Verra's VM0052 methodology for the early retirement of coal-fired power plants has become the first energy transition methodology to receive approval from the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) as meeting the Core Carbon Principles (CCPs). This approval means transition credits issued under VM0052, which requires a just transition plan for affected workers and communities, can now carry the CCP label. The methodology aims to finance the early closure of coal plants in countries reliant on them, replacing them with clean energy. The ICVCM also approved Equitable Earth's M001 methodology for terrestrial forest restoration.
Gold Standard has released its first biochar carbon dioxide removal methodology, Production and Application for the Removal of Carbon via Biochar (PARC), enabling projects of varying scales to credit carbon removals with an expected storage duration of at least 200 years. The methodology includes three compliance tracks, from distributed manual kilns to industrial facilities, with monitoring requirements tailored to scale. PARC credits only carbon removals, excluding avoided emissions, and requires projects to demonstrate at least five units of CO2 stored for every unit of activity emissions. It also incorporates safeguards for responsible biomass sourcing and a buffer contribution or upfront risk deduction to manage carbon release risks. This development aims to expand access for biochar producers while maintaining rigorous environmental integrity standards.
Luke Ryan, director of the scam company Enviro Associates, has been ordered by Southwark Crown Court to pay nearly £15,000 more to victims of a carbon credit investment scheme. Enviro Associates cold-called individuals, often pensioners, to sell worthless carbon credits at mark-ups between 200% and 1000%. Ryan was previously jailed for six years in 2021 for his role in the £36 million scam, which saw vulnerable victims lose life savings on investments with no resale market. The company was liquidated in 2016 following an investigation by the Insolvency Service.
A Carbon Market Watch analysis of Article 6.2 Technical Expert Reviews (TERs) indicates significant shortcomings in countries' carbon trade reporting. The report, published ahead of COP31, suggests that current transparency and accounting practices for Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) require substantial improvement. TERs are identified as a key mechanism for assessing compliance, yet their findings reveal ongoing challenges in the operationalisation of Article 6.2. This highlights the need for further progress on reporting standards and transparency at the upcoming climate negotiations.
Salesforce has agreed a five-year offtake deal with Mitti Labs to purchase 500,000 satellite-verified methane reduction credits. The credits support climate-smart rice cultivation on small farms in India and Southeast Asia, aiming to cut methane emissions by up to 50% and water usage by 40%. Mitti Labs uses its GeoAI platform, combining ground data with NASA-supported radar satellite observation, to independently audit project performance and field dry-downs. This commitment helps Mitti Labs expand its project pipeline, targeting an annual issuance of two million satellite-verified methane credits by 2028.
Argentina's Senate has approved a national framework for carbon markets by 60 votes to two, sending the bill to the Chamber of Deputies. The legislation aims to establish clear rules for generating, registering, and commercialising carbon credits from projects such as forest conservation and renewable energy. It seeks to resolve previous legal ambiguities regarding credit ownership and cross-border trade, creating a national registry and allowing credits to be sold internationally. The framework is projected to unlock carbon credit exports worth $1.4 billion to $3.9 billion annually, aligning with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and CORSIA.
Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd. has finalised an agreement with carbon removal marketplace Supercritical for the supply of up to 19,000 tonnes of biochar carbon removal credits. The credits will be delivered across 2026 and 2027 from Jain Irrigation's industrial biochar production facility in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India. The facility uses gasification to convert agricultural and food-processing residues into biochar, which is then deployed to agricultural soils. This collaboration addresses challenges in securing reliable, long-term supply chains for engineered carbon removal, leveraging Jain Irrigation's established agricultural network. The project is undergoing verification by Puro.earth and an independent rating by BeZero Carbon.
Argentina's Senate approved a national carbon market framework by a 60-2 vote on 29 October, advancing legislation to the Chamber of Deputies. The bill aims to regulate carbon credit ownership, facilitate international market access, and attract investment, with industry estimates suggesting potential annual exports of $1.4 billion to $3.9 billion. It establishes a National Emissions Reduction Registry (ReNaRe) for oversight and recognises credits as financial assets. The framework also includes fiscal stability for registered projects and provisions for international transactions, including those under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Environmental groups have raised concerns about potential weak oversight and its implications for land rights and local communities.
