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Earthly’s Keystone 3.0: a project assessment that goes beyond carbon and beyond doubt
Our updated assessment is raising the bar on trust and transparency in nature-based solutions.
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is Earthly’s holistic nature-based assessment framework for evaluating the integrity and impact of nature projects across carbon, biodiversity, and people. Going beyond carbon-only metrics, Keystone 3.0 combines science-led criteria, evidence-weighted scoring, and continuous monitoring to help businesses invest in high-quality nature-based solutions with confidence.
TL;DR
Keystone 3.0 goes beyond carbon, assessing climate, biodiversity and social outcomes.
Developed by Earthly as the third generation of its assessment framework.
It applies consistent, science-led criteria across project types and markets.
It uses evidence-weighted scoring, balancing performance with data quality.
Keystone 3.0 helps businesses identify high-integrity nature projects and reduce greenwashing risk.
Introducing Keystone 3.0
Earthly’s Keystone 3.0
is our most advanced assessment framework yet; it helps businesses and investors make confident, informed decisions that drive real, lasting results for climate, people and biodiversity
Keystone 3.0 evaluates how effectively a project supports climate, biodiversity and community goals using consistent, science-led criteria. The framework fills a major gap in today’s carbon and biodiversity markets, where varying standards make it difficult to compare quality or verify real outcomes.
The assessment also brings transparency and balance by combining carbon performance with social and ecological benefits. It aligns with the growing nature-based solutions market, helping businesses invest in projects that deliver credible, measurable, and long-term environmental impact.
The key features of Keystone 3.0:
Three-pillar, holistic assessment:
Assesses projects across carbon, biodiversity, and social wellbeing, and how these outcomes reinforce each other.
Consistent, science-led criteria that improve comparability:
Applies a single, consistent framework to help users compare quality across different standards, methodologies, and project types.
Evidence-weighted scoring (maturity and confidence)
: Uses a balanced scoring model that reflects both performance and the strength of supporting evidence, not claims alone.
Monitoring and stronger verification tools:
Moves beyond one-off checks by using satellite imagery, geospatial analysis, and live environmental data to track risks and performance over time.
Registry-agnostic, broader project coverage:
Evaluates projects on quality rather than certification label, and expands beyond carbon projects to include biodiversity, water restoration, and community-led approaches.
In an April 2025 publication on voluntary carbon markets, the World Bank Group notes that controversies around permanence, additionality, over-issuance, double-counting, and leakage have undermined confidence in carbon offsets. These risks are structural, making independent assessment of baselines, additionality, leakage, and permanence essential.
The importance of holistic assessment in the carbon market and beyond
The carbon market is expanding fast, but questions around quality and transparency remain. It’s well known that an investigation by The Guardian, Die Zeit and SourceMaterial found that more than 90% of rainforest carbon offsets certified by one major voluntary standard were likely “phantom credits” that did not represent genuine emissions reductions, highlighting why independent, robust nature-based assessment frameworks like Earthly’s Keystone 3.0 are needed. And in Earthly’s experience, over 90% of nature projects are sub-standard.
Many projects use inconsistent data or outdated methods, making it hard to know which credits reflect genuine climate impact.
show that these gaps are weakening trust and slowing global progress on carbon reduction.
Keystone 3.0 addresses this by treating carbon as necessary, but not exclusively sufficient, for credible climate action.
The three pillars of Earthly’s Keystone 3.0 assessment
Keystone 3.0 builds on Earthly’s holistic philosophy by deepening how we assess impact across three interconnected dimensions: carbon, biodiversity, and social wellbeing. Rather than looking at these in isolation, the framework analyses how they influence and reinforce one another, recognising that true regeneration happens when climate, nature, and communities thrive together.
In this latest version:
The carbon pillar
now goes beyond simply measuring emissions to test the reliability of results. New sub-criteria and indicators strengthen how we assess permanence, accuracy, and leakage risks, supported by improved validation tools and continuous monitoring. Together, these enhancements ensure that carbon outcomes reflect real, measurable progress, not just projected estimates.
The biodiversity pillar
has been refined to capture a fuller picture of ecological quality. Updated metrics assess habitat integrity, species diversity, and landscape connectivity, helping to show how projects restore and sustain natural systems over time.
The social pillar
has evolved to recognise the central role of people in lasting climate solutions. New indicators evaluate participation, equity, and governance - ensuring that benefits are fairly shared and that local communities are genuine partners in every project’s success.
Together, the three pillars create a comprehensive, interlinked view of impact. This approach strengthens both rigour and relevance, allowing Keystone 3.0 to identify projects that deliver genuine environmental gains while building the resilience of ecosystems and communities that depend on them.
How the new Earthly assessment measures quality and impact
Keystone 3.0 measures quality and impact through a balanced, evidence-based scoring system that blends quantitative data with qualitative insight. Each project is evaluated across the three pillars using a maturity and confidence scoring model that reflects both performance and reliability.
