The Satoyama Mace Initiative approved a new framework, 'Biodiversity Methodologies for Biochar Utilization in Soil and Non-Soil Applications', in Taiwan on 2 June 2026. This framework, aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, allows agricultural producers to generate verifiable carbon assets from circular land management practices. It aims to lower financial and technical barriers for small-scale farmers to access carbon markets by simplifying monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) for biochar production from agricultural residues. The methodology enables farmers to secure new income streams from carbon storage and biodiversity protection, incentivising alternatives to open biomass burning.
Climeworks Solutions has signed a ten-year carbon dioxide removal (CDR) agreement with TD Bank, marking its first partnership with a Canadian financial institution. Climeworks will manage a diversified North American CDR portfolio for TD Bank, including enhanced rock weathering, biochar, and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage. This multi-technology approach aims to mitigate delivery and durability risks associated with single-project carbon accounting. The agreement establishes a precedent for multi-pathway corporate climate procurement within North American financial services, ensuring long-term carbon sequestration volumes for TD Bank. Climeworks will act as an institutional aggregator and portfolio manager, blending high-permanence biological and geochemical pathways with future direct air capture assets.
Verra has certified its first government-led, provincial-scale forest carbon programme in Misiones, Argentina, under the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Programme’s Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ (JNR) Framework. The programme covers approximately 3 million hectares of native Atlantic Forest and generated an estimated 13.1 million tCO₂e in verified emission reductions between 2017 and 2022. This marks the first global certification using Scenario 2 of Verra’s JNR Framework, which allows governments to generate credits for forest areas not covered by individual projects. The certification establishes a replicable model for other national and subnational governments seeking to integrate climate policy, forest conservation, and international carbon markets. The programme is now registered on the Verra Registry.
Climeworks has secured a 10-year carbon dioxide removal (CDR) agreement with Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD Bank), marking its first deal with a Canadian financial services customer. Under the agreement, Climeworks Solutions will manage a diversified portfolio of North American CDR for TD Bank, including enhanced rock weathering, biochar, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, and future direct air capture. The direct air capture credits will originate from Climeworks' planned North American facilities. This deal positions TD Bank as an early financial services buyer using long-term procurement to support CDR, reflecting a corporate shift towards diversified carbon portfolios.
The International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) has highlighted the urgent need for action to ensure the successful conclusion of CORSIA's first phase by the January 2028 compliance deadline. Airlines face an estimated 55.6 million tonnes of emission reduction obligations for 2024, with total Phase 1 obligations potentially reaching 200 million tonnes. As of May 2026, only 36 million tonnes of CORSIA-eligible supply are available from 10 countries and three standards, indicating a significant supply-demand gap. IETA emphasised that resolving legal and regulatory uncertainties, particularly host country authorisation of credits and national implementation of CORSIA, is crucial for market scale-up. The organisation noted that CORSIA's success is vital for multilateral climate cooperation, extending beyond aviation emissions alone.
The IETA Brazil Initiative, in partnership with EOS Consulting, launched a new working paper, 'Carbon Market Frameworks for Brazil 2.0', at the Latin America Climate Summit 2026. The paper quantitatively assesses four pathways for integrating Brazil’s Emissions Trading System, voluntary carbon markets, and Article 6 mechanisms. It explores the macroeconomic, environmental, and social impacts of different carbon market designs, including a hybrid scenario combining industrial decarbonisation and nature-based solutions under an Article 6 framework. The analysis suggests that strategic engagement with international carbon markets could attract investment, support hard-to-abate sectors, and aid Brazil in achieving its NDC cost-effectively. Key considerations such as market integrity, corresponding adjustments, and ITMO authorisation are also addressed.
A new study published in the International Journal of Construction Management demonstrates that injecting liquid biochar into targeted subsurface depths can store up to 41 kilograms of carbon in sandy soil. Researchers used computer simulations to assess how physical adjustments, such as injection depth and pressure, influence biochar distribution. The findings indicate that direct injection allows for precise placement of carbon-rich material within stable, deeper soil networks, ensuring long-term sequestration. Optimising the liquid mixture's solid content to 25% by weight was found to maximise distribution efficiency, as higher concentrations reduced fluid travel distance.
