The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has released a draft of its Corporate Net-Zero Standard (CNZS) 2.0, which proposes allowing environmental attribute certificates, including carbon credits, for scope 3 abatement up to 5% of a company's total emissions. This marks a shift from previous SBTi guidance that largely excluded carbon credits from abatement targets. The draft also introduces a 'beyond value chain mitigation' category, permitting carbon credit use for neutralising residual emissions and financing climate action. This development could significantly influence corporate climate strategies and the voluntary carbon market by providing a clearer, albeit limited, role for carbon credits in meeting net-zero targets.
Verra reinstated the Northern Kenya Grassland Carbon project, run by Northern Rangelands Trust, last week, despite a 2025 court ruling that two of the project's conservancies were unconstitutionally established. The project, which has sold over 6 million carbon credits, faced a previous suspension in 2023 and again in 2025. Indigenous Peoples accuse Northern Rangelands Trust of 'tricks and dishonest dealings' and coercion regarding land use agreements, stating the project lacks their free, prior, and informed consent. One of the legally challenged conservancies, Biliqo Bulesa, contributes approximately 20% of the project's carbon credits. Companies like Meta and Netflix have purchased credits from this project, which has generated an estimated US$42 million to US$90 million.
Climeworks Solutions, a subsidiary of Climeworks, secured 14 new carbon dioxide removal agreements in the first half of 2026, totalling approximately 450,000 tonnes of carbon removal. These multi-year contracts involve global corporations including Tapestry, NTT DATA, and TD Bank. The agreements utilise Climeworks' diversified carbon dioxide removal portfolio service, which combines direct air capture with external high-permanence methodologies like biochar, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, and enhanced rock weathering. This aggregated procurement framework aims to address market fragmentation and provide predictable capital for early-stage removal technologies. The deals expand Climeworks Solutions' client base to over 200 multinational companies.
Carbonmark, a blockchain-powered carbon credit marketplace, announced a partnership with Satellites on Fire, a climate tech company specialising in early wildfire detection. This collaboration aims to integrate Satellites on Fire's real-time monitoring capabilities, using satellite data, tower cameras, and AI, into Carbonmark's infrastructure. The partnership seeks to enhance the integrity and permanence of forestry-based carbon projects by providing continuous, data-backed visibility into project conditions and enabling faster responses to wildfire risks. This initiative supports a shift towards more dynamic, data-informed carbon markets, where integrity is maintained throughout a project's lifecycle.
A new H1 2026 report from AlliedOffsets indicates a 4% year-on-year increase in carbon credit retirements to 104 million credits, despite a 44% decline in global issuances to 108.2 million credits. Biochar has emerged as the dominant carbon dioxide removal (CDR) pathway, accounting for 57% of all-time CDR issuances and 53% of permanent retirements. Cumulative CDR offtake agreements total 48.5 million tonnes, significantly outpacing the 2.65 million tonnes of actual credits issued since 2022. Corporate buyers are increasingly prioritising high-integrity removal pathways, with biochar delivering 1.58 million of the 2.75 million total CDR issuances to date. The market is also seeing a 64% year-on-year increase in Core Carbon Principles-approved credit issuances, reflecting a shift towards verified quality.
Frontier, an advance market commitment for carbon removal, has approved Puro.earth's Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) methodology for certifying carbon credits. This marks the second Puro.earth methodology recognised by Frontier, following the approval of its Geologically Stored Carbon methodology in 2024. The ERW 2025 methodology, developed with academic and industry experts, introduces updated requirements including two independent measurement methods and improved accounting for CO2 losses. This approval enables suppliers to use the framework for ERW credits within Frontier's commitment to purchase $1.8 billion of permanent carbon dioxide removal by 2040.
Brazil's state oil company Petrobras and national development bank BNDES selected Systemica, brCarbon, and re.green to supply 5 million carbon credits from Amazon forest restoration. This marks Brazil's first public auction for Amazon restoration credits, with contracts running for 25 years. Systemica and brCarbon secured 2 million tonne lots at $55.33 and $55.76 per tonne respectively, while re.green secured 1 million tonnes at $73.82 per tonne. The ProFloresta+ programme aims to mobilise R$450 million in planting investments and create 6,300 jobs. This initiative establishes a precedent for publicly disclosed carbon credit prices from ecological restoration in Brazil.
The Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets announced a new policy playbook at London Climate Action Week to guide national policies and market functions. The playbook aims to accelerate demand for high-integrity carbon credits among the Coalition's 11 country members. This initiative provides direction for investors, buyers, and other stakeholders to increase carbon credit purchases. The announcement comes as carbon credit markets show strong momentum in 2026, indicating movement towards maturity.
