VCMI’s Scope Action Code of Practice

This guidance from VCMI helps companies navigate Scope 3 emissions in line with credible climate action. It outlines three key principles: reduce first, disclose transparently, and limit credit use to no more than 25% of Scope 3 emissions annually. The Code complements SBTi targets and integrity claims, ensuring that corporate offsetting strategies do not undermine decarbonization. It aims to create demand-side accountability, clarify buyer claims, and bolster trust in high-quality carbon markets as part of the net zero transition.

Evolving markets, emerging solutions: Carbon Market Report 2025

The Carbon Market Institute’s annual report tracks Australia’s evolving carbon market, policy reforms, and investor sentiment. It unpacks shifts in credit pricing, demand, and project type, and explores how equity, integrity, and First Nations engagement are shaping a more sustainable market architecture.

Forecasting the voluntary carbon market (March 2025)

AlliedOffsets introduces a forecasting model for the VCM, simulating credit demand under various market conditions through 2030. Scenarios reflect divergent buyer behavior, regulatory signals, and investor sentiment. The baseline scenario projects steady growth in retirements, while an optimistic scenario sees near 1 GtCO₂e retired annually by 2030. It identifies market levers (e.g. Scope 3 frameworks, policy alignment, pricing clarity) that could influence uptake. The model helps guide strategy for developers, buyers, and intermediaries navigating future carbon market dynamics.

2025 CDR Market Survey: In Net Zero Standards We Trust

This 2025 report by CDR.fyi and Sylvera surveys both durable carbon dioxide removal suppliers and purchasers, revealing a significant price gap, reliance on net-zero standards to drive demand, and strong intent to scale durable CDR. However, growth remains limited by cost, quality uncertainty, and early-stage market constraints.

Country Guidance for Navigating Carbon Markets

This June 2025 report by VCMI (in partnership with the World Bank, GIZ, UNDP, UNFCCC and others) provides country-focused guidance to develop high-integrity carbon market strategies: from authorising credits, to pricing and governance frameworks, to help governments confidently engage with international carbon finance.

Voluntary Carbon Markets: Potential Pitfalls and the Path Forward

This 2025 report by CCAG outlines the expectations and challenges facing the carbon dioxide removal (CDR) market, based on surveys of both suppliers and purchasers. It reveals a widening pricing gap, heavy reliance on net‑zero standards to drive demand, and a planned shift toward durable CDR, though scaling remains hindered by cost and quality uncertainties.

The 2025 carbon markets buyer’s guide

South Pole considers the implications that long and short-term carbon market trends will likely have on credit buyers. Published in February 2025, this guidance document predicts there will be greater standardisation of carbon credit quality criteria in the coming year. It is also expected that 2025 will be a new era for carbon markets as Article 6 of the Paris Agreement becomes operational and CORSIA gets underway. Furthermore, the guidance outlines eight ‘megatrends’, including the rise of nature- and tech-based removal credits, that will likely shape the buyer landscape.

Buyer’s guide to high-quality cookstove carbon credits

Abatable and the Clean Cooking Alliance have collaborated to produce a guide to help potential buyers identify high-quality cookstove credits. Released in February 2025, it covers the foundational concepts of cookstove credits, explaining emissions reductions and the social benefits they bring, especially for women. It advises potential buyers to set a clear procurement strategy, define criteria for project eligibility, assess credit quality and keep claims credible and transparent.

Navigating net zero: Turning climate strategy into corporate strategy

Sylvera published a paper on climate and corporate strategy in December 2024. In the UK, the new Labour government committed in their manifesto to mandating all FTSE 100 companies to develop and implement ‘credible’ net zero transition plans. Although the paper found that 9 in 10 companies in the UK and US have increased their investment in net zero initiatives in the last two years, 24 percent of those surveyed are very concerned about the brand and reputational damage associated with net zero missteps.

How to unlock billions in carbon market demand

Patch, the carbon platform, published a guidance report for the demand side of the carbon markets in November 2024. The organisation spoke with hundreds of carbon credit buyers to find out what challenges they face – and how they are solving them. The report found that of the 100 biggest carbon credit buyers, only 15 percent have a dedicated carbon team. However, it takes the average buyer 53 hours to complete a comprehensive due diligence review.