NOVEMBER 20, BELÉM – A new guide to developing high-integrity carbon projects in the Brazilian Amazon has been launched to support quality nature-based solutions that attract higher prices, generating more finance for forest-based communities.

The Best Practice Guide for High-Integrity Carbon Projects in the Brazilian Amazon outlines approaches for ensuring the credibility and sustainability of carbon finance projects in line with the region’s ambitious targets and specific context and needs. 

The guide was developed with the governments of neighboring Amazonian states, Acre and Rondônia, as part of the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative’s Access Strategies Program. Members of the guide’s working group included the Amazon Investor Coalition (AIC), Climate Focus, LACLIMA, and the Governors’ Climate and Forests Task Force (GCF Task Force).

Around 60 per cent of the Amazon rainforest lies within Brazil’s borders and plays a fundamental role in both global climate regulation and Brazil’s economy. Recent figures showed that deforestation fell to its lowest level for 11 years last year, with Rondônia and Acre in the top three states for reductions.

According to the World Bank, an estimated $7 billion a year is needed to conserve the Amazon but only $5.81 billion has been mobilized from 2013 to 2022.

“We see enormous potential for carbon finance projects, including REDD+, to deliver much-needed funding for the protection of our globally important forest and those who depend on it,” said Leonardo Carvalho, Secretary of Environment of Acre.

“But it is imperative that these projects are developed in line with state, federal and internationally recognized standards to ensure they have high integrity. This guide is an important resource for both project developers and investors.”

Acre’s accounting area covers the entire state, measuring 16.4 million hectares, which includes 7.7 million hectares in conservation units within the Amazon biome. As part of its implementation, Acre established legal and technical procedures to integrate private REDD+ projects and avoid double counting.

Rondônia, meanwhile, has a State Register of Emissions Reductions for registering carbon projects with methodologies approved by the Management Board of the State System of Climate Governance and Environmental Services (SGSA).

“By ensuring carbon projects meet rigorous, consistent, and transparent standards, Amazonian states can attract higher prices and ultimately unlock higher levels of finance,” said Diogo Martins Rosa, Director of Climate Governance, State Secretariat for Environmental Development of Rondônia (SEDAM-RO).

“This new guide ensures those that are entering the market for nature-based solutions in the Brazilian Amazon do so with the fullest understanding of our unique ecosystem.”

The guide covers aspects of carbon project development such as who can implement a carbon project in Brazil and under which conditions. It also provides guidance for engaging with the Brazilian Emissions Trading System (SBCE) and resolutions of Brazil’s National Commission for REDD+.

In addition, the guide sets out the importance of land rights for the validity of carbon credits and best practices for ensuring free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) from Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Communities as well as the fair and equitable distribution of benefits.

Ana Carolina Avzaradel Szklo, Technical Director for Markets and Standards at VCMI, which produced the guide in partnership with AIC, said: “High-integrity carbon finance projects can support Amazon states to meet ambitious targets for conservation and sustain thriving forest-based economies and communities.

“This guide shows the importance of high-integrity approaches that reflect the needs and realities of local Amazonian communities. It sets out the vital role that social safeguards and the centering of traditional communities play in environmental preservation. The key principles laid out in the guide will inform investors and developers of carbon finance projects, and can provide a reference point for other Amazon states and countries. The development of high-quality projects, grounded in local context, will attract the investments that are needed to support the conservation and restoration of nature in the Amazon.”

The State Secretariats of Environment of Acre and Rondônia were consulted throughout the drafting process and endorse the guide. Specific recommendations on facilitating access to climate finance for Amazonian states were received from the Governors’ Climate and Forests Task Force (GCFTF) Secretariat. 

The publication follows an increasing trend of governments providing clear steers to investors and project developers on what best practice looks like in priority sectors where they believe carbon finance can improve climate, nature, and sustainable development outcomes. Earlier this year, for example, the government of Yucatan in Mexico published a best practices guide, and more recently, at the Africa Climate Summit, a regional alliance of seven governments in East Africa published a manual for developing nature-based carbon projects in Eastern Africa. 

