OXO Earth

OXO Earth Technologies UG, founded in 2022, operates as a project developer for carbon credits within the voluntary carbon market. The Munich-based climate tech startup was co-founded by Hans Farid Kreh, who serves as a Co-CEO alongside Philipp Stauffenberg. The company's formation addresses what its founder perceives as flaws in traditional carbon credit systems, such as underfunded buffer pools and a lack of transparency that undermines trust.

The firm's business model centers on generating negative emissions through improved forest management, specifically within German forests. It partners with local forest owners, incentivizing them to delay timber harvests for at least one year. This deferral allows trees, which are at their optimal stage for carbon sequestration, to continue absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere for an additional year. OXO Earth then quantifies the resulting climate impact, creating temporary carbon removal certificates. These one-year certificates are audited by Control Union according to the ISO 14064-2 standard and sold to corporate clients seeking to meet their climate objectives.

A core component of OXO Earth's methodology is its proprietary digital Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) process. The company employs a data-driven approach, utilizing remote sensing, satellite data, and machine learning to accurately determine the carbon content of forests. This technological stack is enhanced by a collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop algorithms that precisely quantify above-ground biomass. The firm's model is distinguished by its ex-post verification process, which ensures that credits are only issued after the carbon sequestration has demonstrably occurred, minimizing risks of greenwashing. This approach also introduces a 'horizontal stacking model,' where clients can purchase sequential one-year certificates to achieve permanent emission removal effects over time.

Keywords: carbon removal, voluntary carbon market, forestry carbon credits, improved forest management, negative emissions, climate tech, carbon offsetting, ex-post verification, temporary carbon storage, digital MRV, forest carbon, corporate sustainability, carbon dioxide removal (CDR), German forests, satellite monitoring, climate action, biodiversity co-benefits, ecosystem services, sustainable forestry, ISO 14064-2