SAS & Notilyze aid FairClimateFund carbon tracking

SAS and Notilyze have deployed a digital monitoring platform for FairClimateFund to improve transparency in carbon credit reporting linked to clean cooking projects.

The Netherlands-based organisation works with low-income households shifting from open fires and charcoal to cleaner cooking methods. It says the change reduces carbon emissions and generates carbon credits, with one credit representing one tonne of CO2 reduced.

Before the system was introduced, FairClimateFund managed project data in spreadsheets. The process was inefficient, slowing the issuance and sale of carbon credits and limiting how quickly revenue could be directed to participating households.

Developed by SAS partner Notilyze, the setup uses the Notilyze Digital Monitoring, Reporting and Verification platform, built on SAS Viya and run on Notilyze Cloud, to track carbon credit activity and household payments.

According to the companies, the platform draws on three data sources: customer records, fuel pellet transactions and cash-back refunds to households. Its purpose is to show how much of the proceeds from carbon credit sales reach the low-income families participating in the schemes.

FairClimateFund says its model is designed to give households, particularly women, a greater share of the financial benefits from carbon credit sales. By automating monitoring and verification, it has reduced the cost per credit and improved the flow of revenue back to communities.

Data tracking

The platform also gives FairClimateFund a weekly view of carbon credit values and transactions. This allows project operators and other market participants to monitor activity more closely and compare project outcomes with reported emissions reductions.

Alongside credit tracking, the system provides information on project impact, including total CO2 reductions and links to the broader Sustainable Development Goals associated with clean cookstove projects. The work comes amid growing scrutiny of voluntary carbon markets, where buyers and project developers face pressure to provide better evidence of how credits are created and where proceeds go.

Notilyze says its work with SAS has helped it build a more structured reporting tool for customers operating in this market.

"Partnering with SAS has allowed us to create solutions that deliver meaningful outcomes at scale," said Eric Mathura, Director of Business Development at Notilyze. "By building the Notilyze dMRV platform on SAS Viya, we're able to support our customers in strengthening transparency and traceability while helping ensure community impact stays a top priority."

FairClimateFund says the technology has given it better visibility into both credit generation and the social effects of its projects.

"Working with SAS and Notilyze has equipped us with the tools to increase transparency in reporting on carbon credits generated and the social impact it realises for low-income households," said Neera van der Geest, CEO of FairClimateFund. "Supporting clean cooking projects that have already driven 1.5 million tons of CO2 reductions, the Notilyze dMRV helps us manage our data more effectively and deliver greater impact to participating communities."

Market pressure

Carbon credit projects tied to household energy use have become an important part of efforts to reduce emissions while improving public health in lower-income regions. Supporters argue that replacing charcoal and open-fire cooking can cut indoor air pollution, lower fuel costs and reduce pressure on forests. Critics of the broader carbon market, however, have raised concerns about verification standards and the distribution of benefits.

Against that backdrop, demand has grown for systems that provide a clearer audit trail linking emissions-reduction claims to household-level payments. For organisations such as FairClimateFund, stronger monitoring can affect both the speed at which credits are issued and buyers' confidence in the underlying data.

SAS says its role in the project is part of its broader work with specialist partners building software for industry-specific use cases. In this case, it provided the data and AI foundation on which Notilyze built the reporting and verification product used by FairClimateFund.

"Data has the power to bring transparency and reliability to a variety of complex challenges around the world," said John Carey, Senior Vice President, Global Channels at SAS. "We work closely with partners like Notilyze to help turn innovative ideas into purpose-built solutions on SAS Viya. Notilyze's collaboration with FairClimateFund demonstrates how our partners are using analytics to increase efficiency, strengthen transparency and help ensure benefits reach the communities they are meant to support."