begins at 501. At least one signer may be validated (502) as an approved sender. The existence of the declared material type may be validated (504) in the stored list of available CO2 emission rates. The quantity of the material may be validated (506) to be within pre-defined limits, for example it may be validated that the quantity of the material is not negative. The amount of CO2 savings tokens to mint may be then calculated (508). The amount may be fractional. NFT minting may then be validated (510). Token minting may be validated (512). As explained above, each token is associated with an NFT and may be selected to represent one metric ton of CO2 equivalent corresponding to a particular activity type related to a material being recycled or utilized, for convenience of trading and for providing the ability to trade fractional amounts. NFT and token asset classes may then be defined (514). The process ends at 515.

[0046] The minted NFTs are unique digital assets created on the blockchain to represent the carbon offsets generated by each job. Unlike traditional systems such as Verra™ and Gold Standard™, which rely on lengthy and often opaque verification processes, the NFT-based system of this disclosure automates verification, reducing issuance times from weeks or months to mere hours or days while maintaining or exceeding industry -standard levels of trust and reliability. Each issued NFT may encapsulate comprehensive metadata about the job and the resulting carbon offsets. This metadata is immutable and securely stored on the blockchain, ensuring that all information is verifiable and tamper-proof.

[0047] An example structure 600 of NFT metadata is illustrated in FIG. 6. A Job Information field of the NFT metadata structure 600 may include a Job ID serving as the primary reference for all processes related to the NFT. Additional details may be captured in Source ID identifying the facility responsible for the job, Job Start Time, and Job End Time, which establish the temporal boundaries of the carbon emission reduction activity.

[0048] A Material Breakdown field provides granularity of all materials processed during the job, specifying the material types (e.g., plastics, cardboard, organics) and their associated metrics (e.g., weights or volumes). A Carbon Offset Values fieldspecifies the total carbon offset achieved for the job, expressed in metric tons and / or fractional tons. This includes material-specific offsets, enabling buyers or auditors to assess the contribution of each material type to the overall savings. A Customer Ownership field may provide a customer wallet address, a blockchain address that allows customers to have full control over their asset. This direct link ensures that customers maintain sovereignty over their carbon credits without intermediary restrictions.

[0049] Example token metadata structure 700 is presented in FIG. 7. For each material type (e.g. cardboard, plastic), a Carbon Offset Value is provided. The Carbon Offset Value represents the total carbon offset for the specified material. An originating NFT ID is provided as a reference to the NFT from which the token was minted. Job Details field provides metadata linking the token to the job that generated the offset.

[0050] The ownership of NFTs and tokens is recorded on the blockchain, ensuring transparency and security. Customers may maintain ownership of their NFTs and tokens via their blockchain wallets, which gives them direct control over their carbon credits. Access control mechanisms are built into the smart contract, restricting sensitive actions, such as token burning, to the asset owner. Ownership records are immutable, allowing reliable audits for all transactions. Additionally, the system of this disclosure supports the transfer of NFTs and tokens, enabling customers to trade their assets on marketplaces or transfer ownership to third parties. Clients may use online portals to access their blockchain assets, as well as status and activity history.

[0051] Referring back to FIG. 1, credit redemption process allows customers to retire their carbon credits permanently, supporting ESG claims and compliance requirements. Customers can bum tokens (120). The tokens may be burned either partially or fully, to redeem the associated carbon offsets. Each bum event is recorded on the blockchain, along with metadata linking the event to the originating NFT and the specific job it represents. Redemption data is made available to customers for reporting purposes, ensuring transparency and alignment with regulatory standards. This process ensures that redeemed credits cannot be reused, preserving the integrity of the carbon offset market.

[0052] Still referring to FIG. 1 , the NFT (116) and token (118) marketplaces allow customers to list their NFTs or tokens for sale, providing liquidity and enabling participation from external buyers. Listings include detailed information about the carbon credits, such as the materials processed and the total carbon savings achieved. The digital marketplaces 116, 118 may use blockchain technology to provide realtime pricing, secure transactions, and a transparent audit trail for all trades. By enabling global accessibility, the marketplaces 116, 118 may expand the reach of carbon credits platform of this disclosure, supporting the growth of voluntary carbon market.

