The Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI), the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI Carbon), and the Climate Vulnerable Forum and V20 Finance Ministers (CVF-V20) will be co-hosting a roundtable discussion on 9 June at 14:00 CET, to explore how carbon markets can deliver adaptation benefits for climate vulnerable countries.

Climate-vulnerable countries are on the front line of climate impacts. As the finance gap continues to widen, countries risk missing out on innovative climate finance mechanisms that can meaningfully contribute to their climate and development priorities.

This session will explore a critical question, contributing to a broader package of collaborative work led by GGGI, in partnership with VCMI and CVF-V20: How can carbon markets be strategically leveraged to deliver adaptation benefits, alongside mitigation?

Are you attending SB64 in Bonn Germany? Check in at our event and join the conversation.

  Tuesday 9 June      
  14:00–15:00 CET   
Room H-107 World Conference Center, Bonn Germany

How can carbon markets deliver adaptation benefits for climate vulnerable countries?

Hosted by VCMI, GGGI and CVF-V20    |   George Hodgetts speaking

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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/

The post New guide launched during COP30 sets out best practices for high-integrity carbon projects in Brazilian Amazon appeared first on VCMI.

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 post VCMI at COP30 appeared first on VCMI.

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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The post The Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets at COP30 appeared first on VCMI.

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.

The post Webinar | Guidelines for high-integrity carbon projects in the Brazilian Amazon appeared first on VCMI.

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

The post New collaboration to strengthen high-quality carbon projects in the Brazilian Amazon appeared first on VCMI.

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.

A thriving carbon market will unlock finance to support the decarbonisation and sustainable development agendas of Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs), which is critical to meeting global climate goals.

The Coalition comprises ambitious governments committed to advancing climate action through credible business use of high-integrity carbon credits alongside deep corporate decarbonisation. The Coalition is co-chaired by Ali Mohamed, Kenya Special Climate Envoy; Ravi Menon, Singapore Ambassador for Climate Action; and Rachel Kyte, UK Special Representative for Climate.

France and Panama are founding members of this coalition of ambitious governments committed to advancing climate action through the credible use of high-integrity carbon credits. The Coalition will expand over the coming months to include countries which are sources of demand for carbon credits as well as countries which are sources of supply of credits. The Government of Peru has already endorsed the Coalition’s mission, recognising the critical role of carbon markets and corporate use of carbon credits in delivering climate-positive growth globally.

By COP30, the Coalition will deliver its first results by issuing a clear set of shared principles on the voluntary use of high-integrity carbon credits by businesses to provide consistency in approach across jurisdictions. This is in response to calls from businesses for greater clarity from governments on the use of carbon credits as part of corporate decarbonisation plans. The shared principles will give businesses the confidence and incentives they need to invest in a proven but underused climate financing tool and continue to strengthen and scale carbon markets. The Coalition will work closely with businesses, so that policies and incentives better respond to business needs.

The principles will help to grow demand for high-integrity carbon credits, thereby helping to increase the flow of climate finance to EMDEs, by better reflecting the true value of emissions reductions and removals being delivered. This will boost investment in climate-positive businesses, sustainable development and projects such as sustainable agriculture, clean energy, as well as nature conservation and restoration.

The Coalition represents a bold new approach to mobilising essential private sector investment to help close the USD$1.3 trillion climate finance gap without adding to the debt burden. By boosting demand for high-integrity credits, the market could expand to as much as USD$250 billion by 2050 in direct and leveraged finance to support climate action globally.

This move has also been welcomed by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) as a response to calls from business for more cohesion and transparency, and stronger, clearer incentives to engage with carbon markets. The ICC and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) will be partners to the Coalition, playing a critical role to ensure that its work is informed by the needs, experiences and ambitions of global business.

In addition, the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM), an independent governance body which sets the global quality threshold for the supply of credits in the voluntary carbon market through the Core Carbon Principles, is also working with the Coalition to support seamless alignment between the demand and supply sides of the market.

Carbon markets direct finance to projects that can cut emissions faster and at lower cost. This helps modernise industries, cuts pollution, creates employment opportunities, and delivers lasting benefits for local communities and ecosystems. But reputational and legal risks, concerns about integrity of supply, and lack of consistent guidance have stopped companies from buying credits, even though they recognise the opportunity they offer to deliver more rapid climate action at scale.

