Carbon Markets Initiative

The Problem:

The voluntary carbon market is failing to scale. Despite surging demand for carbon credits, we are nowhere close to generating the quantity and quality of supply needed to limit temperature increase to 1.5°C. In addition, today’s market has struggled to establish trust — leading to widespread skepticism as to whether carbon markets can effectively reduce and remove emissions.

The market needs to change. Quite simply, project developers, financiers, traders, and buyers need access to credible carbon credit information. The market also needs greater volumes of traded credits to generate price signals for buyers and developers. Together, these actions will result in the gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions we must reduce and remove from the atmosphere by 2050.

Our Approach:

The Carbon Markets Initiative has a two-pronged approach to accelerate trust and quality in the voluntary carbon market. First, we are developing research and analysis on strategies for unlocking a trusted, high-quality carbon credit supply. Second, we are building partnerships at the critical intersection of carbon markets and technology. Specifically, we are examining the role of technologies such as distributed ledger technology, remote sensing, and machine learning in building a trustworthy voluntary carbon market.

Our primary efforts will focus on advancing both technology capabilities and data standards that bring a radical layer of transparency to carbon markets. Beyond transparency, these efforts are intended to help direct financing toward carbon credit projects to create a more equitable transition to a 1.5°C future.