Puro Standard and Puro Registry: Durable, audit-ready carbon removal credits for compliance-minded buyers

Puro.earth is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, and was founded in 2018 as a carbon removal standard, registry, and marketplace. Its primary mission is to operate the Puro Standard and Puro Registry, which issue and track CO₂ Removal Certificates (CORCs) designed to meet the needs of organizations seeking durable, auditable solutions to regulatory and stakeholder pressures. With a minimum durability threshold of 100 years, Puro.earth positions its CORCs as compliance-ready assets for companies navigating increasing regulatory oversight and investor expectations. Since 2019, the platform has issued over one million CORCs, making it one of the leading players in the engineered and durable carbon removal market. Nasdaq became its majority investor in 2021, further professionalizing the market infrastructure and credibility of the platform.

Company Background

History

Puro.earth was founded in 2018 with the vision of creating the world’s first crediting platform dedicated exclusively to engineered and durable carbon removals. In 2019, the company launched its flagship Puro Standard and began issuing CO₂ Removal Certificates (CORCs), establishing a new benchmark for permanence and transparency in the carbon markets. A major milestone came in 2021 when Nasdaq became the majority investor, providing strategic backing and strengthening Puro.earth’s position as a market infrastructure leader. Since then, the company has expanded its methodologies to include biochar, geologically stored carbon (DACCS and BECCS), and enhanced rock weathering, enabling broader industrial adoption. In 2025, Puro.earth surpassed the milestone of issuing more than one million CORCs, underscoring both its rapid growth and its influence in scaling high-integrity carbon removal markets worldwide.

Founders and Key Figures

Puro.earth was co-founded by Antti Vihavainen and Marianne Tikkanen, both of whom brought significant expertise in sustainability and business innovation. Antti Vihavainen, who served as CEO until 2025, was instrumental in developing the company’s methodologies and scaling its registry, before transitioning to Vice Chair of the Board. Marianne Tikkanen has contributed to shaping Puro.earth’s strategic direction and its mission to professionalize durable carbon removals. In March 2025, Jan-Willem Bode was appointed as President, bringing extensive leadership experience in climate finance and market development, signaling the company’s next phase of global expansion.

Products and Services

Core Products/Services

At its core, Puro.earth offers the Puro Standard and Puro Registry, which govern and certify durable carbon removals. CORCs are issued only after third-party verification, and every credit represents one tonne of carbon removed and durably stored in line with methodologies under the Puro Standard. The platform distinguishes between CORC 100+ (removals stored for at least 100 years) and CORC 1,000+ (with storage projected beyond a millennium). Its offerings also include Pre-CORCs via the Puro Accelerate program, allowing corporate buyers to pre-finance suppliers, manage delivery risks, and secure long-term supply. Puro.earth supports multiple removal pathways including biochar, geologically stored carbon (DACCS and BECCS), and enhanced rock weathering, with methodologies continuously revised to align with scientific and policy standards.

Innovation and Technology

Puro.earth drives innovation through its Puro Standard and transparent registry, issuing verified CO₂ Removal Certificates (CORCs) with durability tiers such as CORC100+ and CORC1000+. It continuously updates methodologies, including major revisions for geologically stored carbon and enhanced rock weathering, and applies pre-issuance deductions to ensure permanence without buffer pools. Market tools like the CORC Offtake Allocation Service enable forward contracting while keeping issuance tied to actual deliveries. With over one million CORCs issued, Puro.earth is positioned as a compliance-ready platform delivering investor-grade, durable carbon removals.

Market Position

Industry Overview

Durable carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is emerging as a distinct segment of the voluntary carbon market, driven by compliance-style expectations from regulators, investors, and corporate reporting frameworks. Puro.earth operates as a carbon-removal standard and public registry issuing CO₂ Removal Certificates (CORCs) after third-party verification, enabling auditable claims and transparent retirements, capabilities aligned with market integrity efforts such as the ICVCM Core Carbon Principles.

Challenges

1. Integrity & MRV scrutiny: Evolving science and verification requirements for novel pathways (e.g., geologic storage, mineralization) raise the bar for methodologies and durability assurance. Alignment with emerging labels and assessments is an ongoing task for all programs.

2. Policy/market uncertainty: Shifts in rules and buyer guidance affect demand and credit eligibility, requiring programs to update protocols and governance quickly.

Opportunities

1. Compliance-style procurement: Growing corporate and investor demand for transparent, durable removals that can withstand assurance and reporting reviews favors standards with public registries and clear issuance/retirement logic (Puro Registry, CORCs).

2. Engineered CDR expansion: Rapid development of engineered-removal frameworks across registries (e.g., VCS CCS modules; Gold Standard’s engineered-removal requirements) expands the addressable market and interoperability for buyers.

Conclusion

Puro.earth stands out as a credible, compliance-focused provider of durable carbon removals. Its transparent registry, third-party verified methodologies, and durability tiers make it highly relevant for organizations seeking removals that will withstand regulatory and investor scrutiny. The company’s scale, with more than one million CORCs issued, combined with its financial and strategic backing from Nasdaq, reinforces its role as a leading player in the market. For organizations under pressure to demonstrate high-integrity net-zero strategies, Puro.earth offers a practical and reliable solution.