The Coalition will build on the progress made on Article 6 at COP29, and high-integrity supply frameworks such as the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM)’s Core Carbon Principles starting to shape the market. There is a clear role for Governments now to align, through the Coalition, to support a level playing field and the high-integrity scaling of voluntary market use.

Learn more about the Coalition

QUOTES  

“To help unlock private sector finance at the scale and pace needed to support global climate ambitions, we must energise the carbon markets. This Coalition will help foster investor and stakeholder confidence, and strengthen the integrity and interoperability of these markets while delivering real emissions reductions. Singapore will play a meaningful role in catalysing the development of the voluntary carbon market as a financial and services hub, and through our investments in impactful decarbonisation projects globally,” said Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, Singapore.

“The UK is championing the responsible use of carbon credits by taking action to spearhead global efforts to raise integrity, supporting UK businesses to grow these markets and delivering growth through the Plan for Change. Through this new Coalition, we’re giving businesses the clarity they need to invest in high-integrity credits that drive real impact for climate and nature, unlocking carbon markets as a trusted tool in accelerating towards net zero,” said Kerry McCarthy MP, Minister for Climate, UK Government.

“Kenya’s leadership in this Coalition reflects our commitment to transforming how climate finance reaches developing nations. By boosting demand for high-integrity credits, the market could expand to as much as $250 billion by 2050 in direct and leveraged finance, supporting global climate action, particularly through transformative projects in developing countries.” said Ali Mohamed, Kenya Special Climate Envoy and Co-Chair of the Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets.

“This new Coalition is a welcome response to the clear call from the global business community to bring clarity, build confidence and integrity for carbon credit buyers, and to scale incentives that reward real climate action. 

High-integrity carbon markets are a vital—but still underused—tool in our climate arsenal. When done right, they empower businesses to cut emissions faster, invest at scale, and accelerate the global transition to net zero. 

Today’s announcement is more than a policy signal—it’s a commitment to action. We commend this leadership and stand ready to support this Coalition in unlocking the full potential of carbon markets for people, planet, and prosperity,” said Philippe Varin, Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). 

“I am glad to announce that France is officially joining the Coalition launched by the governments of Kenya, Singapore and the UK to support the development of robust, credible and effective carbon markets. 

This commitment is consistent with France’s long-standing leadership on climate action and advocacy for high-integrity carbon markets, which present an untapped potential to increase corporate action and mobilize climate finance where it is most cost effective. 

As a Coalition, we can send a clear message to the market and bring the needed clarity and confidence for investors. We are looking forward to working in partnership with other governments to unlock the full potential of carbon markets,” said Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister of Ecological Transition, Government of France. 

“I welcome this effort to provide greater clarity from governments on corporate use of carbon credits to increase climate action. Social and environmental integrity standards of carbon markets are vital to ensure the public trust in this important instrument. Therefore, political leadership is critical to building confidence and ambition, and we welcome this signal of cooperation,” said Ana Toni, CEO of COP30.

“The Ministry of Environment of Peru supports the Coalition’s effort to foster a carbon market environment where integrity and high standards are valued and recognized. We need to facilitate greater financial flows towards mitigation activities and sustainable development, and we see this as a promising foundation for strengthening global partnerships,” said Racquel Soto, Vice Minister of Strategic Development of Natural Resources, Government of Peru.

Notes to editors  

The Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets is supported by a Secretariat hosted by VCMI. The Secretariat provides technical, administrative and logistical support to Co-Chairs and the Coalition activities. VCMI has established guidance on best practice voluntary use of carbon credits by business as part of corporate decarbonization plans.

For media enquiries, please contact VCMCoalition@fgsglobal.com

The post First-of-its-kind government coalition to issue shared principles on carbon credit use by COP30 to boost climate finance appeared first on VCMI.

As Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) prepares for COP30 on home soil, the region’s leadership on nature-based and agriculture-aligned climate solutions is gaining traction. From forest protection to farm resilience, the opportunity to unlock high-integrity carbon finance has never been more urgent—or more achievable. At the recent Nature Summit in Panama, hosted alongside the UNFCCC’s inaugural Global Climate Week, the Partnership for Agricultural Carbon (PAC) and the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) co-hosted a high-level conversation to reflect on what’s needed next to unlock this potential. Here’s what we heard—and where we’re headed.

Key Takeaways

• The panel “Unlocking Carbon Market Opportunities in Latin America for Agriculture and Nature-Based Solutions on the Road to COP30” reinforced growing regional appetite for high-integrity carbon market implementation.