Carbon180 highlights the need for 'transformative investment' in carbon removal, moving beyond solely technical and commercial considerations. The organisation argues that current funding mechanisms, including venture capital, grants, and procurement agreements, primarily address technical feasibility and commercial scale. This approach often neglects community engagement, local stewardship, and long-term accountability, which are crucial for durable carbon removal interventions. Transformative investment aims to align funding with community needs, fostering trust, local value creation, and improved long-term project durability.
The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) has launched research initiatives to develop agricultural biochar guidelines, led by Helene Larsson Jönsson. The project aims to transition biochar from a generalised soil amendment to a structured agronomic practice by evaluating varying material properties with different crop types in Sweden. This research seeks to provide standardised advice for farmers, addressing the variability in biochar properties and crop responses. A proposed funding model involves corporate entities financing biochar through carbon credits, enabling farmers to access the material without prohibitive upfront costs. The initiative also explores using sewage sludge biochar to recirculate phosphorus and minimise synthetic fertiliser reliance, supporting circular agricultural models.
InverBosques has issued over 230,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent removal credits from its Brújula Verde afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation (ARR) project in Colombia, verified on the Gold Standard registry. This marks the project's first verified credit issuance since its 2019 establishment. The project received an 'AA.Pre' rating from BeZero Carbon in November 2025, placing it in the top 4% of rated ARR projects. The initial trade of these credits was executed via Climate Impact X (CIX).
Verra has opened new projects for public comment, inviting stakeholders to review whether they meet the requirements of its standards programmes. Comments received will be published on the Verra Registry and must be considered by the project proponent. This process ensures transparency and rigour in project registration, though Verra notes it has not yet reviewed the project descriptions. The public can access these projects via the 'Open Comment Period' tab on the Verra Registry.
Biochar markets must distinguish between long-term carbon stability and soil fertility benefits to ensure environmental credibility, according to Biochar Today. High-temperature biochar, processed above 700 degrees Celsius, offers carbon residence times exceeding 1,000 years but loses soil-enhancing properties. Conversely, low-temperature biochar, produced between 350 and 500 degrees Celsius, improves soil health but degrades faster. Current carbon trading systems often conflate these distinct characteristics, creating unrealistic expectations for single biochar products.
NoviqTech subsidiary Coralia commenced a field and pyrolysis trial in North Queensland, Australia, to convert invasive Chinese apple tree biomass into certified carbon dioxide removal assets. The programme, in partnership with Pyrocal, processes harvested biomass at varying temperatures to produce stable biochar. This initiative aims to transform an environmental liability into a verified carbon sink, with preliminary registry approval under Puro.earth methodology expected by September. The project establishes a pathway for institutional carbon credit generation and industrial utilisation, including low-carbon concrete research.
The International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) has released recommendations aimed at strengthening India's Article 6 framework. The recommendations focus on enhancing the country's participation in international carbon markets under the Paris Agreement. IETA's input seeks to provide guidance for developing robust mechanisms and policies for carbon credit trading. This initiative highlights ongoing efforts to integrate India more effectively into global carbon market structures. The recommendations were published on 28 May 2026.
The Gola Rainforest National Park in Sierra Leone is exhibiting early signs of wildlife recovery, including increased bird calls and primate activity, attributed to carbon financing initiatives. H.S. Sathya Chandra Sagar observed a 'symphony' of sounds, indicating a positive ecological shift within the park. This suggests that carbon financing is beginning to yield tangible environmental benefits in the region. The project aims to protect biodiversity while generating carbon credits.
European companies, including BP and Shell, purchased at least 2.6 million carbon credits from non-existent or non-operational Chinese oil and gas projects. These projects, intended to capture greenhouse gases, lacked the necessary equipment, as revealed by a Bloomberg investigation. Credits from these projects were registered with Austrian and Polish authorities, with 120,000 offsets from China's Changqing oilfield alone in 2023. German authorities previously withdrew 2.1 million carbon offsets from 30 'suspicious' Chinese projects, but companies and auditors involved are unlikely to face legal consequences.
