About Oncra
Built to regenerate Earth, rooted in trust.
Oncra exists for one clear reason: to help reverse climate change while regenerating life on Earth.
We certify carbon removal projects that store CO₂ in land, oceans, rocks and biobased materials. By making stored carbon measurable, trustworthy and fundable, we help entrepreneurs grow the work that restores soils, strengthens biodiversity, improves water systems and builds a regenerative economy.
We do this for the love of life. Not to maximise transactions, but to make real climate action possible at scale.
What we do
Oncra is a carbon removal certification scheme.
We define standards, assess projects and issue certificates that represent verified carbon removal. Each certificate makes stored carbon visible, traceable and fundable.
We do not sell certificates ourselves. Our role is to make carbon markets accessible for nature-based Removers, and ensure that what enters the market is credible, transparent and grounded in clear methodology. Project owners and brokers handle sales. Oncra provides the trust.
We certify carbon removal in four domains
Construction Stored Carbon
Carbon stored in biobased materials, buildings and infrastructure.
Learn more
Ocean Stored Carbon
Carbon stored through marine and coastal ecosystems, including seaweed and blue carbon solutions.
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Why we do this
The world needs carbon removal at scale. Reducing emissions comes first, but reduction alone is not enough. We also need to remove CO₂ already in the atmosphere and store it safely.
Many entrepreneurs are already doing this work. They grow biobased materials, restore ecosystems, improve soils, farm seaweed, work with minerals and build with carbon-storing materials. Their projects remove carbon and regenerate life at the same time.
But too many of these projects cannot access carbon finance because certification is too expensive, too complex or too slow.
Oncra changes this. We make carbon removal certification accessible, credible and transparent, so more entrepreneurs can unlock the value of carbon removal and scale their inspiring work.
Our mission is to help reverse climate change while regenerating Earth.
Rooted in Climate Cleanup Foundation
Oncra is steward-owned by Climate Cleanup Foundation, an Amsterdam-based non-profit public benefit foundation. Climate Cleanup's purpose is to develop and implement systemic solutions for reversing climate change, restoring the balance between people and ecosystems.
This structure matters. Oncra is built to serve a mission, not profits. The roots of the organisation stay with the Climate Cleanup Foundation dedicated to climate recovery, nature-based solutions and public benefit.
The Climate Cleanup Foundation safeguards Oncra's mission, structure and long-term integrity. This gives Oncra the independence to focus on what matters: accessible certification, methodological quality and transparent carbon removal.
Mission first. Steward-owned. Built for long-term trust.
How we are governed
Clear roles protect independence, quality and trust.
Oncra's governance is designed to keep certification decisions independent from commercial interests. The structure separates mission oversight, operational management and technical review into distinct bodies, each with a clear mandate. This separation is essential for maintaining credibility as a certification organisation.
Climate Cleanup Board
Supervises Oncra's mission, structure, financials, strategy, management appointments, annual plans, partnerships and accreditations. Operates independently from certified projects.
- Ruud Koornstra, Chairman
- Ruurd Priester, Board Member
- Laura Rooseboom, Treasurer
- Donald Pols, Board Member
- Sven Jense, Secretary
Management Team
Responsible for daily operations and execution within the mandate set by the Climate Cleanup Foundation Board.
- Sven Jense, CEO
- Gijs Tolmeijer, COO
Technical Expert Committee
Advises on technical issues and safeguards methodological robustness, guidelines, protocols, MRV requirements and registry rules.
- Pol Knops
- Laetitia Nossek
- Teun van Biemond
- Emily te Pas
- Sacha Brons
- Lars Hillewaere
The people behind Oncra
Reversing climate change with positive energy.
Oncra is built by people with backgrounds in carbon removal, operations, compliance, construction, land-based carbon storage, finance and business development. We combine technical expertise with a practical mindset.
General enquiries
oncra@climatecleanup.orgPart of a larger ecosystem
Certification, visibility and transparency working together.
Oncra
Certifies carbon removal and issues certificates. Project data is publicly listed in the Oncra registry.
International standards
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Integrity Council Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) and the European Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Regulation (CRCF) set international certification standards.
Certification bodies
Independent third-party validation and verification of the projects ensure high certification quality and trustability.
Together, these layers create the infrastructure needed for trustworthy carbon finance. Project owners can prove their impact. Buyers can understand what they fund. The market can grow without losing integrity.
Driven by mission, not profit
Oncra is built to scale carbon removal with integrity.
Our goal is not to create a market for its own sake. Our goal is to help more entrepreneurs access carbon finance for work that removes CO₂ and regenerates the Earth.
That mission shapes how we work.
Built on research and verification
Oncra translates complex carbon accounting into practical certification methods. Our work is grounded in science, field data, conservative calculations and continuous improvement. We build methods that are rigorous enough to create trust and practical enough to be used by real projects.
Research-based
Methods are informed by scientific knowledge, field experience and ongoing learning.
Verified standards
Projects are assessed against clear criteria before certificates are issued.
Continuous improvement
Our Guidelines, Protocols and MRV requirements develop as science, regulation and project experience evolve.
How we certify
Every project follows a structured certification process. First, we assess whether the project fits the relevant carbon removal category. Then we define the project boundaries, baseline and data requirements. The carbon removal is calculated using the applicable methodology and conservative assumptions. When the project meets the requirements, Oncra issues certificates and records them in the registry.
This process turns stored carbon into something that can be trusted, traced and funded.
Explore our methodologyContact
Get in touch
Address
OncraTolhuisweg 2, 1031 CL Amsterdam
The Netherlands
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Trust as foundation of climate action
We believe trust is the foundation of climate action. By making carbon removal visible, verifiable and accessible, Oncra helps build a market where capital flows to real projects, real entrepreneurs and real regeneration.
The future we work for is practical and hopeful: more carbon stored, more nature restored and more people able to make a living by healing the planet.
For the love of life. For a regenerative Earth.