• Strong alignment emerged around the need for enabling frameworks—not just project-level finance, but aggregated or jurisdictional approaches and methodologies—to scale climate solutions in rural sectors.

• The pre-launch of PAC’s Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Ag Carbon Policy Tracker generated enthusiastic engagement—confirming demand for actionable, comparative policy intelligence.

• The PAC–VCMI partnership demonstrates how collaborative, regionally grounded efforts can pool and enhance local expertise to bridge gaps in market access and policy capacity.

• Calls from panelists highlighted the importance of capacity building to support the development of robust safeguards and equitable benefit-sharing—building on REDD+ lessons and tailored to agriculture.

• COP30 was widely recognized as a defining moment to position Latin America and the Caribbean as a hub for nature-positive and people-centered carbon finance.

Fertile Ground: Creating the Policy Conditions for Scale

Kicking off the discussion, VCMI’s Ana Carolina Avzaradel Szklo emphasized the need for harmonized global policy and jurisdictional readiness: “We’ve seen exciting government momentum—from the UK’s endorsement of VCMI’s Claims Code to France’s Carbon Credit Charter. But without interoperable frameworks and regional policy alignment, it will be difficult to meet the scale of climate ambition or unlock consistent investor confidence.”

Through its Access Strategies Program, VCMI is working directly with countries and regions including Panama, Peru, Brazil and the Mexican state of Yucatán, helping them design frameworks that allow high-integrity carbon markets to complement—not replace—national climate ambition. The Partnership for Agricultural Carbon (PAC) is one such outcome of this initiative—supporting governments to build the institutional conditions needed to effectively leverage high-integrity carbon finance mechanisms in support of sustainable agricultural solutions.

From REDD+ to Agriculture: Embedding Equity and Inclusion

The UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Judith Walcott brought an equally important lens to the discussion: equity and safeguards in carbon projects. With over 15 years of experience supporting countries under the UN-REDD Program, she outlined the importance of robust environmental and social safeguards—including equitable benefit-sharing systems, nesting strategies, and governance alignment—also applicable for the agriculture sector.

Scaling carbon markets without safeguards, she noted, risks reinforcing exclusion. If Ministries of Agriculture are equipped with the right peer-to-peer learning models, they can be empowered as full partners—rather than afterthoughts—in climate finance design.

This is precisely what PAC seeks to facilitate through its AgRAP initiative: a Rapid Acceleration Program that trains farmers to ensure fair and equitable participation in carbon markets and high-integrity project incubation.

Investing in Readiness and Regional Collaboration

CAF Development Bank’s Alicia Montalvo linked these themes to the bank’s broader climate finance strategy. CAF has committed to scaling its green agenda, including nature-positive agriculture and ecosystem finance. Alicia reminded the audience that markets alone won’t deliver outcomes—that to be most effective, they should be anchored in investment strategies that integrate public-private coordination and national priorities.

CAF’s support for early-stage readiness, particularly in policy and institutional development, will be critical. This aligns closely with PAC’s upcoming online course for Agricultural Carbon Policy Makers, designed to help governments translate carbon opportunity into bankable, implementable frameworks.

Innovative Tools for a Thriving Policy Landscape

The session saw the successful pre-launch of the LAC Ag Carbon Policy Tracker, a PAC-led tool designed to monitor country-level progress on enabling carbon markets in agriculture. With over 25 variables—spanning regulatory, institutional, and MRV readiness—the tracker aims to provide actionable insight for governments, investors, and development partners.

The enthusiastic reception of the tracker teaser and QR-based access confirmed an appetite for tools and coordination mechanisms that help countries engage more strategically—and equitably—with climate finance opportunities.

Looking Ahead to COP30: Leading with Integrity in Latin America and the Caribbean

From the panel discussion to hallway conversations, it was clear: COP30 in Belém will be more than a climate summit—it will be a call to action. Latin America has the ecosystems, the political will, and the innovation to lead. But its leadership must be matched with collaboration, and its ambition with action.

As Latin America prepares to host the world in Belém, the region faces a unique opportunity: to lead not only with ambition, but to foster carbon markets grounded in integrity, innovation, and inclusion. The work ahead must bring ministries, market players, and marginalized communities into the same conversation. And it must deliver results—not just promises—for agriculture and nature.

At PAC and VCMI, we are committed to continuing this collaboration. As the road to Belém unfolds, we invite others—governments, financial institutions, and civil society—to join us in scaling high-integrity carbon markets that deliver for people, for nature, and for the planet.

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