This eight-page paper from IETA outlines the urgency with which natural climate solutions need financial backing. Released in June 2024, it presents the climate case: That an estimated 210 GTCO2e of nature-based removals will be needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C, with additional scaling up required until 2050. And the business case: Investments in NCS represent a cost-effective, near-term opportunity to help scale the impact of corporate transitions to net zero.
This report from CCAG makes recommendations to improve the VCM’s capacity to reduce emissions and accelerate their removal from the atmosphere. Published in June 2024, it would like to see improvements to the standards; carbon credits used alongside deep, sustained emission reduction and a greater level of co-benefit integration into carbon project design.
Uncertain where to start with carbon credit quality assessment? This is a guide to the data-driven tools that can help. Produced by Climate Collective and RMI in June 2024, it shares a six-step process for purchasing carbon credits and shares tests that can be used to test the effectiveness of data packages. One especially useful section links existing carbon credit guidance with the most relevant stage of a buyer’s journey.
This paper from BeZero explains the benefits of a $100bn carbon market for people and the planet. Published in June 2024, it says that the carbon markets could be facing their own ‘ChatGPT moment’ with huge potential for expansion. It explains there are more than 50 different activities from which carbon credits can be generated and that between 2014 and 2024, the market issued 1.8 billion credits.
This report from Calyx Global considers whether the VCM is ‘on track’ to raise quality and looks at the state of beyond-carbon benefits (co-benefits) for people and biodiversity. Published in June 2024, it finds that the market values beyond carbon benefits, with projects contributing to the UN SDGs capturing a significant proportion of retirements. While it concludes the market is entering its VCM 2.0 era, it recommends a stronger emphasis on the principle ‘do no harm’.
Curious about natural climate solutions? Interested in investing but not sure where to start? This report, published by ERM Sustainability Institute; ERM; Natural Climate Solutions Alliance; WBCSD and the Forest Investor Club in June 2024, provides practical guidance to companies and financial institutions to invest in high-integrity NCS projects. Its ultimate purpose is to increase the flow of financial capital into these promising, high-impact solutions.
Carbon Tanzania’s 2023 impact report can be read as an example of high-integrity in the voluntary carbon market. Published in May 2024, it is useful for project developers interested in improving community engagement and learning from best practices in carbon revenue sharing. It is also useful for corporates looking for examples of high-quality nature-based climate solutions.
This report from NCS Alliance and WBCSD addresses the role of project developers and communities in natural climate solution carbon credits. Published in May 2024, It includes a blueprint for developing NCS projects covering initiation, feasibility, design and implementation. Section 3 considers how NCS works in practice with a discussion of additionality, FPIC and methodologies.
Published by Meta and Carbon Direct, this report discusses the opportunities for ecological restoration in the VCM. Released in May 2024, it covers barriers for ecological restoration projects in the VCM and provides a roadmap to guide buyers to best support ecological restoration. In 2022, carbon credits from nature-based projects represented about 17% of issuances from the four largest registries. But how to increase this percentage further?
Published by the Biden-Harris Administration in May 2024, this factsheet accompanies the White House’s ‘Joint Statement of Policy and New Principles for Responsible Participation in VCMs’ that confirmed the U.S. government’s approach to advancing high-integrity VCMs. It examples the steps needed to strengthen the VCM to support corporate decarbonisation.