Brazil, which is hosting this year’s COP30 climate talks in the Amazonian city of Belém, plays a leading role in carbon markets worldwide. The country accounts for more than a quarter of South America’s total carbon credits and approximately six per cent of the global market.

Brazil’s contribution is especially prominent in nature-based solutions (NbS), generating 12 per cent of all global NbS credits and nearly a quarter of those issued regionally. The majority of NbS credits come from Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) projects.

“Providing a clear framework for high-integrity carbon finance projects is fundamental for generating increased demand from buyers and in turn, greater levels of investment,” said Ana Beatriz Freitas, Head of Payments for Environmental Services at the Amazon Investor Coalition (AIC).

“This new guide makes clear the expectations of REDD+ projects and other nature-based solutions, allowing investors to have more confidence in the quality of the market.” 

Ends 

About VCMI 

The Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) is an international non-profit organization with a mission to enable high-integrity voluntary carbon markets (VCMs) that deliver real and additional benefits to the atmosphere, help protect nature, and accelerate the transition to ambitious, economy-wide climate policies and regulation. 

https://vcmintegrity.org/

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Our conversations will focus on driving real-world climate action through high-integrity carbon markets, achieving global net zero through a just and equitable transition. 

Our team will be on the ground to share updates from our Access Strategies Program, including a forthcoming Best Practice Guide for high-integrity carbon projects in the Brazilian Amazon, as well as updates from The Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets. VCMI is proud to host the Secretariat for the Coalition, providing technical, administrative and logistical support to Coalition Members and the Coalition’s activities.

  4th November      
  12:30-13:45    
  Goals House, Mugam Club, 9 Hagigat Rzayeva Street Baku, 1004

Panel – Integrity & Impact at Scale: Carbon Credits on the Road to COP30

Hosted by Bloomberg   |   Mark Kenber speaking

  5th November      
  19:00-20:30    
  Insper Campus

Global Perspectives on the Carbon Market

Hosted by Columbia University  |   Mark Kenber speaking

  8th November    
  11:30am     
  Rio Pavilion

Pre-COP30 Global Summit – Energy Transition: One Planet, One Mission

Hosted by Instituto NewLaw |  Ana Carolina Szklo speaking

  10th November      
  18:00-19:30   
  EY Critical Conversations – Nature Will Set the Price

EY Critical Conversations – Nature Will Set the Price

Hosted by EY & Debatable   |  Mark Kenber speaking

  11th November      
  19:30-11:30    
  Carbon Markets Roundtable

Carbon Markets Roundtable

 GenZero & Singapore Government  |   Mark Kenber attending

  11th November      
  17:00-18:30   
  Nature Hub Pavilion

Nature Hub Opening Reception

Hosted by Nature4Climate  |  Lydia Sheldrake attending

  11th November      
  18:30-19:15    
  Room 4

Unlocking the Carbon Market for Climate-Resilient Development

Hosted by African Union Commission, African Development Bank, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa,AUDA-NEPAD  |   Lydia Sheldrake attending

  12th November  
  14:30 – 15:30
  Singapore Pavilion

Supporting credible corporate transition through carbon markets

Hosted by SSFA    |   Mark Kenber speaking

  12th November  
  18:00-20:30
  ABEMA House 

Networking for the New Forest Economy: GCFTF & Partners Reception

Hosted by GCF Task Force |   Ana Carolina Szklo attending

  13th November         
  8:00-9:30
  Casa Mia, Tv. Quintino Bocaiúva, 1696 – Reduto, Belém

Sustainability Markets: The role of business in building carbon removal with integrity at scale

Hosted by TED Countdown & Microsoft    |   Mark Kenber attending

  13th November         
  8:30-10:30     
  Casa Niaré

Guidelines for high-integrity carbon projects in the Brazilian Amazon

Hosted by Amazon Investors Coalition  |   Ana Carolina Szklo speaking

  13th November          
  11:30-12:30
  Assembléia Paraense, Av. Alm. Barroso 4614, Belem                  