[0053] To ensure the validity and reliability of the carbon offsets generated through a blockchain-enabled platform of this disclosure, all customer job data processes may be audited at regular time intervals. The audits may include verification of materials processed, job timings, and geographical information. Source facilities may be assessed to ensure compliance with applicable standards, and the stored photographic and other multimedia evidence may be cross-checked to ensure that the carbon emission reduction activities did take place. The smart contracts may undergo regular external audits conducted by blockchain security firms with proven expertise in smart contract auditing.

[0054] The systems and methods disclosed herein provide tangible, physical effects, benefits, and advantages as compared to prior-art systems and methods. The carbon credits accounting and storage disclosed herein allow for a transparent, verifiable, and expedient carbon credits processing ensures a wide acceptance of carbon credits utilization by a variety of worldwide players, which can ultimately lead to a global reduction of carbon dioxide levels in Earth’s atmosphere.

[0055] Embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented in a computing system. Referring to FIG. 8 for a non-limiting illustrative example, a computing system 800 may be configured to implement the method 100 of FIG. 1, the procedure 500 of FIG. 5, as well as other methods and procedures disclosed herein. The computing system 800 may include at least one computer processor (CPU) 802, non-persistent storage 804 e.g. random access memory (RAM), cache memory, etc., persistent storage 806 such as flash memory, a hard drive (DISK), an optical drive such as a compact disk (CD) drive or a digital versatile disk (DVD) drive, etc. Thecomputer processor 802 may include integrated circuitry for processing instructions, which may be stored on the non-persistent 804 or persistent 806 storage. The computer processor 802 may include one or more cores, mini-cores, or micro-cores.

[0056] The computing system 800 may further include a communication interface 808 (COMMS) such as wireless interface, infrared interface, network interface, optical interface, etc., and other elements and functionalities. At least one input device 810 (INPUT) such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touchscreen, a touchpad, a microphone, an electronic pen, or any other type of input device, may be provided. The communication interface 808 may include an integrated circuit for connecting the computing system 800 to a network e.g. a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, a mobile network, or any other type of network) and / or to another device, such as a computer, a smartphone, etc.

[0057] The computing system 800 may further include at least one output device 812 (OUTPUT) such as a monitor screen e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display, a touchscreen, a cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor, a projector or another display device, a printer, an external storage, or any other output device as the case may be. The computer processor 802, the non-persistent storage 804, the persistent storage 806, the communication interface 808, the input device 810, and the output device 812 may communicate with one another via a dedicated bus 101. In some embodiments, the input 810 and output 812 devices may be remotely connected to the computer processor 802, the non-persistent storage 804, and / or the persistent storage 806. Many different types of computing systems, architectures, input / output devices, and communication configurations may be used in embodiments of this disclosure.

[0058] Software instructions in form of computer readable program code to perform embodiments of this disclosure may be stored, in whole or in part, temporarily or permanently, on a non-transitory computer readable medium of the persistent storage 806 such as flash memory, a CD, a DVD, a storage device, a diskette, a tape, physical memory, or any other suitable computer readable storage medium. The software instructions may correspond to computer readable program code that, when executed by the computer processor 802, is configured to perform one or more functions disclosed herein.

[0059] The computing system 800 of FIG. 8 may be connected to or be a part of a network. Referring to FIG. 9 for a non-limiting illustrative example, a network 900 may include multiple nodes, e.g. first 901, second 902, third 903 and fourth 904 nodes. More or less nodes may be provided. Each node 901-904 may be based on a computing system such as the computing system 800 of FIG. 8 described above. By way of a non-limiting illustrative example, embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented on a node of a distributed system that is connected to other nodes. By way of another non-limiting illustrative example, embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented on a distributed computing system having multiple nodes, where each portion of the computing system may be located on a different node. Furthermore, one or more elements of the aforementioned computing system may be located at a remote location and connected to the other elements over a network. The nodes 901-904 of the network 900 may be configured to provide services disclosed herein to clients via client devices such as a user’s computer 906 or a user’s mobile device 908.