Verra has initiated a public comment period for projects seeking registration across its standards programmes. This process allows the public to assess whether proposed projects meet programme requirements, with all comments published to the Verra Registry and requiring consideration by project proponents. The organisation states that project descriptions and associated documents have not yet undergone Verra's review. Stakeholders can access the list of projects open for comment via the Verra Registry's 'Open Comment Period' tab.
Verra has registered the first project under its VM0046 food loss and waste methodology, located in the United States. The 'Brightly – Reducing Food Loss and Waste' project (Verra Project 4711) aims to rescue approximately 167 million pounds of surplus food over its seven-year crediting period (2020–2027). This initiative is projected to generate around 115,118 tonnes of CO2e in emission reductions by preventing methane from landfill disposal. The methodology quantifies avoided emissions, enabling carbon credit generation to finance food rescue operations. Verra CEO Mandy Rambharos stated that the new methodology fills an important gap in climate mitigation efforts.
The US House Appropriations Committee passed its FY2027 Energy and Water Development bill, proposing substantial cuts to carbon management programmes within the Department of Energy. The bill allocates $700 million to the newly reorganised Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Office (HGEO), a reduction from the previous year's $720 million for the former Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) Office. Specific cuts include a 67% reduction to Carbon Dioxide Removal funding ($15 million) and a 30% cut to Carbon Utilization ($35 million). Additionally, the bill proposes reprogramming approximately $2.8 billion from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) intended for carbon management initiatives, effectively eliminating programmes like the Carbon Dioxide Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation (CIFIA) Program.
A survey of 25 sustainability leaders in the UK, Germany, France, and the US indicates that corporate demand for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is currently low. Companies view CDR as a long-term concern, lack detailed understanding for procurement, and are deterred by policy uncertainty. This trend suggests that high-quality CDR supply may not scale adequately without earlier buyer engagement. The Carbon Business Council and Bellwether Research conducted the survey to inform policymakers on stimulating CDR market growth.
Fred Teo, CEO of Singaporean climate investment platform GenZero, argued against 'false choices' in climate finance, such as nature versus technology or offsets versus decarbonisation. In a Carbon Exposure podcast, Teo stated that solving climate change requires pragmatic solutions to mobilise capital at scale. He emphasised viewing carbon markets as financing infrastructure for projects that would otherwise not occur. GenZero invests in technology, nature-based solutions, and carbon market infrastructure.
Carbon Gap and Carbon Management Europe released a discussion paper proposing an EU Carbon Removal Buyers' Club to aggregate demand and unlock private investment for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) projects. The paper, published ahead of the European Commission's CRCF Days, suggests the club would provide revenue certainty for developers, addressing the financial barrier to scaling CDR. It outlines design options, including alignment with the Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Regulation (CRCF) and a focus on near-commercial technologies within the EU and EEA. The initiative aims to coordinate corporate purchasing commitments to reduce investment risk and support multiple projects in reaching commercial scale.
Verra announced on 18 May 2026 that new projects are open for public comment, a standard procedure to ensure transparency and rigour in its programmes. The organisation invites public feedback on whether these projects meet the requirements of their respective standards. All comments received will be published on the Verra Registry and must be considered by project proponents. Verra does not review project descriptions or other documents during this public comment phase.
The Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets published its Programme of Work and Terms of Reference on 18 May 2026. This document outlines the Coalition's strategy to reduce policy fragmentation and address structural barriers within high-integrity carbon credit markets. The programme aims to de-risk investment in these markets, building on the Coalition's Plan of Action released at COP30. It sets out specific objectives for 2026 and beyond.
The Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary REDD project in Cambodia, a collaboration between Cambodia’s Environment Ministry, BirdLife International, and NatureLife Cambodia, faces allegations of inadequate free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) from local communities. Despite BirdLife International stating that FPIC occurred and met international standards, a report by The Diplomat found that over half of interviewed households in partner villages did not consent or feel well-informed. Villagers reported not being invited to meetings or understanding the project's purpose, contradicting NatureLife Cambodia's claims of uncoerced consent. The project, which aims to generate carbon credits from 135,000 hectares, is currently listed as 'Registration requested' on Verra's registry.