Monetizing the Protection of Rainforests & the Future of Carbon Markets

Hosted by Foundation Development and Climate Alliance  |  Ana Carolina Szklo attending

  14th November          
  9:15-10:15     
  Assembléia Paraense, Av. Alm. Barroso 4614, Belem

World Climate Summit – From Carbon Market Readiness to Action: Implementation Experiences from Leading Countries in the Global South 

Hosted by Foundation Development and Climate Alliance   |   Ana Carolina Szklo attending

  14th November          
  13:30-14:30
  Nature Hub Pavilion, Blue Zone                 

Fireside Chat & Panel – Policy coherence and market confidence – policy alignment for high-integrity markets

Hosted by Nature4Climate  |  Mark Kenber speaking

  14th November         
  15:00-16:30     
  Pavilion PV-E193, Blue Zone

Accelerating Net Zero Journey Through Next Generation Scope 3 Standard and Contribution Credits

Hosted by GCC  |   Ana Carolina Szklo speaking

  14th November          
  16:00-17:30
  AgriZone Pavilion – IICA Pavilion               

Carbon Markets and Financing: An Opportunity for the Agricultural Sector

Hosted by IICA, PAC and VCMI |  Mark Kenber speaking

  15th November         
  10:00-11:30     
  Ethiopia Pavilion

Harnessing carbon market potential and Ethiopia readiness

Hosted by Ethiopia Ministry of Planning and Development , Norway and WBG  |   Ana Carolina Szklo attending

  17th November          
  13:45-14:45
  Brazilian Pavillon COP30 – Blue Zone            

High Integrity in Carbon Projects

Hosted by Mombak |  Ana Carolina Szklo speaking

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The Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets, Co-Chaired by the governments of Kenya, Singapore and the UK, with France and Panama as founding members, is a first-of-a-kind government-led initiative to strengthen high-integrity corporate demand for carbon credits. Our conversations will focus on boosting finance for ambitious climate action.

VCMI is proud to host the Secretariat for The Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets, providing technical, administrative and logistical support to Coalition Members and the Coalition’s activities. At COP30, the Coalition will launch Shared Principles and a Plan of Action to scale up high-integrity demand for carbon credits and deliver ambitious global climate action.

  4th November      
  10:05-10:30am   
  Rosewood Hotel, São Paulo

Bloomberg Philanthropies COP30 Business and Finance Forum: Main Stage Plenary

The Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets   |   Co-Chairs Rachel Kyte, Ravi Menon, Ali Mohamed speaking

  10th November      
  16:00-17:00    
  Singapore Pavilion

Government-led Action to Grow High-Integrity Carbon Markets

The Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets |  Ministers, Climate Envoys (including Coalition Co-Chairs Rachel Kyte, Ravi Menon, Ali Mohamed) and Business Leaders speaking

  13th November    
  17:00-18:00     
  Action Agenda Thematic Hub

Scaling Carbon Market Integrity and Nature-Based Solutions

The Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets, Co-Hosted with SBCOP   |  Mark Kenber, Executive Director, VCMI and Ana Carolina Szklo, Technical Director, VCMI speaking

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Hosted by VCMI in partnership with the Natural Climate Solutions Alliance (NCSA), this event will cover practical guidance for developing high-integrity nature-based carbon projects in the Brazilian Amazon, focusing on how to meet environmental and social safeguards and navigate the region’s legal and regulatory context, including within states that have developed jurisdictional REDD+ programs.

Date: November 3, 2025

Time: 10:00 Brasilia / 14:00 CEST

To sign up to the webinar click here

This webinar is part of the ‘Natural Climate Solutions from Brazil’ series, hosted by NCSA on the lead-up to COP30 in Belém to spotlight real nature-based climate action: led by communities, companies, and nature itself. Each session offers a firsthand view into the landscapes and people shaping Brazil’s sustainable future.