[0060] The nodes 901-904 may be part of a cloud computing system. The nodes 901-904 may include functionality to receive requests from the client device and transmit responses to the client device. The client device may include a computing system such as the computing system 800 of FIG. 8 and, in some cases, may perform all or a portion of one or more embodiments disclosed herein. The network 900 of FIG. 9 may further include other service-specific devices and systems, such as a data repository 910, an information display or dashboard 912, etc.

[0061] Although not shown in FIG. 9, at least some of the nodes 901-904 may correspond to a blade in a server chassis connected to other one(s) of the nodes 901-904 via a backplane. By way of a non-limiting example, the node(s) may correspond to a server in a data center. By way of another non-limiting example, the node(s) may correspond to a computer processor or micro-core of a computer processor with shared memory and / or resources.

[0062] The computing system 800 of FIG. 8 or the group of computing systems or nodes 901-904 of the network 900 of FIG. 9 may include functionality to perform a variety of operations, procedures, and / or methods disclosed herein. By way of a nonlimiting illustrative example, the computing system(s) disclosed herein may perform communication between processes on the same or different system. A variety ofmechanisms employing some form of active or passive communication may facilitate the data exchange between processes on a same device, or on different devices.Examples illustrative of these inter-process communications include, but are not limited to, the implementation of a file, a signal, a socket, a message queue, a semaphore, a pipeline, shared memory, message passing, and a memory -mapped file. Other techniques may be used to share data between processes described herein. The processes may be part of the same or different application and may execute on the same or different computing systems.

[0063] A computing system performing one or more embodiments of this disclosure may include functionality to receive data from a user. For example, in one or more embodiments, a user may submit data via a graphical user interface (GUI) on the user device. Data may be submitted via the GUI by a user selecting one or more GUI widgets or inserting text and other data into GUI widgets using a touchscreen, a touchpad, a keyboard, a mouse, or any other input device 810 (FIG. 8) as the case may be. In response to selecting a particular item, information regarding the particular item may be obtained from the persistent 806 or non-persistent 804 storage by the computer processor 802. Upon selection of the item by the user, the contents of the obtained data regarding the particular item may be displayed on the user device in response to the user's selection.

[0064] By way of another example, a request to obtain data regarding the particular item may be sent to a server operably connected to the user device through a network such as the network 900 of FIG. 9. For example, the user may select a uniform resource locator (URL) link within a web client of the user device, thereby initiating a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) or other protocol request being sent to the network host associated with the URL. In response to the request, the server may extract the data regarding the particular selected item and send the data to the device that initiated the request. Once the user device has received the data regarding the particular item, the contents of the received data regarding the particular item may be displayed on the user device in response to the user's selection. Further to the above example, the data received from the server after selecting the URL link may provide a web page in Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) that may be rendered by the web client and displayed on the user device.

[0065] The computing system 800 of FIG. 8 may implement and / or be connected to a data repository. For example, in FIG. 9, any of the nodes 901-904 and / or the computer 906 may be connected to the data repository 910 through the network 900. One type of data repository is a database. A database is a collection of information configured for ease of data retrieval, modification, re-organization, and deletion. A Database Management System (DBMS) may be used. The DBMS is a software application that provides an interface for users to define, create, query, update, or administer databases.

[0066] The computing system 800 of FIG. 8 may be configured to include functionality for presenting raw and / or processed data, such as results of comparisons or other processing. For example, data may be presented through a user interface provided by a computing device. The user interface may include a GUI that displays information on a display device, such as the display 912, a computer monitor or a touchscreen on a handheld computer device, etc. The GUI may include various GUI widgets that organize what data is shown as well as how data is presented to a user. Furthermore, the GUI may present data directly to the user, e.g., data presented as actual data values through text or rendered by the computing device into a visual representation of the data, such as through visualizing a data model.

