Natural Capital Credit Consortium

What Natural Capital Credit Consortium does

Natural Capital Credit Consortium (NCCC) is a Japanese General Incorporated Association (一般社団法人) founded in April 2023, operating as Japan's first private carbon credit certification body. It serves enterprises, municipalities, academic institutions, and project developers seeking validated voluntary carbon credits in the Japanese market, with disclosed counterparties including Sompo Japan, Yamaha Motor, Miyoshi City, and Kyushu University. NCCC establishes certification standards, operates a project registry, and runs demonstration projects to validate credits issued under its methodology.

The organization's core technology and infrastructure consist of a proprietary original carbon credit certification methodology (described as the world's first of its kind and formalized in August 2024), a project registry where reduction projects are recorded, and demonstration projects used to validate the methodology. In 2025, NCCC extended its infrastructure with two new product lines: Japan's first domestic carbon inset program for enterprises (July 2025) and O-musubi DAO (September 2025), a community/Digital Organizational Infrastructure platform. Leadership is anchored by Shunsuke Managi, Director of the UN IWR (satellite-based water resources initiative), and the organization maintains an academic and governmental partnership network that includes Kyushu University and multiple municipalities.

NCCC's business model is that of a non-profit certification body, generating revenue through certification fees, credit transaction commissions, and program administration services rather than equity-funded growth. Its go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales (e.g., Sompo Japan as anchor transaction counterparty), municipal partnerships (e.g., Miyoshi City), and industrial-firm collaboration (e.g., Yamaha Motor), with international credibility supported by a partnership with Calyx Global, a third-party carbon credit ratings firm. Revenue scale is undisclosed but implied to be small given the organization's two-year operating history, non-profit structure, and limited disclosed transaction count.

Name

Natural Capital Credit Consortium

Legal name

的一般社団法人ナチュラルキャピタルクレジットコンソーシアム

Website

https://nccc.earth

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Natural Capital Credit Consortium (NCCC) is a Japanese non-profit certification body founded in April 2023, operating as Japan's first private carbon credit certifier. It serves enterprises, municipalities, and project developers through a proprietary certification methodology, a project registry, and Japan's first domestic carbon inset program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carbon Credit Certification Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

akta.pro primary industry

Voluntary Carbon Credit Verification & Validation (VCS/Gold Standard/ACR/CAR) (EUABACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Soil & Biomass Carbon Measurement (Soil Sampling, Forest Inventory, Blue Carbon) (EUABACAH), Carbon Registries & Issuance Platforms (Project/credit lifecycle, serials, issuance, retirement) (EUABAAAA), Carbon Credit Ratings & Due Diligence (Quality Scoring, Integrity Assessments) (EUABADAF), Forest Certification, Compliance & Chain-of-Custody Support (AFAMAAAH), GHG Monitoring Plans & Sampling Design (Field Protocols, QA/QC) (EUABACAE)

Keywords

• Carbon credit certification
• Voluntary carbon markets
• Carbon inset programs
• Natural capital assessment
• Carbon offset verification

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Carbon Credit Certification Services: NCCC provides credit authentication and certification services for carbon credit projects, evaluating and analyzing decarbonization value to issue certified carbon credits that can be transacted in the voluntary carbon market.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NCCC provides carbon credit certification services using proprietary methodologies that evaluate, analyze, and authenticate decarbonization value across soil carbon sequestration, forest, grassland, and coastal ecosystem projects in Japan. The consortium operates a public Project Registry documenting certified credits and supports corporate carbon inset programs by enabling transactions between certified project developers and corporate buyers in the voluntary carbon market.

Product overview

NCCC offers a unified platform for voluntary carbon credit certification in Japan, led by UN Inclusive Wealth Report Director Shunsuke Managi. The core offering is the credit certification service, which uses proprietary methodologies to evaluate and authenticate carbon credits, particularly focused on soil carbon (naturally derived carbon removal). This is supported by a public project registry where certified projects are documented, demonstration experiment projects that develop high-quality credit methodologies, and an academic partner researcher program that provides multi-disciplinary validation of credit quality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Carbon Credit Certification Service (クレジット認証サービス) Core certification service evaluating, analyzing, authenticating, and advising on decarbonization value using proprietary methodologies that account for climate and soil conditions, particularly for soil carbon sequestration (naturally derived carbon removal). Targeted at project developers and corporate carbon credit buyers in Japan.
• Project Registry (プロジェクト_registry) Online public registry system listing all certified carbon credit projects with project names, proponents, methodology types, estimated total emission reductions, methodology codes, registration dates, and credit period details. Provides transparency to facilitate transactions between credit buyers and certified project developers.
• Demonstration Experiment Projects (実証実験プロジェクト) Demonstration experiment projects that incorporate climate and soil conditions to create high-quality carbon credits with essential characteristics, supporting methodology refinement and proof-of-concept for new project types.
• Corporate Carbon Inset Program (企業向けカーボンインセットプログラム) First domestic carbon inset program for enterprises in Japan, enabling corporate buyers to integrate NCCC-certified high-quality credits into their value chains and decarbonization strategies through consortium membership.
• Academic Partner Researcher Program (学術パートナー研究者プログラム) Collaboration framework with academic partner researchers from port and airport research institutes and universities, providing multi-perspective analysis across specialized fields to achieve high-precision carbon credit creation.

