June 2025
In a world racing to decarbonise, data has become the new currency of trust. Yet not all data is created equal, and even fewer datasets can withstand scrutiny when the stakes involve climate commitments and sustainable finance. At the heart of this challenge lies a simple but profound question. How can we know with confidence that the data we rely on to track and verify green outcomes truly originates from what it claims?
This paper explores the transformative concept of verified machine identity, a foundational layer that ensures data collected from environmental sensors, industrial machinery and supply chains is authentic, tamper-proof and transparently traceable. By rooting trust directly into the machines and devices generating the data, we can build a digital infrastructure resilient enough to support granular, real-time monitoring of emissions, biodiversity impact and resource use.
For policymakers, financial institutions and technology leaders alike, this work offers fresh insight into closing the trust gap that still plagues sustainability data. If the world is to meaningfully accelerate its green transition, the journey must start with rethinking how we trust the machines that measure and report our progress.
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