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VCMI’s Steering Committee Chair, Usha Rao-Monari, and Executive Director, Mark Kenber, will be speaking at various panels, alongside key partners including WBCSD, Climate Impact Partners, EY, BDO, and Columbia Climate School. Conversations will focus on the role of high-integrity carbon markets in meeting net-zero targets, and financing national climate plans ahead of COP30 in Belém.

Sign up to the VCMI newsletter for updates.

VCMI will be participating in numerous events at Climate Week, including:

  23rd September      
  14:00-15:00
  BDO NYC Office, 200 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10166

Utilizing Carbon Credits to Drive Revenue & Investment

Hosted by BDO   |  Mark Kenber speaking

  23rd September         
  17:00-19:00     
  New York

Putting Carbon Credits to Work – Networking and Panel Events

Hosted by Climate Impact Partners |Mark Kenber speaking

  24th September         
  8:30-12:30     
  Aon New York Office

4th Annual Risk and Resilience Summit

Hosted by Aon  |  Usha Rao-Monari speaking

  25th September         
  15:00-17:00     
  The Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA

Center on Global Energy Policy Roundtable

Hosted by Columbia Climate School

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The guide is being produced by VCMI and the Amazon Investor Coalition in partnership with the governments of the Brazilian states of Acre and Rondônia to inform their engagement with private sector actors in high-integrity carbon markets. The Guide is being delivered in collaboration with Climate Focus and LACLIMA and will benefit from additional support from the Governors’ Climate & Forests Task Force (GCF-TF).

The Amazon rainforest, home to 10% of all known species and a key regulator of the global climate, is critically endangered. Roughly one-third of its forests have been lost or degraded, threatening biodiversity, global rainfall patterns, and the livelihoods of millions of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs).

The neighboring states of Acre and Rondônia hold significant potential for scaling up high-integrity carbon markets as a tool for community-based conservation.

A new guide to support project developers in the Amazon

As part of VCMI’s Access Strategies Program, which supports governments in emerging markets and developing economies to engage effectively in high-integrity carbon markets, this project will produce by COP30 a comprehensive Best Practices Guide to facilitate carbon market readiness in the Amazon, considering subnational particularities.

The Guide will equip project developers, investors, carbon credit buyers, and civil society organization leaders with clear, accessible, state government-backed guidance on meeting environmental and social safeguards, navigating legal context and land tenure challenges, upholding Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), and ensuring fair benefit-sharing.

The Guide will also clarify how projects can align with state-level jurisdictional programs to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), international best practice to safeguard environmental integrity, and regulatory requirements to unlock demand through Brazil’s emerging Emissions Trading System.

Opportunity for impact

Carbon markets hold enormous potential to channel private sector finance toward forest conservation, restoration, and sustainable land use. But in the Amazon, unclear land rights, legal risks, and concerns over community safeguards present challenges. Poorly designed carbon projects risk undermining trust, jeopardizing community livelihoods, and weakening climate credibility. At the same time, the concept of climate responsibility is not limited to the carbon credit supply chain and includes standard managers, technicians, the scientific community, regulatory support organizations, as well as demand-side stakeholders such as corporate buyers, investors, and financial institutions, in such a way that climate financing can be enabled to address the current climate emergency.

By providing practical, region-specific tools, the new Guide will help ensure project developers uphold environmental and social integrity while building confidence among investors and communities. It will also enable sub-national governments in the Brazilian Amazon to strategically leverage carbon markets to meet their policy priorities for climate, nature and sustainable development.

This collaboration is essential to mobilizing the scale of finance needed to protect the Amazon and accelerate Brazil’s transition to a low-carbon economy.

Supporting Quotes

“As we build towards COP30 in Belem, all eyes are on the need to protect the Amazon’s critical role in the health of our planet. Carbon markets have an important role to play, and businesses, sub-national governments, and communities in the Amazon need to be able to unlock this potential on their own terms, in line with international best practice.