Verra has released updated versions of its VM0052 methodology for accelerated coal plant retirement and two associated modules, VM0060 and VMD0061, following a public consultation held from March 27 to April 26, 2026. The revisions to VM0052, v1.1 strengthen safeguards for grid stability and ratepayers, clarify renewable electricity pairing, and refine project timelines and emissions accounting. VMD0060, v1.1 streamlines baseline and additionality assessments, while VMD0061, v1.1 enhances protections for stakeholders affected by coal plant retirements. VM0052, v1.0 will be inactivated on December 1, 2027, with projects using it required to update to an active version at their next crediting period renewal.
BeZero Carbon submitted its application to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) on 30 October 2026, seeking recognition as a third-country ESG rating provider under the EU ESG Ratings Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2024/3005). This follows BeZero's notification to ESMA of its intention to apply on 9 July 2026. The company has made all required organisational, methodological, and product disclosures public, including its policy for engaging project developers. This move positions BeZero within the EU's regulatory framework for ESG ratings, affecting how its carbon credit ratings are perceived and used by market participants.
Central Asia has issued approximately 30 million carbon credits to date, with 12.6 million from currently active projects. Uzbekistan accounts for the majority of issued credits, largely due to the Hududgaz gas leak reduction project (VCS4531), which has issued 9.5 million credits. A pipeline of 30 projects across the region could add an estimated 11.9 million credits annually. Kazakhstan holds the largest project pipeline, while Turkmenistan has yet to register its first project. Only 2.1 million credits have been retired regionally, leaving most recent issuance available.
Nasdaq, in collaboration with Relae, has launched a Carbon Issuance Calendar to provide structured data on future carbon removal credit availability. The platform centralises information on indicative pricing and project delivery status for engineered pathways such as direct air capture, enhanced rock weathering, biochar, and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage. This initiative aims to streamline the procurement process for buyers by offering a single source for comparing carbon dioxide removal projects, which typically have scattered information. Relae's assessment framework, informed by screening over 900 CO2 removal projects, underpins the project maturity evaluations.
IETA has published a working paper, 'Opportunities and Challenges for REDD+/JREDD+ Authorisation in Brazil', addressing the authorisation of REDD+ credits in Brazil. The paper, released on 30 October 2026, examines the interaction with Brazil's 2030 zero illegal deforestation target and its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). It also discusses accounting consistency, reversal risks, and the role of domestic demand within the Sistema Brasileiro de Comércio de Emissões (SBCE). IETA proposes a 'Strategic Activities Authorisation Reserve' to manage the risks of over-authorisation or delayed authorisation, particularly for time-bound demand windows like CORSIA Phase 2 (2027–2029).
Fortera has signed a multi-year agreement to supply Meta with environmental attribute certificates linked to approximately 200,000 tons of its low-carbon cement. This deal aims to provide long-term revenue visibility for Fortera and secure financing for its planned cement plant in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. The facility is designed to produce ReAct Cement, which Fortera states generates 70% fewer emissions than ordinary Portland cement. The agreement supports the development of domestic supply for lower-emission construction materials, with Meta also having the option to use the cement in its own construction projects.
Salesforce has signed a five-year offtake agreement with Mitti Labs to purchase 500,000 satellite-verified methane reduction carbon credits by 2030. The credits derive from alternate wetting and drying irrigation practices on smallholder farms in India, which reduce agricultural methane emissions by up to 50% and water usage by up to 40%. Project performance is independently audited using Mitti Labs’ GeoAI platform, developed with NASA, which combines ground-truth data with high-resolution radar satellite monitoring. This deal follows a similar corporate purchasing agreement between Mitti Labs and Google, indicating growing voluntary market demand for data-backed agricultural credits targeting non-CO2 pollutants.
Türkiye has launched a pilot phase for its national Emissions Trading System (TR ETS), with compliance obligations beginning for 2027 emissions. The Carbon Market Board (CMB) decided in October 2026 to include five sectors: electricity, cement, iron and steel, aluminium, and fertilisers, mirroring the EU CBAM. Notably, carbon credits can be used for compliance in the pilot phase if specifically approved by the CMB, allowing up to 10% of ETS obligations to be covered by domestic credits. This move follows the enactment of Climate Law No. 7552 in July 2025 and the TR ETS Regulation in August 2026, establishing a framework for a national carbon market.
