Carbonmark and the National University of La Plata (UNLP) Partner to Bring Onchain Credits Issued under the UNLP Carbon Program
Carbonmark, the open marketplace for digital carbon assets, has become the official technological partner of the National University of La Plata (Universidad Nacional de La Plata or UNLP) in the implementation of its Carbon Program — an initiative that verifies and issues carbon credits under an academic, science-based framework developed by the Faculty of Engineering.
As part of this collaboration, the first UNLP-certified carbon project — the Urunday Afforestation Project — has been successfully tokenized and published on the Carbonmark marketplace, marking a milestone for Argentina’s voluntary carbon market and setting a new benchmark for transparency, accessibility, and credibility in the region.
UNLP Carbon Program: A Science-Based Carbon Standard for Argentina
Founded in 1905, UNLP is one of Latin America’s leading public universities, recognized for its commitment to academic excellence, inclusion, and sustainability. Its Carbon Program introduces a Verified Carbon Unit (VCU) system based on rigorous scientific methodologies aligned with international standards such as VCS, CDM, and IPCC guidelines.
The program was designed to democratize access to the voluntary carbon market, particularly for small and medium-sized landowners who have traditionally faced high entry barriers due to the costs of project development and verification. Each carbon credit verified under UNLP’s program represents one tonne of CO₂e removed or avoided. The University, as guarantor of integrity, manages a public registry of VCUs, ensuring full traceability, uniqueness, and transparency in each issuance.
The Urunday Afforestation Project: A Model for Sustainable Forestry
Located in Paso de los Libres, Corrientes, Argentina, the Urunday Afforestation Project has transformed 3,143 hectares of degraded grasslands into a productive carbon sink expected to remove over 1 million tonnes of CO₂e during its crediting period (2016–2046).
Managed under FSC-certified standards, the project promotes sustainable Eucalyptus grandis forestry for wood production while generating significant co-benefits:
Climate Action: Equivalent to removing 225,000 cars from the road for one year.
Biodiversity: Preserves native forest patches and creates biological corridors for local wildlife.
Employment: More than 200 direct jobs created, fostering rural development and reducing migration.
Ecosystem Services: Enhanced soil stability, improved fire prevention, and reduced land degradation.
The first issuance of 515,234 Verified Carbon Units (VCUs) has been completed, and 10,000 of these credits are now tokenized and available for global trading or retirement through Carbonmark.
Direct Credit Issuance on Blockchain
Earlier this year, Carbonmark introduced its Direct Issuance framework — a new way for project developers to issue verified carbon credits directly onto public blockchain infrastructure.
Designed to support developers implementing novel methodologies or operating small-scale projects that may be uneconomical to bring to market through traditional registries, Carbonmark Direct enables credit issuance on publicly verifiable and secure infrastructure — in our case, the Polygon and Base blockchains.
Carbonmark and UNLP share the same vision: to democratize access to carbon markets, empower participants who have historically been excluded, and incentivize meaningful climate action.
Technology for Science-Based Verification
By integrating with Carbonmark’s digital infrastructure, UNLP’s VCUs can now be represented onchain — ensuring permanent traceability, instant settlement, and open access for global buyers. This marks the first time in Argentina that carbon credits issued by a public academic institution are brought onto the blockchain, bridging local sustainability efforts with global market demand.
About Carbonmark
Carbonmark is an open and fully transparent blockchain-powered marketplace for carbon credits, enabling faster, more flexible, and traceable credit issuance and retirement. Through its Direct Issuance mechanism, Carbonmark empowers small-scale and non-traditional projects to bypass legacy market bottlenecks — bringing high-quality, science-driven carbon credits to market in weeks, not years. Carbonmark’s infrastructure guarantees public traceability, eliminates double counting, and supports fractionalized retirements, making participation in the voluntary carbon market accessible to all.
For more information, visit www.carbonmark.com.
About the National University of La Plata (UNLP)
Founded in 1905, UNLP is one of Argentina’s most prestigious public universities, with over 120,000 students across 17 faculties and more than 150 academic programs. Renowned for its commitment to academic excellence, scientific innovation, and social inclusion, UNLP plays a leading role in research and sustainability in Latin America. Its Carbon Program provides a robust, transparent, and accessible framework for the verification of carbon credits — particularly for small-scale landowners — fostering regional development and environmental stewardship.
For more information, visit: https://www.unlp.edu.ar
