Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition

Empowering Climate Pioneers by Cutting Through the Noise

We are an independent research group of economists, data scientists, and policy experts.

What We Study

Our research sits at the intersection of climate technology, corporate decarbonisation, and carbon markets.

Our Methods

We combine unconventional data sources with cutting-edge analytical techniques.

Step 1

Unconventional Data

We collect novel data sources such as millions of social media posts and web-scraped corporate reports that go beyond traditional datasets.

Step 2

Machine Learning

We use large language models to aggregate, synthesise, and label data at scale, revealing new patterns and preprocessing data for downstream analysis.

Step 3

Econometrics

We apply rigorous causal inference methods such as difference-in-differences and instrumental variables to identify the real-world impact of technologies and policies.

CarbonCredits.fyi

An open assessment of carbon credit quality, drawing on studies covering nearly 1 billion tons of CO₂e. Based on our research published in Nature Communications.

Explore the Data →

In the Media

The Guardian Carbon Offsets Fail to Cut Global Heating Due to ‘Intractable’ Systemic Problems Forbes Unpacking the New Developments in the Carbon Markets Le Monde Compenser ses émissions de CO₂ est inefficace Al Jazeera Voluntary Carbon Market Has Failed the Human Rights Test Süddeutsche Zeitung Warum die meisten CO₂-Sparprojekte Luftnummern sind Die Zeit Die Klima-Kompensation war tot. Kommt sie jetzt zurück? Inside Climate News Forestry Carbon Credit Programs Have a Poor Track Record. Can a New One Do Better? Aftonbladet Forskare sågar regeringens klimatmopeder Harvard Business Manager CO₂-Zertifikate helfen dem Klima kaum Deutschlandfunk Nova CO₂-Kompensation funktioniert nur sehr mäßig Tagesspiegel Mogelpackungen im Klimaschutz: Emissionsgutschriften halten nicht, was sie versprechen Dagens Nyheter Det är inte fel att ‘köpa sig fri’ i klimatpolitiken SRF Stiftung MyClimate in der Krise Tages-Anzeiger Klimaneutral fliegen? Ein Forscher sagt, welche CO₂-Zertifikate taugen Cadena SER Pagar por seguir contaminando: ¿Cómo funcionan los bonos de carbono? The Guardian Carbon Offsets Fail to Cut Global Heating Due to ‘Intractable’ Systemic Problems Forbes Unpacking the New Developments in the Carbon Markets Le Monde Compenser ses émissions de CO₂ est inefficace Al Jazeera Voluntary Carbon Market Has Failed the Human Rights Test Süddeutsche Zeitung Warum die meisten CO₂-Sparprojekte Luftnummern sind Die Zeit Die Klima-Kompensation war tot. Kommt sie jetzt zurück? Inside Climate News Forestry Carbon Credit Programs Have a Poor Track Record. Can a New One Do Better? Aftonbladet Forskare sågar regeringens klimatmopeder Harvard Business Manager CO₂-Zertifikate helfen dem Klima kaum Deutschlandfunk Nova CO₂-Kompensation funktioniert nur sehr mäßig Tagesspiegel Mogelpackungen im Klimaschutz: Emissionsgutschriften halten nicht, was sie versprechen Dagens Nyheter Det är inte fel att ‘köpa sig fri’ i klimatpolitiken SRF Stiftung MyClimate in der Krise Tages-Anzeiger Klimaneutral fliegen? Ein Forscher sagt, welche CO₂-Zertifikate taugen Cadena SER Pagar por seguir contaminando: ¿Cómo funcionan los bonos de carbono?

Latest News

Apr
14
2026

Announcing Cohort 2 of the Africa Carbon Removal Accelerator

Twelve CDR startups from Sub-Saharan Africa selected for the second ACRA cohort.

At the Africa Carbon Removal Summit in Nairobi, the Net Zero Lab and partners announced the 12 teams selected for the second cohort of the Africa Carbon Removal Accelerator (ACRA). The programme supports Sub-Saharan Africa-based carbon removal startups with coaching, expert connections, and access to buyers and investors.

ACRA is a joint initiative of the Net Zero Lab, ETH Zurich's sus.lab, Strathmore University, Nuvoni Centre for Innovation Research, and remove, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Swiss National Science Foundation.

Apr
14
2026

Injy Johnstone Joins as Senior Research Fellow

Carbon markets expert Dr. Injy Johnstone joins the Net Zero Lab from the University of Oxford.

The Net Zero Lab welcomes Dr. Injy Johnstone as a Senior Research Fellow. Injy joins from the University of Oxford, where she worked as a Research Fellow in Net Zero Aligned Offsetting at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment and helped found the Article 6 Observatory.

At the Net Zero Lab, Injy will focus on carbon markets, net-zero policy alignment, and carbon dioxide removal. She brings extensive expertise as a lead author of the Oxford Offsetting Principles and the State of CDR Report, a Stripe Climate Fellow, and an advisor to organisations including APEC, UNESCO, and New Zealand's Ministry for the Environment.

Meet the team →
Feb
20
2026

Net Zero Lab Contributes to New Study in Science

A major new paper in Science examines the role of forests in global climate adaptation.

The Net Zero Lab contributed to a large-scale study published in Science examining how forests support climate adaptation worldwide. The paper, involving an international team of researchers, analyses the multifaceted role of forests in helping communities and ecosystems adapt to a changing climate.

The study underscores the importance of forest conservation and restoration not just for carbon sequestration, but as a critical component of global climate adaptation strategies. The findings have significant implications for both carbon market policy and broader environmental governance.

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Jan
22
2026

Ten New Insights in Climate Science 2025

The Net Zero Lab contributes to a major synthesis of new climate science findings.

The annual "10 New Insights in Climate Science" report was released in Global Sustainability, presenting a comprehensive overview of major climate research advances from the past 18 months. Scientists from around the world collaborated to synthesise policy-relevant findings drawn from thousands of climate studies published annually.

The Net Zero Lab contributed to this year's report, focusing on a significant concern: voluntary carbon credit markets face substantial integrity issues. Their contribution builds on a 2024 Nature Communications study and follow-up investigations, emphasising the importance of enhanced oversight and improvements within carbon markets.

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