2025 CDR market survey

Sylvera and CDR.fyi predict that tech-based removal credits will increasingly make up a larger proportion of the CDR market. This report, based on a market-participant survey in February 2025, expects the ratio of nature-based and tech-based credits to switch from 6:1 to 1.2:1 by 2030. Respondents predict that the price for tech-based credits will fall over the next two decades and that decisions from the key net-zero standards setters will be extremely influential.

Scaling up carbon dioxide removals Recommendations for navigating opportunities and risks in the EU

This report, released in February 2025 by the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change, explores scaling up carbon dioxide removals (CDR) in the EU. It outlines governance, policy, and funding needs for long-term CO₂ removal and storage. It is sceptical how big a role voluntary carbon markets will play in the scaling of CDR but acknowledges the markets have, so far, been the main source of funding for the removal sector. It also discusses EU climate neutrality targets, extended emitter responsibility and NDCs.

We are all in this together – UNEP Annual Report 2024

Published in January 2025 by UNEP, the Annual Report 2024 outlines key environmental efforts, including developments in the voluntary carbon market. At COP29, nations agreed on international carbon market standards, boosting transparency and credibility. UNEP also supported forest-based carbon trading under UN-REDD, aiding countries in accessing finance. The report covers nature conservation, NDCs, plastics, gender, and plastic pollution, emphasising global collaboration for sustainability.

Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) Label Guidance

In January 2025, Verra announced that it’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program is eligible for the first phase of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) that will run until 2026. This means that more verified carbon credits will get CORSIA labels and this guidance documents explains how the supplies of eligible credits can apply. The guidance advices on double counting avoidance, stating that credits with 2021 vintages onwards will need an Article 6 authorisation and to meet other criteria to be eligble.

Climate and Nature-based Interventions in Livestock: Assessing the mitigation potential and financing flows

Nature-based solutions produce better outcomes than tech-based solutions in the livestock sector, a report by FAIRR has found. Published in January 2025, this study compares the effectiveness of 22 nature and tech climate solutions that are commonly used to mitigate the impacts of livestock farming across the nine planetary boundaries within which humans can live safely. The study found nature-based solutions had more of a positive impact on six of the boundaries, including GHG reductions and removals, biodiversity and freshwater use. Tech-based solutions performed better on only three.

Carbon sequestration on land through nature-based solutions and land-use trade-offs

In January 2025, BirdLife International released a report considering the carbon storage potential of Europe’s ecosystems. If these ecosystems were fully restored, they could collectively restore 13.22 billion tonnes of carbon. It explains how the successful restoration of Europe’s natural carbon sinks could allow the bloc to meet its 2030 sequestration target.

Harnessing Nature-based Solutions for economic recovery

Published in January 2025, weADAPT has conducted a systematic review of 66 reviews on the economic impacts of nature-based solutions. It suggests that despite the myriad co-benefits nature-based projects offer, including recovering from natural disasters, these projects are not typically factored into economic recovery plans. It acknowledges that the current data is skewed towards projects based in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Using Carbon Markets to Protect Forests at Risk: A Case Study of Jurisdictional REDD+ in Guyana

In January 2025, Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART) shared a case study about Guyana. It explains how the country is successfully taking a jurisdictional approach to REDD+, using ART’s TREES carbon crediting pathway. It shares how ART issued 7.14 million credits to Guyana in 2024 and Guyana’s government were the first to report a corresponding adjustment to the UNFCCC for the associated emission reductions. 

Decoding the Voluntary Carbon Market in 2024 and beyond

Abatable published a report, considering the future of the voluntary carbon market, in February 2025. It finds that the VCM is shifting towards integrity, compliance and long-term funding, with airlines driving demand through CORSIA. Integrity now seems to define market value as companies move away from “carbon neutral” claims. This means high-quality credits are in demand and also a growing divide between low- and high-integrity credits.