“This Guide will equip project developers in Amazonian states with the practical tools and government-backed guidance they need to build high-integrity nature-based carbon projects that can deliver a meaningful impact on the climate and support local livelihoods.”  – Ana Carolina Szklo, Technical Director, VCMI

“This Guide will address a critical information gap essential to strengthening an integrity-centered ecosystem for the implementation of carbon markets in the Amazon. By providing clear guidance, it will enhance the robustness and reliability available to investors and buyers, enabling them to confidently support projects that truly deliver positive socio-ecological impacts.” – Ana Beatriz Freitas, Head of Payments for Environmental Services, AIC

“Private projects must view the principles of high integrity as an opportunity, not as a burden, to elevate their initiatives to a higher level. This ensures recognition of their effective contribution to subnational, national and international climate goals, while also adding value to a market driven by a strong desire for integrity and compliance. It is vital to emphasize the importance of these projects within an integrated strategy, calling them to take responsibility for emissions reduction goals and enhancing the value of the assets they aim to promote.” – Leonardo Carvalho, Secretary of Environment of Acre

“This Guide will reinforce the importance of aligning public policies — at the state, national, and international levels — with global best practices, ensuring the implementation of effective safeguards, robust monitoring systems, and fair benefit-sharing mechanisms. This initiative strengthens the trust of communities, investors, and governments, ensuring that carbon credits represent real emission reductions and contribute concretely to forest conservation and sustainable development.” – Diogo Martins Rosa, Director of Climate Governance, State Secretariat for Environmental Development of Rondônia (SEDAM-RO)

“For over a decade, the states of the Brazilian Amazon have been working on building strategies to access climate financing, focusing on the provision of high-integrity carbon credits. This commitment is reflected in the adoption of rigorous Policies for emission reduction, forest stock conservation, and the recognition of the contributions and roles of Indigenous peoples and traditional communities. It acknowledges that a sufficient flow of resources is not only essential to achieving reductions but also to enabling environmental, economic, and social investments, fostering a virtuous cycle of long-term development.” – Carlos Aragon, Governors’ Climate & Forests Task Force Director for Brazil

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The Carbon Markets Access Toolkit provides a step-by-step guide for governments to decide whether and how to engage with regulated and voluntary carbon markets, as well as those facilitated under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Developing countries need an estimated $2.7 trillion annually by 2030 to fund their climate and nature-related goals, with $1.3 trillion needed in international support.

The toolkit addresses key decision points, including if and when to enter carbon markets, how to use them to finance national climate and development strategies and develop a strategy for Article 6, how to address legal and institutional considerations, and how to host high-quality carbon projects.

Only 15 per cent of global climate finance reached emerging markets and developing economies, excluding China, in 2022. According to the World Bank, carbon markets could halve the cost of implementing national climate strategies, and for Africa alone, voluntary carbon markets could reach an estimated USD 1.5 trillion by 2050.

However, emerging markets and developing economies struggle to leverage carbon markets at present because developing the necessary policy and infrastructure requires specialized knowledge and tailored resources, among other barriers.

“Emerging markets and developing economies urgently need finance to support climate-positive growth and drive the global transition to net zero,” said Mark Kenber, Executive Director of VCMI.

“Carbon markets provide significant opportunities for governments to channel international private sector finance towards national and global climate goals by leveraging new sources of capital, technology and skills. However, their complexity often presents a major barrier to participation and reduces the potentially transformative impact they can have.

“This toolkit provides a clear and comprehensive roadmap for governments to determine the most appropriate level and type of engagement according to their national circumstances and priorities and so ensure that carbon market activities deliver truly transformational outcomes.”

The toolkit, which is available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, was produced by the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) in partnership with Climate Focus and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), as part of VCMI’s Access Strategies Program. It aims to help policymakers identify how to participate meaningfully in carbon markets and access carbon finance to help fund climate plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Nature-based carbon credits that go beyond emissions reductions can also help countries value their natural resources and protect biodiversity.

