Tuesday, 07 July 2026 12:30 PM
Environmental, Social and Governance
Milestone advances a new funding model for organizations reducing food waste and feeding people
BOSTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / July 7, 2026 / Brightly, a climate technology company creating new funding opportunities for food banks and food rescue organizations, today announced that its food recovery carbon project has become the first project registered under Verra's VM0046 Methodology for Reducing Food Loss and Waste. The registration was completed through Verra, which administers the world's largest voluntary carbon credit program. The milestone advances a new funding model for organizations that reduce hunger while preventing food waste.
Brightly's food recovery carbon project quantifies greenhouse gas emissions avoided when surplus food is recovered and redistributed for human consumption rather than becoming waste. By measuring and monetizing these avoided emissions, Brightly aims to create new funding opportunities for food banks and food rescue organizations while reducing methane emissions associated with food loss and waste.
The registration follows years of data collection, greenhouse gas accounting, methodology implementation, and independent validation conducted by SCS Global Services, an internationally recognized third-party certification body. The project now advances toward final credit issuance by Verra.
"Food recovery organizations generate tremendous environmental value every day, but historically there has been no mechanism to recognize or finance that impact at scale," said Nico Dobler, Vice President of Climate Solutions at Brightly. "Becoming the first project registered under Verra's VM0046 methodology demonstrates that the climate benefits of food recovery can be measured with rigor, transparency, and credibility while creating a pathway for food banks and food rescue organizations to access new sources of funding."
"This project represents a hopeful new era in food waste accounting and methane mitigation. As the assessor for the first registered VM0046 project, SCS was proud to bring our validation expertise to this innovative and impactful project type," said Heather Rosa, Program Director of GHG Energy, Industry, and Agriculture at SCS Global Services. "Brightly's accountability, transparency, and constructive engagement supported an efficient independent review of a complex, first-of-its-kind project. Their success also reflects the strength of their partnerships with the participating food recovery organizations and their collaborative approach that made this milestone possible."
Food loss and waste is a massive driver of the climate crisis, accounting for 8% to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. When left to rot, it becomes one of the largest sources of methane, a climate superpollutant with a global warming potential 80 times more potent than CO2 over a 20-year horizon. By recovering surplus food before it enters the waste stream, food recovery organizations do far more than strengthen food security and improve system efficiency; they deploy a highly effective, immediate lever for slashing near-term atmospheric warming.
Participating food banks and food rescue organizations, including members of the Feeding America network, as well as Midwest Food Bank, Sharing Excess and more than two dozen other independent non-profit organizations, assign the climate benefits associated with recovered food to Brightly, enabling those benefits to be measured, verified, and ultimately monetized through carbon markets. Upon issuance, the project is expected to represent one of the largest efforts to quantify and monetize the climate benefits of food recovery at scale.
Additional information regarding credit issuance will be provided following completion of Verra's review process.
About Brightly
Brightly helps organizations measure, verify, and monetize the climate impact of food recovery. Through advanced data analytics, climate accounting expertise, and deep partnerships across the food recovery ecosystem, Brightly works to transform surplus food into measurable environmental and social impact. For more information, visit brightly.earth.
About SCS Global Services
SCS Global Services is an international leader in third-party environmental and sustainability verification, certification, and auditing. Its programs span a cross-section of industries, recognizing achievements in climate mitigation, green building, product manufacturing, food and agriculture, forestry, consumer products, and more. Headquartered in San Francisco, California and celebrating over 40 years in business, SCS has representatives and affiliate offices throughout the Americas, Asia/Pacific, Europe, and Africa. Its broad network of auditors are experts in their fields, and the company is a trusted partner to companies, agencies, and advocacy organizations due to its dedication to quality and professionalism. SCS is a chartered Benefit Corporation, reflecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices. SCS is also a Participant of the United Nations Global Compact and adheres to its principles-based approach to responsible business. For more information, visit www.SCSGlobalServices.com.
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SOURCE: SCS Global Services