Beyond value chain mitigation: Act now and shape tomorrow, a guide for sustainability professionals

Climate Impact Partners has released a guide to beyond value chain mitigation in October 2024. It explains the role of companies in climate mitigation, what beyond value chain mitigation is and how CIP has worked with Deloitte in this area. It makes the case for BVCM in terms of supporting wider decarbonisation efforts and reputation benefits. It explains: “By complementing internal strategies, BVCM expands corporate efforts beyond traditional Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, enabling action in existing climate solutions and helping to scale new ones, ultimately advancing societal decarbonization.

From co-benefits to core benefits: How to ensure carbon finance is equitably and transparently distributed

Terraspect has published a report that aims to reframe co-benefits into core benefits. Released in September 2024, it discusses the equitable distribution of carbon finance. The report outlines steps for transparent, equitable benefit sharing which include: Determining fair levels of compensation, appropriate payment mechanisms, effective verification and the impacts of institutional finance.

Removing carbon responsibly: A guide for business on carbon removal adoption

In September 2023, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) published a guide to carbon dioxide removal (CDR) for businesses. It clarifies the business case for investing in nature-based and tech-based forms of CDR and shares principles for investing in these solutions. It also includes an interactive tool to help businesses assess CDR solutions in line with the framework outlined by WBCSD.

The Sustainability Leader’s Guide to Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCMs)

Sylvera’s guide is extremely relevant to corporates looking to learn about the options available in the voluntary carbon market. It covers how to conduct carbon credit due diligence and explains the different project types. It covers the benefits of each credit type and explains how corporates can avoid some of the biggest risks of the market.

Carbon Offset Guide

Produced by the GHG Management Institute and Stockholm Environment Institute, this is a website intended to promote the potential of carbon markets and explain their functioning to corporates. It produces research on an ongoing basis to inform policymakers and the general public about both voluntary and regulatory carbon offset standards and policies.

Carbon Credit Quality Initiative

The Carbon Credit Quality Initiative offers independent scorings to measure the quality of carbon credits. Produced by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Oeko-Institut and World Wildlife Fund (WWF-US), it is a useful and ongoing resource to help carbon credit buyers identify high quality in the market. It is a unique initiative because: It is not funded by revenues related to carbon credits; the experts providing the assessments are not employed by project developers or carbon crediting programs; and it scores credits on an interval scale, not on a binary basis.

Offsets As Ordered: Buyer Due Diligence To Ensure Carbon Credit Quality

This report from The Nature Conservancy helps buyers navigate the voluntary carbon market. Produced in March 2023 – a time when so much of the market was in flux – this report helps reduce risk for those looking to buy carbon credits. It provides guidance on due diligence and equips businesses with the knowledge to identify high-quality credits.

Credit where credit’s due: Identifying principles for a high integrity biodiversity credit market

Plan Vivo Foundation, goodcarbon and Blue Marine Foundation have collaborated to help us identify the core principles of high integrity in the biodiversity credit market. It surveyed companies of varying sizes, sectors and geographies to understand their perspectives and interest in the biodiversity credit market. Published in July 2024, the results revealed that half of all respondents are closely following developments in the biodiversity markets due to their nature and climate commitments.

Buyers guide to carbon credit data quality

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.

Guidelines for high integrity use of carbon credits

Published in April 2024, IETA’s guidelines are designed to help companies incorporate carbon credits into their decarbonisation strategies with integrity. As well as its six specific recommendations, these guidelines contain a useful comparison of the different guidances currently available to companies.