“Navigating carbon markets is complex and constantly evolving,” said Leticia Guimarães, Head, Carbon Markets, UNDP.

“Informed policymakers are better positioned to make strategic decisions on how their countries can engage with carbon markets to unlock private finance and advance climate and development goals. Resources like the Carbon Markets Access Toolkit provide the clarity and support needed to guide these decisions in alignment with national priorities.”

Modeling suggests that global carbon credit markets could be worth up to $35 billion by 2030. This finance in turn could generate up to seven times as much impact in terms of additional investment, technology transfer and community benefit.

“Governments in emerging markets and developing economies have a unique opportunity to harness the catalytic power of high-integrity carbon markets to unlock debt-free climate finance,” said Amy Merrill, CEO, Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM).

“VCMI’s updated Carbon Markets Access Toolkit is a vital resource to help countries strategically engage with carbon markets, align with Article 6, and deliver on their climate and sustainable development goals, while ensuring integrity through the Integrity Council’s Core Carbon Principles.”

VCMI launched its Access Strategies Program in 2021 to provide tailored technical assistance, policy support and capacity-building to governments around the world. Each Access Strategies project is designed and implemented in response to locally identified needs and delivered with local partners.

“Carbon finance holds immense potential as a building block to advance national economic resilience, social equity, climate action, and biodiversity prosperity, all while unlocking new streams of capital for countries facing the deepest climate funding gaps and the greatest climate vulnerability,” said H.E. Mohamed Nasheed, Secretary-General of the Climate Vulnerable Forum and former President of Maldives.

According to a new independent evaluation report, written by Arden Climate (formerly Pollination Law), the program has supported governments across the Global South to access carbon markets through a total of 20 projects, including national initiatives in Benin, Brazil, India, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan, Panama, and Peru.

For example, VCMI worked with Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) to raise awareness and capacity among agriculture ministers across Latin America to tap into the potential for mitigation and carbon finance in agriculture. This led to the creation of the Partnership for Agricultural Carbon (PAC) to provide ongoing support to agricultural ministries and the agriculture community across the region.

In Mexico, VCMI supported the government of Yucatán to address concerns over the unfair treatment of local communities in voluntary carbon market projects. Through engagement with Indigenous communities, the program developed a state roadmap and best practice guide for engaging with carbon markets and hosted six workshops to reach local communities, policymakers and project developers.

And in Benin, the Access Strategies program supported the development of a decision matrix tool to guide the government’s evaluation and approval of carbon projects for Article 6 and VCMs. The country has identified an investment gap of €10 billion (approximately $11.3 billion) by 2030 to fund its climate goals.

“As a country committed to climate action and sustainable growth, Panama recognizes the critical role of voluntary carbon markets in closing the $2.7 trillion annual climate finance gap,” said Oscar Vallarino, Deputy Minister of the Environment, Panama.

“VCMI’s Carbon Markets Access Toolkit provides the strategic framework that countries like Panama need to participate meaningfully in carbon markets. This tool addresses key decision points: when to enter carbon markets, how to use them to finance national climate strategies, and how to develop an Article 6. As countries develop financing strategies to achieve their nationally determined contributions ahead of COP30, we recommend to adopt this strategic approach for a more sustainable future.” 

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Hosted by VCMI in partnership with the Climate Vulnerable Forum–V20 (CVF-V20) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), this event will showcase VCMI’s updated Carbon Markets Access Toolkit, developed in partnership with UNDP and Climate Focus.

As countries build out financing and investment strategies to achieve their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) ahead of COP30, VCMI’s Carbon Markets Access Toolkit provides policymakers in emerging markets with a vital playbook to unlock finance from carbon markets in support of their climate and sustainable development goals.

The launch event will present the updated content from the Toolkit, showcasing the urgent need for scaled-up, holistic capacity building. It will also feature high-level speakers from governments sharing their experience addressing key themes identified by the Toolkit, as well as insights from key collaborating partners and remarks from senior representatives across government and civil society.

