ANALYSIS: Transparency push tests fragmented US water credit markets
Years of opaque pricing and fragmented data systems have made US mitigation and nutrient credit markets difficult to navigate, observers told Carbon Pulse.
Read MoreINTERVIEW: Momentum builds in Asia for biodiversity financing, but challenges persist
Companies and financial institutions in Asia are increasingly interested in biodiversity credits, bonds, and blended finance instruments, but some challenges need to be overcome, Carbon Pulse heard following a Tokyo conference last week.
Read MoreANALYSIS: Article 6 authorities face tough balancing act between integrity and speed as PACM implementation gathers pace
Experts charged with implementing the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM) have a tricky year ahead as they aim to fast-track implementation of the new Article 6 market, while ensuring standards are kept high, observers have said.
Read MoreANALYSIS: Standards gear up for biodiversity credit revamp amid increased attention to EU market
Major standard bodies are gearing up to update or expand their biodiversity credit frameworks, with many watching closely the EU moves to establish a bloc-wide market and anticipating continued discussion around scaling private finance for nature at this year’s UN COP17 summit.
Read MoreANALYSIS: Voluntary market cautiously welcomes EU carbon removal work, demand remains major concern
Voluntary carbon market participants have heralded the EU as the first mover in creating a comprehensive, government-backed standard for certifying durable removals, but many still question where demand-side scale will come from and caution that ensuring a robust, high-integrity system still rests on fine-tuning the crediting framework.
Read MoreVCM MONTHLY DATA: Carbon credit retirements down 9 mln YoY, lowest monthly issuance for five years
January retirements across the voluntary carbon market (VCM) fell by nine million year-on-year, while issuances also slipped to levels last seen five years ago – with one registry failing to record any new supply for the past three months.
Read MoreANALYSIS: Behind the scenes of a nascent market – EU experts set nature credit priorities
Regulating offsetting and ensuring alignment with carbon farming and the Nature Restoration Law (NRL) are emerging as key issues for the newly established EU expert group on nature credits, with some members raising concerns to Carbon Pulse over corporate representation at the table.
Read MoreVCM MONTHLY DATA: Slow December leaves annual retirements at lowest level since 2020
Retirements in the voluntary carbon market (VCM) fell by 4.5% in 2025, 8 million down on 2024’s total, after December activity failed to live up to levels seen in previous years.
Read MoreANALYSIS: Slow progress on nature-harming subsidies boosts calls for private sector action
Private sector involvement is increasingly seen as crucial to advancing the phase-out of subsidies that harm nature, as governments have so far made insufficient progress in tackling the issue, also due to corporate resistance, according to experts.
Read MoreANALYSIS: “The Great Divide” – Amid hopes of convergence, are carbon markets still fragmenting?
There’s a growing narrative in the voluntary carbon market that supply is converging around higher and clearer quality standards, regulated schemes, and more focused demand signals – but in reality, with a rising number of crediting bodies, and buyers still reluctant to dive into purchases, the sector may still be fragmenting, according to experts.
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