[0067] The present disclosure is not to be limited in scope by the specific embodiments described herein. Other various embodiments and modifications, in addition to those described herein, will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the foregoing description and accompanying drawings. Thus, such other embodiments and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Further, although the present disclosure has been described herein in the context of a particular implementation in a particular environment for a particular purpose, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that its usefulness is not limited thereto and that the present disclosure may be beneficially implemented in any number of environments for any number of purposes. Accordingly, the claims set forth below should be construed in view of the full breadth and spirit of the present disclosure as described herein.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A computer-implemented method for providing carbon credits, the method comprising:providing carbon activity data related to a first carbon emission reduction activity by an entity, wherein the first carbon emission reduction activity is associated with at least one material processed by the entity to reduce, avoid, or offset greenhouse gas emissions;obtaining carbon credit data corresponding to the carbon activity data;initiating a verification of a carbon data block comprising at least a portion of the carbon activity data and at least a portion of the carbon credit data; andinitiating storage of the carbon data block on a blockchain.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon activity data comprises at least one of:type, weight, volume, a geographical location, or an image of the at least one material;an ID, a start time, or an end time of the first carbon emission reduction activity; oran ID or a blockchain wallet address associated with the entity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the carbon credit data comprises performing a calculation of a carbon credit value by a verified external provider using a predetermined formula.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the verification is performed using a smart contract process associated with the blockchain.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, upon verifying the carbon data block, minting a non-fungible token (NFT) corresponding to an immutable record of the carbon data block on the blockchain.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising depositing the NFT to a blockchain wallet.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising trading the NFT on a digitalmarketplace.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the carbon activity data is further associated with a second, different carbon emission reduction activity by the entity to reduce, avoid, or offset greenhouse gas emissions;the method further comprising minting at least one of: a first coin corresponding to the NFT and the first carbon emission reduction activity; or a second coin corresponding to the NFT and the second carbon emission reduction activity.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising burning at least one of the first or second coins in exchange for obtaining a carbon credit for the first or second carbon emission reduction activities respectively.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon data block comprises at least one of: a sender ID;a recycling activity comprising material type and quantity; orprocess metadata comprising at least one of:recycling policy ID; orrecycling details comprising at least one of material type, material quantity, carbon dioxide savings, or recycling date.

11. A system for providing carbon credits, the system comprising at least one processor and non-transitory memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:provide carbon activity data related to a carbon emission reduction activity by an entity, wherein the carbon emission reduction activity is associated with at least one material processed by the entity to reduce, avoid, or offset greenhouse gas emissions;obtain carbon credit data corresponding to the carbon activity data;initiate a verification of a carbon data block comprising at least a portion of the carbon activity data and at least a portion of the carbon credit data; andinitiate storage of the carbon data block on a blockchain.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the carbon activity data comprises at least one of:type, weight, volume, a geographical location, or an image of the at least one material;an ID, a start time, or an end time of the carbon emission reduction activity; oran ID or a blockchain wallet address associated with the entity.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the carbon credit tata is obtained by performing a calculation of a carbon credit value by a verified external provider using a pre-determined formula.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the carbon data block is verified using a smart contract process of the blockchain.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is configured to initiate minting, upon verifying the carbon data block, of a non-fungible token (NFT) corresponding to an immutable record of the carbon data block on the blockchain.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is configured to initiate depositing the NFT to a blockchain wallet.

17. A computer-readable memory comprising instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:provide carbon activity data related to a carbon emission reduction activity by an entity, wherein the carbon emission reduction activity is associated with at least one material processed by the entity to reduce, avoid, or offset greenhouse gas emissions;obtain carbon credit data corresponding to the carbon activity data; andverify a carbon data block comprising at least a portion of the carbon activity data and at least a portion of the carbon credit data; andinitiating storage of the carbon data block on a blockchain.

18. The computer-readable memory of claim 17, wherein the carbon credit tata is obtained by performing a calculation of a carbon credit value by a verified external provider using a pre-determined formula.

19. The computer-readable memory of claim 18, wherein the carbon data block is verified using a smart contract process of the blockchain.

20. The computer-readable memory of claim 19, comprising further instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to initiate minting, upon verifying the carbon data block, of a non-fungible token (NFT) corresponding to an immutable record of the carbon data block on the blockchain.

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