To sign up to the webinar click here

The post Webinar | Accessing High-Integrity Carbon Markets on the Road to COP30: A Toolkit for Policymakers appeared first on VCMI.

Africa currently faces a critical shortfall in local VVB capacity, posing challenges to the scalability and integrity of carbon markets. While there is growing recognition of this gap within the industry, there is limited in-depth analysis on its causes, consequences, and effective solutions to plug capacity gaps.

VCMI and GIZ request proposals for the delivery of a strategic report that will explore options for scaling the capacity of validation and verification bodies within Africa (see section 2 in RfP for more detail). The report’s analysis must be objective, transparent, and rigorous.

Click here for further information on the RfP.

To be considered for this funding opportunity, applicants must include all requested materials, and send to george.hodgetts@vcmintegrity.org; Ritah.rukundo@giz.de in copy, by 5 pm ET on 15 August 2025 with the subject line: ‘RFP Submission: Pathways for Strengthening Validation and Verification Body (VVB) Capacity in Africa .’

Note: VCMI only accepts electronic submissions.

The post VCMI opens request for proposals: Pathways for Strengthening Validation and Verification Body (VVB) Capacity in Africa appeared first on VCMI.

Established as the leading platform for discussions on climate change and the carbon market in Brazil, the Brazilian Climate and Carbon Conference brings together representatives from government, the private sector, civil society, the scientific community, and financial institutions to foster dialogue, align strategies, and unlock solutions in light of the regulation of the Brazilian Emissions Trading System (SBCE) and the opportunities presented by COP30 in Belem.

The post VCMI at the Brazilian Climate & Carbon Conference appeared first on VCMI.

The report, A Confident Carbon Market: Business Perspectives, reveals that there is latent demand for carbon credits from businesses across sectors and geographies, but that concerns about quality, integrity, and reputational risks, along with a lack of clarity amongst regulatory and voluntary climate initiatives, are holding businesses back from investing. The result is that participation in carbon markets has stalled at a time when increased flows of climate finance are urgently needed to help close the $1.3 trillion climate finance gap. 

The research reveals that businesses need clear, aligned, and stable rules on how and when to use carbon credits to scale engagement and create a confident carbon market. Businesses stress that developing a 10-25-year investment strategy is challenging if there is no confidence in what rules will still be relevant by 2040, or even 2030.  

Commenting on what the research reveals about the state of play in carbon markets today, Mark Kenber, Executive Director of VCMI, said: “Significant strides have been made in addressing integrity gaps, including the work of both VCMI and ICVCM, but we now need confidence and investment to flow back into carbon markets. To achieve that, governments and voluntary frameworks for corporate climate action must redouble efforts towards increasing business participation. Carbon markets can and must complement corporate value chain decarbonization efforts if we are to reach our global climate goals. To unlock this action, businesses need clear rules aligned across regulations and voluntary commitments – that is the strong message from this research.” 

Governments and voluntary initiatives have an important role to play in creating the enabling environment for a confident carbon market. Whether regulatory or voluntary, clear rules, including direct requirements, were seen by businesses as critical for justifying investment in the market, especially to internal stakeholders. 

Reflecting on the findings, Philippe Varin, Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), said “Businesses are keen to scale up their support for voluntary carbon markets, not only for meeting climate targets but also for important co-benefits, such as social impact and biodiversity conservation.  

“But businesses also need to confidently make the case for investing in carbon markets. Clearer guidance on how and when to use carbon credits would create a positive feedback loop —  to build greater confidence and drive business engagement in high-integrity carbon markets.”  

Businesses say examples of poor practice coupled with media scrutiny and public scepticism have contributed to a decline in market trust, and a weakened business case for participation. Carbon credit use is no longer seen to significantly enhance brand reputation, and carbon credit quality remains a top concern. 