The International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) has joined the Supporting Alliance for CORSIA Eligible Emissions Unit (EEU) Supply, an initiative coordinated by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). This alliance, now comprising 50 entities, aims to expand the supply of high-integrity emissions units for the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). IETA will provide technical support to scale the market and strengthen supply, alongside new members including the governments of Guyana, Madagascar, the United Kingdom, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The initiative seeks to ensure the availability of high-quality emissions units to meet the aviation sector's growing demand under CORSIA.
Frontier, an advance market commitment for permanent carbon removal, has approved Puro.earth's Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) 2025 methodology. This approval allows Frontier suppliers to use the updated framework to certify ERW credits for existing procurement commitments. The methodology requires suppliers to combine two independent measurement methods and includes refined accounting for carbon losses and measurement uncertainty. This marks the second Puro.earth methodology accepted by Frontier, following its Geologically Stored Carbon framework in 2024. The decision aims to establish rigorous, scientifically verifiable delivery standards for engineered carbon dioxide removal pathways.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-Kharagpur) have validated biochar implementation to address agricultural waste burning and soil degradation. Field trials confirmed that converting agricultural waste into biochar can mitigate regional air pollution, which currently sees 9 to 10 million tonnes of CO2e released annually from crop residue burning. The application of biochar enhanced soil water-holding capacity by 10% to 25% and increased crop productivity by 10% to 30%. This initiative aims to provide scalable pyrolysis technologies, such as the KISAN kiln, for immediate rural deployment, diverting biomass from open-air combustion.
Mati Carbon delivered 492.4 tonnes of CO2 removal credits, becoming the first company to issue credits under Isometric's V1.2 Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) protocol. The credits originated from the Seoni and North Chhattisgarh projects, certified under the new, more rigorous standard. This delivery marks a significant milestone for the ERW sector, demonstrating the operationalisation of advanced methodologies for durable carbon removal. Mati Carbon, a grand prize winner of the XPRIZE Carbon Removal Competition, focuses on ERW deployment in the Global South to enhance soil and farmer incomes. The company has also released a public tool to help stress-test ERW data, aiming to advance industry-wide analytical frameworks.
The Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets responded to the International Organization for Standardization's (ISO) draft Net Zero Aligned Organizations Standard (ISO 14060). The draft standard outlines requirements for organisations developing, implementing, and reporting on net zero pathways, including emissions reduction targets and transition plans. The Coalition's response addresses the implications of this standard for corporate net zero strategies and the role of voluntary carbon markets. This development signals a move towards more standardised corporate net zero reporting.
Isometric, a London-based carbon removal certifier, raised $40 million in a Series A funding round led by AVP, with participation from existing investors and new personal investments. The company, founded in 2022, uses an AI-powered platform called Certify to verify carbon removal claims, having certified over 16 million tonnes to date. This new capital will fund the expansion of its AI certification technology beyond carbon markets into the broader industrial economy, targeting a $350 billion global certification market. Isometric aims to consolidate fragmented certification processes onto a single platform with a unified quality standard. The company holds accreditations from ICVCM, ICROA, and CORSIA.
The Integrity Council (ICVCM) launched the first module of a new guidance series on 22 June 2026, designed to help organisations navigate high-integrity carbon markets. This initial module provides an introduction to carbon markets and the Core Carbon Principles (CCPs), explaining their operation and role in climate action. It aims to build a shared understanding for policymakers, businesses, and civil society organisations regarding high-integrity carbon credits. The ICVCM plans subsequent modules, with the next one tailored for governments and policymakers later this year, focusing on developing carbon market frameworks and utilising CCP-labelled credits for Article 6 cooperation.
PT Agrinas Palma Nusantara, an Indonesian state-owned plantation enterprise, is partnering with a South Korean consortium including Hwasung Tech-Win Co., Ltd. to convert palm oil processing waste into green energy and value-added materials. The collaboration aims to produce biopellets, biochar, carbon-based fertilisers, and biodiesel from Empty Fruit Bunches (EFB), which are currently underutilised. This initiative seeks to address the disposal challenges of agricultural waste in Indonesia's palm oil sector and establish frameworks for international carbon market credits. The project will integrate specialised biomass conversion technologies within Agrinas Palma’s existing infrastructure, converting problematic byproducts into marketable, carbon-stable end products. This move supports Indonesia’s decarbonisation targets and expands Agrinas Palma's revenue streams.