Verra has approved five new data service providers (DSPs) for its VM0047 Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) methodology. These DSPs will provide stocking index (SI) data, derived from remote sensing, to quantify carbon removals, streamlining project registration and verification. VM0047 versions 1.0 and 1.1 have been approved by the ICVCM as meeting Core Carbon Principles criteria. Verra also released new guidance for projects transitioning to VM0047 and a reviewer checklist to support project proponents and validation/verification bodies.
Carbon Gap has called for new EU compliance policies to scale nature-based carbon dioxide removals (nbCDR), arguing the voluntary carbon market (VCM) alone cannot meet Europe's net-zero targets. The organisation highlighted that Europe's land carbon sink faces increasing risks from climate change and unsustainable management, despite nbCDR methods like reforestation already delivering 2.2 GtCO2/yr globally. While voluntary initiatives are crucial for investment, Carbon Gap stated that VCM demand shows signs of saturation and lacks the long-term scalability required. It proposes a compliance instrument, similar to the EU ETS for fossil emissions, to incentivise secondary sectors to compensate for their impact on the land sink.
Carbon dioxide removal marketplace Supercritical has signed an off-take agreement with India's Jain Irrigation Systems Limited for up to 19,000 tonnes of biochar credits. These credits will be supplied from Jain's industrial biochar facility in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, covering production from 2026 and 2027. The project is undergoing verification through Puro.earth, with an independent BeZero Carbon rating also underway. This deal introduces new supply into a constrained market, where 81% of high-quality 2026 biochar volumes were committed by July, three months earlier than in 2025. Jain leverages its existing agricultural operations for feedstock and distribution, addressing common supply chain challenges.
A Boston Consulting Group (BCG) survey of 300 buyers found that target portfolio prices for carbon credits have tripled since 2022, with buyers willing to pay a premium for quality. Buyers would spend an estimated $800 million more annually if sufficient credits met their quality criteria, which prioritises trusted registries and rigorous measurement. BCG noted that the average target budget is $58 per tonne, but buyers would need to spend $79 per tonne to match their quality preferences. The report also highlighted the importance of credit delivery timing, noting that the market largely unprices the difference between immediate and future removals. Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and biochar were identified as 'workable middle ground' options, considered by three-quarters of buyers at current supplier prices.
Terradot has secured $34 million in debt financing from HA Sustainable Infrastructure Capital, Inc. (HASI) to fund its enhanced rock weathering (ERW) projects in the United States and Brazil. The transaction, arranged by Marsh, is supported by carbon delivery insurance from CFC. This financing will support Terradot's existing ERW projects, which include fixed-price, multi-year offtake agreements with the Frontier advance market coalition. Terradot plans to deploy 1 million tonnes of crushed rock across 60,000 hectares of farmland in 2026 and 2027.
Bolivian packaging company Empacar, through its CarbonX unit, has launched a commercial biochar carbon removal facility in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The plant converts timber processing residues into biochar for agricultural use and aims to sequester approximately 70,000 metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually. The project is certified under the Puro.earth standard and incorporates digital infrastructure for continuous data capture across the production chain. This initiative addresses market demand for verified carbon dioxide removal credits and provides a scalable model for industrial operators in South America.
Verra has postponed the effective date for most requirements of its Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Version 5 programme from 1 January 2027 to 1 July 2027. This six-month extension follows requests from project developers and validation/verification bodies (VVBs) due to the high volume of projects completing audits under VCS Version 4. The delay aims to reduce administrative burdens and costs, allowing projects to finish ongoing audits without needing to update documentation or templates midway. Stakeholders are expected to achieve full conformance with VCS Version 5 and use its templates for all project requests submitted after the new July 2027 deadline.
Guyana’s 2023 jurisdictional REDD+ carbon credits, issued through the ART-TREES programme, were over-credited by 3,900,000 tonnes of CO2, representing a 40% error. Climate Focus identified the discrepancy in January 2026, but the ART Secretariat only acknowledged and began correcting the error after BeZero Carbon publicly assigned the vintage a 'D' rating in October 2026. The error stemmed from an incorrect calculation of emission reductions against the crediting level, despite the validation and verification body Aenor Confía having approved the issuance in December 2025. This incident raises concerns about the integrity of the ART-TREES programme's oversight and verification processes.