However, businesses recognize ‘making progress towards climate goals’ as the top opportunity of carbon market participation. Alongside the introduction of clear, aligned, and stable rules on how and when to use carbon markets, businesses also called for clearer frameworks and stronger assurances that credits will deliver measurable and enduring climate benefits, as well as clear endorsements from governments, NGOs, and standard setters, and collective action from peers, to build business confidence to act now, not later. 

The research is based on a qualitative, in-depth study involving more than 65 businesses, 20 experts, and 60 market reports to explore perceptions, barriers, and opportunities around carbon market participation. ICC and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) supported the research by reaching out to businesses in their networks to promote participation in the focus groups to ensure strong cross-sectoral and global engagement.  

“This report found continued appetite among the business community for high-integrity carbon markets to deliver much-needed climate finance, but businesses need clear, stable and aligned guidance to unlock greater participation. In addition, businesses also need a supportive environment that recognizes and endorses early adopters of high-integrity carbon markets to build confidence and encourage collective action at the scale needed,” said Jon Williams, Global Financial Services Lead for Sustainability Services and UK, Ireland & Africa Sustainability Services Lead, Accenture. 

Peter Bakker, President of WBCSD, said, “This new report from VCMI reinforces the findings of WBCSD’s 2025 Business Breakthrough Barometer. It is no longer a question of ‘if’ businesses will move to decarbonize their operations, but rather ‘how’.  Many sectors are already working hard to decarbonize their supply chains, and carbon markets play a vital role to complement these efforts in the near-term. However, to fulfil this potential, clear and business-aligned guidance is critical. This report offers valuable insights as to how this can be delivered.” 

The research indicates that businesses see carbon markets as a critical tool to deliver climate action. The full report details the main barriers faced by companies seeking to engage in the market, along with actionable insights on what is needed next to give businesses the confidence to invest.  

Leading governments are already taking action: The Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets, led by the governments of Kenya, Singapore, and the UK and launched at London Climate Action Week in June 2025, brings together ambitious governments committed to advancing climate action through credible business use of high-integrity carbon credits alongside deep corporate decarbonization.  

To find out more about the report, join an in-depth exploration of the findings by signing up to the launch webinar. The webinar will feature insights and expertise from VCMI, Accenture, ICC and WBCSD.  

— ENDS– 

Notes to editor 

• VCMI commissioned Accenture to deliver a qualitative, in-depth research study involving more than 65 businesses, 20 experts, and 60 market reports to explore perceptions, barriers, and opportunities around carbon market participation. 

• The findings, interpretations, recommendations, and conclusions expressed in the report are a result of a collaborative process facilitated and endorsed by VCMI and Accenture, but whose results do not necessarily represent the views of VCMI and Accenture.

• ICC and WBCSD – including the Natural Climate Solutions Alliance (NCSA) – supported the research by reaching out to businesses in their networks to promote participation in the focus groups to ensure strong cross-sectoral and global engagement. 

The post What will it take to create a confident carbon market? New research reveals what businesses need to make the case for investment appeared first on VCMI.

Carbon markets are critical for climate action. Businesses recognize this, but participation in carbon markets has stalled at a time when increased flows of climate finance are urgently needed.

New research highlights business perspectives on what’s needed to create a confident carbon market. In this webinar, we will share key findings from the report A Confident Carbon Market: Business perspectives, based on research from Accenture and VCMI.

Informed by cross-sectoral, global business perspectives captured thanks to World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) networks, the research draws on insights captured from 65 companies, 20 expert interviews, and more than 60 reports to illuminate corporate perspectives on what’s holding companies back from engaging in the market—and what needs to happen next.

Speakers

• Mark Kenber, Executive Director, VCMI
• Jon Williams, Global Financial Services Lead for Sustainability Services and UK, Ireland & Africa Sustainability Services Lead, Accenture​
• Dominic Waughray, Executive Vice President, WBCSD – World Business Council for Sustainable Development
• Raelene Martin, Head of Sustainability, International Chamber of Commerce

To sign up to the webinar click here

The post Webinar | A Confident Carbon Market: Business perspectives appeared first on VCMI.