A new draft international standard, ISO/DIS 14060, for net zero aligned organisations was released for ballot on 17 June 2026, with comments open until September. This draft defines environmental commodity certificates (ECCs) as contractual instruments representing verifiable GHG attributes of low-carbon products or technology, explicitly excluding carbon credits. The standard outlines guardrails for ECC use, including subordination to the mitigation hierarchy and a requirement for organisations to explain why direct procurement of low-carbon products is not possible. This follows the SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard V2 in providing a defined role for such instruments, reinforcing the market's focus on additionality and integrity. It indicates a consistent direction across frameworks regarding the use and quality of environmental attribute certificates.
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) released its Corporate Net-Zero Standard V2.0, introducing the Ongoing Emissions Responsibility (OER) framework to integrate carbon removal into corporate compliance. Effective 1 February 2027, this update shifts carbon removal from a voluntary ESG add-on to a formal requirement for thousands of companies. The OER framework establishes three voluntary recognition tiers for 'Climate Contributions' with financial benchmarks up to $80 per tonne of CO2e. Post-2035, larger corporations must cover an annually increasing percentage of emissions with verified, long-lived carbon removals, aiming for 100% neutralisation by their net-zero target year. SBTi is launching a Call for Evidence to evaluate permanence, which will determine if biochar credits can count towards mandatory quotas.
Climeworks Solutions, a subsidiary of Climeworks, secured 14 new carbon dioxide removal (CDR) partnerships in the first half of 2026, totalling approximately 450,000 tonnes of CO2 removal. These partnerships involve major global corporations with annual revenues exceeding $5 billion, including Tapestry, NTT DATA, and TD Bank. The deals utilise a diversified portfolio of CDR pathways, combining direct air capture with biochar, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, enhanced rock weathering, and afforestation, reforestation and revegetation. This expansion brings Climeworks Solutions' global client base to over 200 companies, building on a 100% delivery rate across its portfolios in 2025.
Verra has reinstated the Northern Kenya Grassland Carbon Project (Verra Project 1468) after an independent review confirmed community support and governance arrangements. The project, operated by the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT), was suspended in January 2025 following a Kenyan court ruling questioning its community governance. NRT conducted over 300 community consultations and a ratification vote by approximately 1,500 community members, assessed by an independent verification body, to demonstrate compliance with Verra's standards. This process, which included community registration and election of governance structures, allowed the project to return to active status on the Verra registry. Future verifications will continue to monitor compliance with ongoing legal proceedings related to the initial court ruling.
Verra has reinstated the Northern Kenya Grassland Carbon Project (Verra Project 1468) following a community ratification process affirming participation. The project was previously placed under quality control review in January 2025 due to a court ruling questioning the establishment of the Biliqo Bulesa Conservancy on unregistered community land. The Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT), the project proponent, undertook an independently assessed process to confirm community governance and free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) under Kenya’s Community Land Act. This process included community registration, elected governance structures, consultations, and a ratification vote involving approximately 1,500 community members. Verra accepted the validation/verification body's assessment that the project now meets applicable requirements.
Frontier, a carbon removal purchasing coalition, secured an additional $915 million in capital commitments from technology companies including Google, Anthropic, and Salesforce. This new funding increases Frontier's total capital pool to $1.8 billion, designated for Advance Market Commitments in engineered carbon dioxide removal (CDR). The coalition will use the capital to fund long-term offtake agreements, lasting eight to ten years, with 10 to 15 vetted CDR enterprises. This initiative aims to reduce demand risk for early-stage CDR technologies and support their path to scalability by guaranteeing future demand.
The NARA Climate Community Biochar Project, a joint venture involving NARA Climate, Criou Energy Ltd., and Planboo, issued and sold its first 144 metric tons of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits. These credits, verified as C-Sinks on the Carbon Standards International (CSI) registry, were generated from a refugee-led biochar initiative in Kenya's Turkana region. The project uses invasive Prosopis juliflora as feedstock to produce biochar, which improves saline soils and creates employment. This marks the world's first refugee-led carbon project, with all initial credits already purchased by international buyers.
The NARA Climate Community Biochar Project, located in Kenya's Turkana region, issued and sold its first 144 tCO2e of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits. These credits, verified and issued as C-Sinks on the Carbon Standards International (CSI) registry, were generated from biochar produced using the invasive Prosopis juliflora shrub. The project, a joint venture between NARA Climate, Criou Energy Ltd., and Planboo, is described as the world's first refugee-led carbon project. It provides approximately 123 jobs across five community cooperatives and aims to improve food security and income opportunities in the arid region.
