Salesforce, the global firm in CRM, has introduced Net Zero Marketplace, a platform that makes carbon credit purchases simple and transparent, allowing organisations to accelerate positive climate impact at scale.
The global voluntary carbon market is estimated to grow to US$50 billion by 2030 as many organisations race to achieve their net zero commitments. Yet, organisations may not always know how to build a carbon credit portfolio or where to start. Moreover, the path to purchasing carbon credits is complex, and buyers want to trust that the carbon credit projects have a positive impact.
Net Zero Marketplace, built on Salesforce's Commerce Cloud, connects buyers and environmentally-focused entrepreneurs [ecopreneurs] who lead and drive climate action worldwide. It offers a catalogue of third-party-rated carbon credits and a seamless eCommerce experience for purchasing them.
Net Zero Marketplace also features a climate action hub where anyone, businesses or individuals, can learn about climate issues.
“The uptick in extreme weather events shows that no one is spared from climate change,” says Suzanne DiBianca, Executive Vice President and Chief Impact Officer, Salesforce.
“Businesses aiming to achieve long-term emission reductions can complement their efforts with high-quality carbon credits. Net Zero Marketplace brings together Salesforce’s values, technology, and commitment to ecopreneurs to accelerate climate action.”
Carbon credits are one crucial tool that can play a critical role in an organisation's comprehensive climate strategy when made and used well.
“The first step of anyone’s net zero journey is clearly reducing emissions. But we now know that reducing self-generated emissions is not going to be enough,” says Christiana Figueres, former Executive Secretary, UN Convention on Climate Change.
Carbon credit projects go through a series of independent verifications against global standards. If they pass the verification process, the projects can issue carbon credits that can be sold. Projects can include forest conservation, tree planting, wind farms, solar cook-stoves, or better farming methods.
Finding and verifying a carbon credit’s quality can be difficult and time-consuming.
Net Zero Marketplace eliminates the uncertainty by aggregating and publishing third-party ratings for projects not locked behind paywalls or account registrations. This level of transparency helps organisations determine which carbon credits are best for them.
At launch, Net Zero Marketplace will offer nearly 90 projects across 11 countries throughout Africa, Australia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States. Buyers will be able to see project descriptions, alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and, for many, official third-party ratings.
New partners announced at the launch include ecopreneurs and companies, with expertise in identifying projects delivering real climate benefits.
“Sylvera and Salesforce share the same mission of bringing transparency and trust to carbon markets to drive real climate impact. Quality carbon projects are a powerful and necessary tool to fight climate change, but reliable data and investment is needed to unlock their full potential,” says Sam Gill, co-founder and COO, Sylvera. “With Sylvera’s ratings, Net Zero Marketplace users can discover projects that deliver real climate benefits.”
“Partnering with Salesforce to create this marketplace will turbocharge climate action and empower every company to take responsibility for its emissions. We are proud to provide high quality offsets to clients who understand the value of compensating for their impact on the environment,” says Renat Heuberger, CEO, South Pole.
Any organisation can access Net Zero Marketplace and buy carbon credits.
For organisations currently using Net Zero Cloud, Salesforce's carbon accounting solution, the credits are also easily integrated into the platform and will be tracked against their current emissions.
Buyers will also get updates on project progress, which will encourage reinvestment.
Net Zero Marketplace will be available for carbon credit purchases in the United States starting in October 2022 and expanding to additional markets in 2023.