Puro.earth has launched its CCS+ programme, enabling certification for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) methodologies from the CCS+ Initiative. The first pathway implemented under this programme is Direct Air Capture and Geological Storage (DACCS), for which suppliers can now apply for certification. Credits issued under the CCS+ programme will be designated as CCS+ CRC credits in the Puro Registry. This move integrates external methodologies into Puro.earth's existing certification infrastructure, expanding its multi-programme approach for CDR projects.
The ICVCM has published a blog post outlining the importance of gender-responsiveness in voluntary carbon markets. It notes that climate change disproportionately affects women and gender-diverse people, with UN Women estimating up to 158.3 million more women and girls could be pushed into extreme poverty by 2050 under a worst-case scenario. The article suggests that gender-responsive approaches, such as conducting GEDSI analyses, ensuring inclusive decision-making, and applying a gender-lens across the value chain, can improve project effectiveness and strengthen social and environmental outcomes. It cites a Burkina Faso agroforestry project as an example of women's leadership in restoration and income generation.
A Nuffield Australia and GRDC Scholar report by Paul McGorman details how Australian agricultural enterprises can generate three revenue streams from on-farm biochar pyrolysis. The research suggests that modern pyrolysis systems can produce carbon sequestration credits, thermal or electrical energy, and soil enhancement products. Realising these gains requires careful operational planning, managing significant capital expenditure, securing consistent biomass feedstocks, and navigating variable energy markets. The report provides a framework for Australian growers to assess the commercial viability of biochar production.
Sylvera, in partnership with the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM), released a report detailing the median levelised cost of creating a carbon credit, based on data from 53 projects. The report found significant cost divergence across project types, ranging from $6 for REDD+ credits to $185 for biochar credits. These costs are influenced by capital expenditure (CapEx) and operating expenditure (OpEx), with the cost of capital identified as a major source of uncertainty, particularly for nature-based solutions. For instance, a change in the cost of capital from 10% to 15% could increase ARR project costs by 36.84%. The study aims to enhance transparency for buyers, developers, and policymakers regarding genuine delivery costs and fair benefit-sharing.
Verra has completed its latest review of 42 Methodology Idea Notes (MINs), selecting two proposals to advance to the feasibility assessment stage within the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Programme. The selected methodologies are M0343, a revision to VMR0017 for grid-connected renewable electricity generation, and M0490, for quantifying non-fossil carbon stock in long-term product pools. Verra prioritises proposals with high climate mitigation potential (over 500,000 tCO2e within five years), broad applicability, and sustainable development benefits. The review process is part of the revised Methodology Development and Review Process (MDRP) under version 5 of the VCS Programme.
InPlanet, Idemitsu, CFC, and Carbon Removal Partners have co-authored a white paper, 'Closing the Climate Financing Gap', proposing revenue financing as a solution to scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR) projects. The paper draws on a transaction where Idemitsu provided financing to InPlanet for enhanced rock weathering (ERW) CO2 removals, with CFC acting as insurer. This structure allows developers to access non-dilutive financing against contracted future payments, addressing the timing mismatch between upfront investment and later credit delivery. The authors suggest that effective revenue financing requires bankable offtake agreements, credible delivery capabilities, and appropriate risk-transfer mechanisms.
Verra has opened public comment periods for ten new projects seeking registration under its Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) programmes. The projects include a range of activities such as mangrove conservation, REDD+, agroforestry, marine food waste recovery, and wind power across Sierra Leone, Malawi, Kenya, India, Tanzania, and Argentina. Public comment periods for these projects opened between October 19 and October 26, 2026, with closing dates ranging from November 15 to November 20, 2026. This process ensures transparency and allows stakeholders to assess whether projects meet programme requirements before final validation.
Gold Standard featured the Tropical Mix project (GS2940) in Panama, which has restored 8,539.4 hectares of degraded land through afforestation, reforestation, and sustainable forest management since 1995. The project, developed by FORLIANCE, also designates 4,669.75 hectares for conservation, integrating native species, teak, and cocoa agroforestry. It has generated 441,620 tCO2e of verified carbon removals, contributing to biodiversity and local livelihoods. Carbon finance supported the long-term investment required for the project's crediting period, which ran until December 2024.