Seventy-two organisations have called on the Livelihoods Funds and its investor Danone to cease trading carbon credits from a mangrove restoration project in Aceh, Indonesia. The project, registered with Verra in April 2020, has operated since 2011, aiming to restore over 5,000 hectares of degraded mangrove forests. Critics allege the project, which intends to generate 124,706.67 tonnes of CO2e, severely impacts Indigenous peoples and their autonomous protection of forests. The Livelihoods Funds project is considered a significant blue carbon initiative, especially following a 2025 agreement between Verra and the Indonesian government to integrate local projects into the global carbon market.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) launched a call for inputs on 10 June 2026, inviting Indigenous Peoples to share their experiences with carbon finance by 30 June 2026. This initiative, described by FAO as a direct response to a 2024 call for a moratorium on carbon markets by the UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Rights, Francisco Calí Tzay, will inform a High-Level Expert Seminar. Critics, including REDD-Monitor, argue the FAO's approach, which seeks to understand 'potential implications, benefits, and risks' of carbon finance, dilutes the original moratorium demand. The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues has repeatedly expressed deep concern over carbon markets' impact on Indigenous rights and lands, citing issues with free, prior, and informed consent.
Frontier, an advance market commitment (AMC) for carbon removal, announced an additional $915 million in funding, bringing its total commitment to $1.8 billion. Participating buyers include Stripe, Google, Shopify, Salesforce, H&M Group, and Anthropic. This funding aims to accelerate carbon removal companies, with a focus on technologies demonstrating gigaton-scale potential and clear pathways to long-term demand. Since its 2022 launch, Frontier has seen its portfolio companies deliver approximately 23,000 tonnes of carbon removal in 2025, with over 50,000 tonnes forecast for this year.
A coalition of civil society organisations has called for the immediate suspension of the first carbon credits issued under the Paris Agreement’s Article 6.4 mechanism, linked to a cookstove project in Myanmar. The project, coordinated by South Korean NGO Climate Change Center, faces scrutiny over alleged ethical breaches, governance breakdown, and human rights safeguard failures following Myanmar's 2021 military coup. A report by the Myanmar Policy Institute, Global Forest Coalition, and Plan 1.5, supported by Carbon Market Watch findings, claims the project operated with a military-controlled ministry and significantly overcredited climate benefits. The groups are using UN redress mechanisms to challenge the credits' validity and have disrupted the planned transfer of approximately 60,000 credits to South Korean corporations.
Puro.earth announced the retirement of one million CO₂ Removal Certificates (CORCs) in its registry, marking a significant milestone for engineered carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Biochar accounted for 489,280 CORCs, or 48.1% of the total retired certificates. The registry data indicates a structural shift towards systemic procurement, with the average duration from CORC issuance to retirement falling from 510 days in 2019 to 7.7 days in 2026. This accelerated market velocity, alongside a 140% increase in retirements in 2024 and 112% in 2025, is intended to unlock financing for scaling CDR capacity.
A new investigation by Carbon Market Watch concludes that major fossil fuel companies lobbied to weaken federal carbon market regulations in the United States and state regulations in California. The report, titled 'Oil Spill 2', alleges these efforts were aimed at facilitating the use of offsets for greenwashing. This lobbying reportedly involved both direct and indirect approaches to influence regulatory frameworks. The findings suggest a concerted effort by fossil fuel interests to shape carbon market rules.
The Climate Change Center (CCC) has defended its Myanmar improved cookstove programme (PoA 10471) following a report raising concerns about its operation under the military junta. The project, initiated in 2018, was the first approved by the UN's Article 6.4 Supervisory Body to issue carbon credits. CCC stated it conducted internal reviews after the 2021 military takeover and decided to continue implementation only where local conditions allowed responsible operation. The organisation emphasised that the programme's purpose is not to support political actors but to improve living conditions and mitigate greenhouse gases.
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has released its Corporate Net-Zero Standard Version 2.0 (CNZS V2.0), formally embedding carbon credits into corporate net-zero strategies. This revised framework mandates the use of carbon credits for large companies from 2035. The new Ongoing Emissions Responsibility (OER) programme outlines a three-phase system for companies to address emissions beyond their validated targets, distinguishing between large and small/medium enterprises. Companies can achieve 'Engaged', 'Advanced', or 'Leadership' recognition by mitigating a percentage of ongoing Scope 1-3 emissions through contribution budgets or verified mitigation outcomes. This represents a significant shift for SBTi, moving from target ambition to implementation guidance and acknowledging the role of carbon credits in achieving net-zero.