Verra has introduced a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label for Verified Carbon Units (VCUs) generated by projects registered under its Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Programme. This label applies to credits from projects located on FSC Forest Management (FM) certified lands, ensuring transparency and adherence to both standards. The initiative, launched on 14 May 2026, aims to scale climate mitigation and sustainable development by enabling forest managers in FSC-certified areas to generate carbon credits. It signifies that these credits originate from forests managed under strict environmental, social, and economic standards, providing assurance to carbon market stakeholders. Project proponents must follow the requirements of both the VCS Programme and FSC to use the new label.
Verra has vetted Sylvera, Kanop, and Chloris Geospatial as approved data service providers (DSPs) for supplying stocking index (SI) data under its VM0047 Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) methodology. These DSPs will provide SI data to establish performance benchmarks for projects, streamlining registration and verification processes. Projects can now use these vetted third-party providers for standardised datasets generated via satellite imagery and AI. VM0047, which quantifies carbon removals using an area-based SI, has been approved by the ICVCM as meeting Core Carbon Principles criteria. Verra continues to accept expressions of interest from additional DSPs.
Gold Standard has partnered with Trovio to launch a next-generation Impact Registry, scheduled for Q4 2026, aimed at modernising the issuance, transfer, and retirement of Gold Standard carbon credits. The new platform, built on Trovio's CorTenX, will feature an API-first architecture to improve connectivity with national registries, exchanges, and marketplaces. It is designed to ensure full traceability, tamper-resistant auditability, and secure transaction management for environmental assets. This upgrade seeks to enhance transparency and interoperability across the voluntary carbon market without altering existing certification rules or processes. The initiative builds on Trovio's experience in environmental market registry infrastructure, including for the Australian Government.
On 24 January 2025, the Environment and Land Court at Isiolo, Kenya, ruled against the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) in the case of Osman & 164 Others v Northern Rangelands Trust & 8 Others. The court found that the establishment of Cherab and Bulesa Biliqo conservancies, linked to NRT's carbon project, did not adequately respect community rights. This ruling follows earlier critiques, including a March 2023 Survival International report, alleging flawed methodology and lack of free, prior, and informed consent for the 1.9 million-hectare Northern Kenya Rangelands Carbon Project, which sells credits to Meta, Netflix, and British Airways. Verra had briefly suspended credit issuance for the project in response to these concerns before reinstating it.
Carbonmark has integrated the Klima Protocol to expand its supply-side onchain carbon liquidity, accessing over 300,000 tonnes of carbon credits on the Base blockchain. This collaboration aims to leverage Klima's open-source, rules-based market infrastructure for transparent and real-time execution of carbon credit retirements. The integration utilises Klima's pricing mechanism, which assigns prices to carbon credit classes based on project attributes, methodologies, and registries. It also incorporates Klima's Retirement Aggregator, a smart contract for automated payment and retirement routing. This move seeks to enhance the integrity, interoperability, and technological integration within the voluntary carbon market.
The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) has identified limitations in CCP-Approved methodologies for Southeast Asia, noting that current standards do not fully cover regionally relevant project types such as peatlands, wetlands, improved forest management, and avoided planned deforestation. Project developers in the region highlighted that global rules and methodologies often do not align with local ecological, regulatory, and cost realities. The ICVCM is engaging with regional stakeholders to understand these challenges and is encouraging the development and submission of new nature-based and technology-based methodologies. Sixteen CCP-Approved methodologies are currently applicable in Southeast Asia, including those for rice cultivation, clean cookstoves, sustainable agriculture, and ARR projects. The ICVCM is also examining how emerging project types, including transition-related activities, could be credibly quantified.
Liberian non-governmental organisations have called on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to postpone signing the Carbon Development Policy, which would enable the country to trade carbon credits internationally. The African Development Bank is reportedly pressuring the Liberian government to approve a carbon sales framework, linking it to a portion of the country's funding. In October 2025, President Boakai established a Carbon Markets Authority and a National Carbon Registry via executive order. Liberia also signed a Letter of Engagement with the Coalition for Rainforest Nations in September 2024, aiming to enhance its capacity for monitoring, reporting, and verifying greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for results-based payments through mechanisms like REDD+ and ITMOs. The Coalition for Rainforest Nations' founder, Kevin Conrad, is also linked to ITMO Ltd, a company marketing compliant carbon credits under Article 6.