Quantitative data, such as verified carbon measurements or biodiversity monitoring, are combined with qualitative factors like governance quality and community participation to provide a holistic view of integrity. Projects are weighted according to risk and relevance, ensuring fair comparison across different types and geographies.
Continuous monitoring plays a central role: Earthly uses satellite imagery, geospatial analysis, and live environmental data to track forest cover, water health, and other key indicators. Regular reviews help detect issues like leakage, deforestation, or underperformance early.
Independent oversight by Earthly’s Scientific Board and external experts ensures transparency and scientific rigour, giving every score a clear, credible foundation rooted in real-world impact.
Integrity standards are tightening across the voluntary carbon market. ICVCM’s new high-integrity carbon credit label (CCP) helps signal higher-quality credits, alongside ongoing work to keep strengthening the rules over time.
What’s new in the Keystone nature project assessment
Keystone 3.0 represents a major step forward in how Earthly evaluates nature-based solutions (NbS). Unlike Version 2, which focused mainly on carbon credit projects, 3.0:
Covers a wider range of project types, including biodiversity credits, water restoration, and community-led innovation. This broader scope ensures that all forms of natural regeneration are recognised and measured consistently.
New verification tools such as satellite imagery, geospatial data, and live monitoring systems strengthen accuracy and help track on-the-ground changes in real time.
The framework also introduces contextual baselines, allowing assessments to adapt to each project’s local environment and social conditions.
A registry-agnostic approach ensures projects are evaluated on quality rather than certification label.
By combining these technological and methodological advances, Keystone 3.0 delivers a more holistic, context-specific, and scientifically rigorous assessment, one that better reflects the interconnected realities of climate, biodiversity and community outcomes in nature-based solutions.
How Keystone 3.0 goes beyond standard frameworks
Keystone 3.0 moves beyond traditional carbon standards by assessing projects through a unified lens that integrates carbon, biodiversity, and community impact. Instead of relying solely on certification outcomes, it applies a risk-based, evidence-weighted scoring system that captures nuance and builds transparency across diverse project types.
Its open methodology makes criteria, data sources, and weighting visible, helping users understand how scores are determined. Continuous monitoring through satellite imagery and live data replaces static, one-off verification, ensuring ongoing accountability.
By combining scientific rigour with social and ecological insight, Keystone 3.0 verifies not just carbon performance, but the long-term resilience and integrity of nature-based solutions.
How Keystone 3.0 supports sustainable businesses to invest in nature
Keystone 3.0 helps companies take confident, credible climate action through greater transparency and scientific rigour. It offers:
Verified confidence:
Every project is independently assessed and backed by science-based data and continuous monitoring.
Clear communication:
Transparent scoring makes it easy to explain the impact to investors, customers, and stakeholders.
ESG alignment:
Metrics align with global reporting frameworks, supporting audit-ready sustainability disclosures.
Leadership in integrity:
Partners can demonstrate genuine climate commitment through independently verified results.
Seamless integration:
Earthly uses 3.0 across project onboarding and client partnerships to ensure every investment drives measurable, lasting environmental impact.
Earthly’s view: why Keystone 3.0 raises the bar for nature project assessment with lasting impact
From Earthly’s experience assessing over a thousand nature-based projects across carbon, biodiversity, and people, one pattern is clear: most integrity risks emerge when projects are assessed in silos. Carbon-only evaluation overlooks ecological resilience; biodiversity metrics without social context miss long-term viability; and social safeguards without robust monitoring struggle to deliver durable outcomes.
Keystone 3.0 was built in response to these realities. By combining three interconnected pillars, evidence-weighted scoring, and continuous monitoring, Earthly applies the same level of rigour across all dimensions of impact. This approach allows us to identify projects that are not only technically sound but resilient, transparent, and capable of delivering lasting climate and nature outcomes.
In our view, the future of nature-based solutions depends on holistic, science-backed assessment frameworks like Keystone 3.0, where trust is earned through evidence.
Nature-positive transition is a major economic opportunity. It could unlock up to US$10.1 trillion in annual business value by 2030 and create 395 million jobs. For businesses, this means stronger, more resilient supply chains and new growth opportunities as nature becomes a core sustainability priority.
FAQs: Keystone 3.0 nature project assessment
What is Earthly’s Keystone 3.0?
Keystone 3.0 is Earthly’s latest framework for evaluating the integrity, impact and risks of nature-based projects across carbon, biodiversity, and social dimensions.
How is it different from Earthly’s previous assessment?
It expands beyond carbon credits to include biodiversity, water and context-based social analysis, while introducing new tools, contextual baselines, and registry-agnostic evaluation.
What does it measure?
Keystone 3.0 measures how effectively projects reduce or store carbon, restore ecosystems, and deliver positive social outcomes for local communities.
Why does transparency matter in the voluntary carbon market?
Transparency allows businesses to trust that credits represent real, lasting impact and helps prevent over-claiming or greenwashing.
If you’re interested in learning more about Keystone 3.0, continue with our pillar series:
,
and
blogs. You can also find the full framework and methodology on the
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