Puro.earth launched its Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming (CRCF) Programme on 2 June 2026, submitting an application to become an EU-recognised certification scheme. The programme, backed by Nasdaq, aims to establish a dedicated regulatory track within the EU's statutory CRCF Regulation, focusing on biochar, Bio-CCS, and direct air capture. This initiative seeks to address market fragmentation and operational friction for biochar suppliers by integrating Puro.earth's existing global Puro Standard with the new EU-focused CRCF Programme. The multi-programme platform will allow project developers to manage separate verification streams, issuing both voluntary CO2 Removal Certificates (CORCs) and regulatory CRCF Certified Units. This move is intended to streamline capital deployment into European biochar operations and provide risk-mitigated procurement tools for corporate buyers.
A coalition operating under the 'Supporting Tribal Sovereignty in Carbon Removal' initiative released a comprehensive suite of resources on 16 June 2026. The initiative, launched in 2025, aims to assist US Tribal Nations in navigating the carbon dioxide removal (CDR) sector. The resources include 'Supporting Tribal Sovereignty in Carbon Dioxide Removal: A Report and Resource Guide', 'Guardrails and Considerations for CDR Project Developers Engaging With Tribes', and 'Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal and Tribal Interests and Rights: a Reference Guide'. This framework seeks to empower Tribal Nations to dictate the terms of CDR deployment and ownership on their lands, establishing a baseline for project developers to respect tribal sovereignty and ecological stewardship.
Carbon Direct has released a new framework, 'Criteria for High-Quality Low Carbon Fuels', to help voluntary market buyers evaluate and procure low-carbon fuels (LCFs). The guidance consolidates sustainability, accounting, and sourcing considerations into a single framework for procurement decisions. It addresses a gap where buyers navigate multiple certification schemes and regulatory programmes, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors like aviation and shipping. The framework outlines six core principles, including avoiding social and environmental harms, conservative carbon accounting, and demonstrating additionality. Carbon Direct states the criteria complement existing certification systems by offering a consolidated reference point for due diligence.
Verra has released VM0053, a new Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) methodology for alternative low-carbon fuels in shipping. This methodology provides an independent accounting framework for quantifying emission reductions from using fuels like green hydrogen, ammonia, and e-fuels in maritime transport. It applies to both new and existing ships, enabling a new revenue stream to offset the higher costs of these alternative fuels. The methodology aims to unlock finance for decarbonising the hard-to-abate shipping sector. Iino Kaiun Kaisha, Grütter Consulting, and Verra developed VM0053, which underwent public consultation in 2024.
A coalition of environmental NGOs, including Carbon Market Watch and WWF EU, has filed a formal request for internal review challenging the European Commission's recently adopted Delegated Act for the Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming (CRCF) Regulation. The NGOs argue that the approved methodologies for biochar carbon removal and biogenic emissions capture with carbon storage (Bio-CCS) fail to ensure permanent carbon dioxide removal and lack necessary post-application soil monitoring rules, breaching Article 6 of the CRCF. They contend the framework overlooks biomass sustainability, changes in biogenic carbon stocks, and indirect land use change, potentially incentivising unsustainable wood harvesting and increasing net emissions. The European Commission faces a 22-week deadline to respond, with the coalition prepared to escalate to the EU General Court if revisions are refused.
The American Forest Foundation (AFF), in collaboration with the Beyond Alliance and RMI, has introduced a 'contracted durability' framework to manage reversal risk across all carbon removal types. This legal and financial structure aims to bridge the gap between policy permanence requirements and carbon crediting programme guarantees. The framework assigns ongoing liability and provides financial tools for reversals, highlighting mechanisms such as horizontal stacking and permanence trusts. AFF is developing a pilot programme for permanence trusts, which are funded through a per-credit fee and assume ongoing liability.
The Adaptation Fund requires a status change to receive money from the Paris Agreement carbon market. This change is currently blocked due to divisions among parties regarding responsibility for climate finance. The stalemate prevents the Fund from accessing new revenue streams from carbon market mechanisms. This issue was highlighted during the Bonn climate negotiations.
New Forests, a Sydney-based investment manager, launched a $707 million (A$1 billion) Global Landscape Opportunities (GLO) fund to invest in natural capital, including carbon. The fund targets institutional investors and will allocate 60% to 80% of its portfolio to developed markets, up to 30% to developed Latin American markets, and a maximum of 20% to Southeast Asia, other Latin American regions, and Africa. This initiative provides a globally diversified portfolio across sustainable forestry, agriculture, and carbon-related investments. CEO Mark Rogers noted strong investor demand for scalable, institutional strategies in natural capital.