Climate non-profit Terraset has committed over $2 million to projects designed to attract additional financing, using advance purchases and other arrangements. New investments include wastewater treatment developer Airbuild, methane abatement company Frost Methane, and biochar producer Tellus Conservation. Terraset aims for its funding to unlock larger commitments, citing a return of six dollars in additional capital for every dollar deployed. The projects target benefits beyond emissions reductions, such as cleaner water and funding for Ukrainian national parks.
The United States biochar market is projected to grow from USD 602.2 million in 2025 to USD 1,514.5 million by 2034, at a compound annual growth rate of 10.50%, according to an IMARC Group report. This expansion is driven by increasing interest in regenerative agriculture, organic farming, and verified carbon sequestration programmes. Despite challenges like low consumer awareness and high production costs, companies are scaling production through advanced techniques and securing public grants. Long-term corporate carbon removal contracts, such as those with Microsoft, are providing essential financial validation and market certainty for biochar producers.
Treehouse California Almonds and Sitos Group have established a $9 million slow pyrolysis biochar manufacturing facility in Delano, California. The 25,000 square foot plant will convert almond hulling and shelling co-products into biocarbon. It is designed to process 6,000 pounds of almond shell feedstock per hour using three integrated slow-pyrolysis units. The facility aims to manage agricultural residues, produce soil amendments, and generate verifiable carbon removal units, while also converting waste thermal energy into electricity for the local grid.
Citi has closed a $72 million, 3.5-year principal-protected Carbon Removal-Linked Note to finance Applied Carbon’s industrial biochar operations in Texas. This structure, with institutional investment from Nuveen and a pre-existing Microsoft offtake agreement, links investor returns directly to verified carbon credit delivery. The financing aims to bridge the capital gap for early-stage carbon removal developers, enabling Applied Carbon to expand its mobile pyrolysis units. This transaction establishes a precedent for integrating corporate sustainability commitments with institutional fixed-income markets to fund carbon sequestration projects.
Sylvera has updated its carbon credit project ratings to ensure they reflect the latest vintages and methodological improvements. The firm noted that buyers increasingly prioritise up-to-date information, with many aiming to match credit vintage years to retirement schedules, typically within a three-year buffer. Sylvera's project pages now display vintage coverage, rating date, and framework version to provide transparency on the recency and scope of assessments. This move addresses buyer demand for current evidence, especially as projects transition to stronger methodologies like Verra's VM0050 for cookstoves, which has a median Sylvera rating of BBB compared to B for the legacy VMR0006.
Carbon180 has released 'Restoring Carbon for Healthy Agricultural Lands', a federal policy roadmap for integrating carbon removal into US agriculture. The report, informed by input from over 200 land stewards, scientists, and technical service providers, advocates for biogenic carbon pathways to address agricultural carbon debt. It aims to rebuild USDA capacity and shape farm policy to prioritise soil health and carbon restoration. The initiative seeks to reverse soil degradation, which has caused an estimated $2.8 billion in annual economic losses in the Corn Belt alone due to reduced crop yields.
The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) has launched a public consultation on proposed clarifications to its Core Carbon Principles (CCP) Assessment Framework. The consultation, open until 3 December 2026, focuses on how the ICVCM assesses the independence of a carbon-crediting programme's board and how programmes demonstrate safeguards for the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. These clarifications aim to ensure a consistent integrity threshold as the ICVCM prepares to assess a wider range of programmes, including those administered by governments. The consultation seeks to clarify existing requirements and does not alter the general process for future clarifications.
Global carbon dioxide removal (CDR) currently stands at approximately 2.2 billion tonnes of CO2 per year, representing 5% of gross global emissions. Conventional methods, primarily forests and soils, account for 99.9% of this volume, while novel CDR methods contribute about 0.002 billion tonnes annually. The Science Based Targets initiative's (SBTi) new net-zero standard mandates that only removals can neutralise residual emissions, shifting the focus for companies towards acquiring durable removal credits. Prices for nature-based removals range from USD 10-30, whereas durable removals like biochar and direct air capture with storage (DACCS) command prices upwards of USD 135 and USD 500 respectively, reflecting their scarcity and long-term storage capabilities.