Verra has launched a public consultation on a revision to its VM0045 Improved Forest Management methodology, aiming to expand its applicability beyond the United States. The proposed update, version 1.3, would allow projects in other countries to use national forest inventories (NFIs) that meet established criteria for dynamic matched baselines. This revision seeks to enable broader use of dynamic baseline approaches for high-quality IFM projects globally, while maintaining transparency and comparability. The consultation runs from 12 May to 15 June 2026, and Verra will submit the revised methodology to ICVCM for assessment.
Verra announced on 11 May 2026 that new projects are open for public comment, inviting stakeholders to assess their compliance with programme requirements. The organisation publishes all received comments to the project record on the Verra Registry, obliging project proponents to consider them. This process ensures transparency and rigour within Verra's standards programmes. Project descriptions and associated documents are not reviewed by Verra prior to the public comment period.
The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) has approved two Verra methodologies, VMR0017 for grid-connected renewable energy and ACM0008 for coal mine methane abatement, as meeting its Core Carbon Principles (CCPs). This approval allows credits generated under these methodologies to carry the CCP label, signifying high integrity. VMR0017 covers wind, solar, geothermal, small-scale hydro, and wave or tidal power projects, while ACM0008 quantifies emission reductions from capturing methane at active and abandoned mines. The decision aims to increase the supply of high-integrity carbon credits from sectors where buyers are increasingly focused on quality.
The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) launched a public consultation on 5 May 2026, seeking feedback on a proposed rule architecture for its Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) and Assessment Framework. The consultation, open until 7 June 2026, aims to establish a structured, transparent, and predictable approach for interpreting and applying the CCPs without rewriting them. This framework will guide future regulatory instruments and address evolving market practices, science, and regulations. The ICVCM plans to develop the first specific instruments under this architecture from Q4 2026.
Finn O'Muircheartaigh, General Manager APAC at BeZero Carbon, discussed how carbon ratings, data, and risk analysis are making carbon credits an investable asset class. Speaking on the Carbon Exposure Podcast, O'Muircheartaigh highlighted the role of quality in driving pricing and attracting institutional capital to both voluntary and compliance carbon markets. He also addressed the growing significance of the Asia-Pacific region, particularly Singapore, as a carbon hub, and the potential impact of Article 6 on global demand and supply. The discussion covered how ratings support markets like Article 6 and CORSIA, and the potential of portfolio products to unlock new demand.
Verra is under pressure regarding the proposed Longido and Monduli Rangelands Carbon project in Tanzania, which aims to control over 970,000 hectares of Maasai territory for 40 years. The project, developed by Soils for the Future and invested in by Volkswagen ClimatePartner, proposes replacing traditional Maasai nomadic herding with rigid rotational grazing schedules. Critics, including Survival International, argue the project has fundamental issues with non-additionality, leakage, monitoring uncertainty, and permanence, and question the scientific basis of 'holistic management' promoted by the developer. The project was open for public comment until 8 April 2025, but Verra has not yet uploaded received comments, including a detailed submission urging non-certification.
Gold Standard has updated four clean cooking and thermal energy methodologies and launched a digital stove monitoring tool, effective for all 2026 credit vintages onwards. The updates, which follow a public consultation, aim to align 34% of Gold Standard's current project portfolio with Paris Agreement accounting principles. These revisions establish a unified market framework for cooking interventions, from micro-scale to fully metered systems, enhancing environmental integrity and market viability. The methodologies include Reduced Emissions from Cooking and Heating (RECH) V5.0, Metered & Measured Energy Cooking Devices (MECD) V2.0, Simplified Methodology for Clean and Efficient Cookstoves (SMEC) V4.0, and Animal Manure Management and Biogas Use for Thermal Energy Generation (AWMS) V2.0.
Carbon Gap submitted responses to two European Commission calls for evidence regarding the EU's post-2030 climate framework. The submissions, dated 1 May 2026, address the use of international carbon credits for the 2040 climate target and the design of national targets and flexibilities for Member States. Carbon Gap advocates for domestic action first, distinct treatment for carbon dioxide removal, and carefully safeguarded flexibility mechanisms. This input aims to shape future EU climate policy concerning international credit utilisation.