Quantifiable outcome

• First certified project achieved 933t-CO2 estimated total emission reduction (赤磐草地プロジェクト, NCCC-MD0001)

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kyushu University (九州大学)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 September 2025Kyushu University partnered with Miyoshi City and Yamaha Motor on a forest maintenance carbon credit creation initiative. NCCC serves as the voluntary carbon credit certification body for this project, providing its proprietary certification methodology.
• O-musubi DAO (お結びDAO)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 September 2025NCCC board director 辻田建機 launched the O-musubi DAO to address regional issues through voluntary carbon credits using DAO governance, indicating a Web3-based community approach to carbon markets.
• SoftBank (ソフトバンク)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2025SoftBank is listed as a board director (理事) of NCCC, indicating a strategic partnership for corporate engagement and carbon inset program development.
• Sompo Japan (損害保険ジャパン)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2025Sompo Japan's representative (丸木崇秀) serves as a board director (理事) of NCCC. The company is a特命部長 at Sompo Japan's Culture Reform Promotion Department.
• Calyx GlobalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2025NCCC participated in Calyx Global's carbon credit quality assessment initiative alongside Kyushu University, contributing its expertise in credit quality evaluation.
• Sompo Japan (損害保険ジャパン)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 June 2024Sompo Japan conducted the first transaction of NCCC-certified credits, purchasing credits from the Akaiwa Grassland Project. This represents the first-ever transaction of NCCC-certified credits.
• Tsunetsugu Kenki (辻田建機) / Tsunetsugu ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2024Tsunetsugu Kenki, represented by board director 辻田兼臣, is the proponent of the Akaiwa Grassland Project, NCCC's first certified carbon credit project. The company develops and operates the certified grassland soil carbon sequestration project.
• Yamaha Motor (ヤマハ発動機)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYamaha Motor partnered with Kyushu University and Miyoshi City in the forest maintenance carbon credit project. NCCC provides certification for this initiative, creating a trilateral partnership between industry, academia, and government.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• South Pole: South Pole is a large climate solutions provider that develops, certifies, and sells carbon credits globally. Comparable as a project developer/seller that also relies on certification bodies like NCCC's methodologies to bring credits to market.

Emerging players

• Calyx Global: Calyx Global is a carbon credit quality assessment firm and an explicit NCCC partner. It is a peer in the carbon credit quality ecosystem even though certification and ratings are distinct functions.
• Sylvera: Sylvera provides independent ratings and due diligence on voluntary carbon credits, adjacent to NCCC's quality assessment work and its partnership with Calyx Global. Comparable in helping corporate buyers evaluate credit integrity.
• Cercarbono: Cercarbono is a Colombia-based voluntary carbon standard emerging in Latin America. Comparable to NCCC as a recently established, geography-anchored voluntary carbon credit certification body pursuing international recognition.
• BeZero: BeZero is a carbon credit ratings agency. It is a peer in the carbon credit quality/ratings layer that NCCC sits adjacent to via its Calyx Global partnership, despite BeZero's ratings-only (not certification) model.

Direct peers

• Climate Action Reserve: CAR is a U.S. voluntary carbon offset registry issuing credits from forestry, soil, and livestock protocols. NCCC's soil-carbon and forest project portfolio directly overlaps with CAR's project categories and methodology/registry infrastructure.
• Verra: Verra administers the VCS Program, the world's largest voluntary carbon credit standard. NCCC's voluntary carbon credit certification role in Japan is a direct functional analog to Verra's program-level registration and methodology approval.
• Gold Standard: Gold Standard is a leading voluntary carbon credit certification body with methodologies for forestry, land use, and soil carbon. NCCC competes in the same dual role of methodology owner and certification/verification body.
• Plan Vivo: Plan Vivo is a community-focused voluntary carbon standard certifying land-use and nature-based credits. NCCC's certification of regional revitalization projects (Miyoshi City, Akaiwa Grassland) follows a similar grass-roots, community-linked approach.

Regional players

• J-Credit Scheme: J-Credit is Japan's government-run emissions credit scheme. NCCC is a direct functional peer in certifying credits in Japan, but operates as a private complement rather than a competitor to the government scheme.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/NCCC_earth
• Facebookfacebook.com/NCCC.earth
• Instagraminstagram.com/nccc.earth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/natural-capital-credit-consortium

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Natural Capital Credit Consortium