COMMENT: WWF ‘Blueprint for Corporate Action on Climate & Nature’ – Key takeaways for the voluntary carbon market
In Dec. 2020, WWF published a ‘Blueprint for Corporate Action on Climate and Nature’, setting out a vision for how companies should follow the mitigation hierarchy to address the climate emergency, informed by science and the Paris policy environment. Here are Gold Standard’s key takeaways for the voluntary carbon market.
Read MoreCOMMENT: The UK ETS – It’s (officially) a thing
So it’s official – the UK will launch its own emissions trading system in 2021. Of course, it won’t actually begin on January 1, as the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy – the regulator – has yet to work out what the free allocations should be, how many UK Allowances (are we OK with UKA as an abbreviation?) will be auctioned, etc etc. But we know a few things…
Read MoreSenior carbon trader leaves NZ energy firm
A veteran emissions trader has left one of the biggest emitters participating in New Zealand’s carbon market.
Read MoreVoluntary carbon offset developer hires former Shell exec to lead nature-based drive
A UK-based low-carbon project developer has appointed a former Shell executive to lead its offering on nature-based activities, aiming to respond to heightened corporate offset demand from the sector.
Read MoreCOMMENT: From 40% to 55% – what does the EU’s new emissions target mean for companies?
(Free read) – With the Green Deal, the EU is producing a regulatory storm that will stretch far into the future, deep into today’s profit models, and way beyond Europe’s borders. Companies should bring the Green Deal into the heart of their business in order to secure the competitive advantage of regulatory pre-alignment, argues Christiaan Gevers Deynoot of South Pole.
Read MoreCOMMENT: Scaling the voluntary carbon markets without sacrificing quality
The TSVCM rightly calls for science-based target setting in tandem with robust carbon offsetting, clear claims guidance for credible communications and broad public support, and long-term corporate commitments and futures contracts to de-risk project development. Yet having sat in Taskforce discussions and observed several emerging instruments that seek to operationalise the forthcoming ‘blueprint,’ Gold Standard’s Owen Hewlett spots several concerns about the quality of what is meant to scale.
Read MoreCOMMENT: EU ETS Phase 4’s starting pistol misfires
The last week has seen a couple of significant changes to the predicted supply schedule for the start of EU ETS Phase 4, and while they may not be big game-changers in the long term (overall supply in 2021 won’t be affected), they do have the potential to change the market dynamic in the first quarter at the very least.
Read MoreCOMMENT: How the credibility of sustainable development impact claims can strengthen – or compromise – the voluntary carbon market
The success of sustainable development taking root in the voluntary carbon market has presented both tremendous opportunity and an important risk: SDG washing, writes Owen Hewlett of Gold Standard.
Read MoreCOMMENT: Has EU carbon rounded the corner?
We are now in the last four weeks of the Dec-20 EUAs’ reign as the front-year futures contract. There are fewer than 25 daily auctions left this year, and yesterday (Nov. 17) we were told that the European Commission won’t be starting 2021 EUA auctions until the end of January or even early February.
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