Published by AFD, this briefing examines the structural complexity of carbon credits and the institutional factors shaping carbon market integrity. It details technical risks, additionality, permanence, over-crediting, leakage and double counting, and how information asymmetry affects credit quality. The paper reviews ICVCM, VCMI, Article 6 and registry reforms, arguing that alignment with NDCs, legal clarity and transparent infrastructure are essential for a high-integrity VCM.
This UNFCCC draft decision text sets out updated rules for Article 6.4 ahead of CMA7, including baselines, non-permanence, reversals, leakage, stakeholder engagement, sustainable development safeguards and issuance. It outlines governance requirements that shape eligibility and integrity for nature-based and other crediting activities across markets.
This UNFCCC draft CMA7 decision text outlines updated guidance for implementing Article 6.2 cooperative approaches. It provides detailed rules on authorisation of mitigation outcomes, reporting and tracking obligations, review processes, registries, corresponding adjustments and transparency requirements. The text defines how participating Parties must account for internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs) and clarifies interfaces with national inventory systems. The draft also has implications for alignment between Article 6 mechanisms and the VCM, particularly on authorisation, double counting and reporting integrity.
Published by multiple organisations, this open letter raises concerns about proposed Article 6.4 rules that could exclude land-based activities. It recommends revising standards on non-permanence, baselines, leakage and stakeholder engagement to ensure all eligible reductions and removals can participate with high integrity.
Published by OIES and Trafigura, this Energy Insight explains how to operationalize Article 6 markets after the completion of the COP29 Rulebook, covering host-country frameworks, transaction models (6.2 and 6.4), compliance market growth, and the legal, financial and reporting infrastructure needed to scale a global carbon market.
Published by the Center on Global Energy Policy, this commentary assesses why Article 6 remains underutilised despite growing demand. It outlines remaining gaps, especially around enforcement, infrastructure, and host country capacity. The paper recommends prioritising environmental integrity, investor protection, and safeguards against double counting. It also calls for donor-backed capacity building and stronger global governance to unlock Article 6’s full potential in both voluntary and compliance markets.
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.
This policy brief from the European Forest Institute outlines how biodiversity can enhance forest resilience amid climate-driven disturbances. It offers guidance for policymakers and forest managers on using species diversity, structural complexity, and novel management approaches to stabilise ecosystems.
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.
In July 2024 The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) published a discussion paper on the SBTi’s proposed revisions to its Scope 3 requirements. WWF emphasised that it promotes, first and foremost, a reduction of value chain emissions. It restates its support for carbon credits being used to support within value chain emission reduction but only supports their use for outside value chain reduction in the case of residual emissions. However, WWF would like to see companies investing outside of their value chains to support the Global South with additional climate finance.