Carbon markets access toolkit

In this practical guide, VCMI outlines how countries can build the enabling environments needed to access carbon markets credibly and effectively. The toolkit includes an Access Framework with indicators across governance, safeguards, finance, data, and policy. It helps users identify capacity gaps, prioritize investments, and coordinate across ministries. Developed with a focus on equity and climate ambition, the toolkit is designed to support implementation of Article 6 and the transition toward high-integrity, country-driven carbon market participation.

Biodiversity credits: How to ensure their integrity and impact?

In this brief, the European Forest Institute outlines key risks facing biodiversity credit market, such as weak baselines, permanence gaps, and vague metrics. It proposes science-based safeguards, governance standards, and policy roles to ensure integrity and avoid repeating carbon market failures.

Scope 3 decarbonisation: Practitioner challenges

This Ramboll report draws on deep interviews with over 30 companies to understand the barriers to effective Scope 3 emissions reduction. It identifies persistent implementation challenges, from poor data visibility and supplier coordination to weak financing and reporting standards. Many companies struggle to move beyond targets to real reductions, especially in complex, global value chains. The report offers priority actions for business and policymakers, including clearer accounting rules, capacity support, financing instruments, and cross-sectoral collaboration to close the action gap on Scope 3.

Carbon crediting data framework (CCDF)

The Carbon Crediting Data Framework (CCDF) proposes a standardized schema for core carbon crediting data. Developed by RMI with ecosystem input, it supports transparency, lowers transaction costs, and enables cross-platform interoperability. The framework addresses project metadata, MRV inputs, risk disclosures, and monitoring outputs. By reducing duplicated due diligence, currently consuming 60%+ of some teams’ time, it allows stakeholders to more efficiently assess credit quality. The CCDF lays the groundwork for more automated, trusted digital carbon markets.

A confident carbon market: Business perspectives

This VCMI – Accenture study explores the key concerns and opportunities shaping corporate engagement in voluntary carbon markets based on input from 65+ companies and 60 market reports. While carbon markets remain essential to climate ambition, risks currently outweigh perceived benefits. Businesses call for clarity on how and when to use credits. Framework alignment, credit quality assurance, and clearer financial value cases are seen as critical to increasing corporate investment and restoring momentum.

Corporate buyers in the voluntary carbon market (July 2025)

This AlliedOffsets report analyses voluntary carbon market activity by corporate buyers, revealing that demand remains highly concentrated, with Microsoft and Meta leading. Financial services and tech dominate volumes, but new entrants across sectors are emerging. It explores buyer motivations, retirement trends, and offsetting behavior, including how different sectors approach Scope 3. Regional and company-level insights show growing attention to integrity, price signals, and permanence. The report includes a leaderboard, strategy breakdowns, and trends in project types and geographies.

CDR: State of the market (July 2025)

This AlliedOffsets market overview tracks the surge in carbon dioxide removal (CDR) activity in H1 2025. While Microsoft continues to dominate demand, biochar and biomass-based methods lead in issuance. The report unpacks buyer trends, price shifts, and early diversification into DAC, ERW, and mineralization.

Restoring confidence in carbon offsets through systemic ex post evaluation

A Nature Sustainability perspective argues that the credibility of carbon offsets is undermined by inflated ex-ante baselines. It proposes that systematic ex-post evaluations, based on observed outcomes, could prevent over-crediting, improve carbon credit accuracy, and restore trust in certification standards in voluntary carbon markets.

The common credit data model: Key infrastructure for digital carbon markets

This Carbon Mechanisms Review brief by Wuppertal Institute outlines how a common credit data model can serve as a backbone for digital carbon markets. It highlights benefits like improved interoperability, transparency, and cost reduction, especially for registries, project developers, and credit buyers navigating fragmented systems.

Linkages between Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and Voluntary Carbon Markets: Nordic Perspectives and Points of Convergence

Published by Carbon Limits for the Nordic Initiative for Cooperative Approaches, this report examines the relationship between Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and voluntary carbon markets. It outlines where the two systems can support each other through harmonised crediting approaches, shared infrastructure, and safeguards. The analysis highlights Nordic priorities, such as environmental integrity, robust accounting, and avoiding market fragmentation, and recommends measures for enabling Article 6-aligned credit use in corporate claims and financing structures.