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17th Week CCM 2026. Carbon markets: US$22 billion; Korea & UNFCCC, India & Article 6, Brazil & Verra, Australia; Europe & fossil fuels, ISSB, nature & systemic risks; new MRV REDD+; VCMI & IETA jobs
- Art Dam
- Apr 26
- 7 min read
Monday, 27 April 2026.
17th Week Carbon Credit Markets in 2026.
The global carbon credit market reached US$22 billion in 2025, according to MSCI, with strong growth in removals and high concentration in large buyers. South Korea, UNFCCC, and GGGI launched a global platform for voluntary markets aligned with Article 6 and the PACM. India reinforced international cooperation via Article 6 in its 2031–2035 NDC, already signing a climate partnership with South Korea focused on Article 6.2. In Brazil, Verra approved the first credits under the new methodology that combines ecological restoration with sustainable productive activities, a project in the Cerrado capable of removing 7.3 million tCO₂.
Other highlights include the launch of the AccelerateEU package by the European Commission, seeking to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, alleviate energy prices, and accelerate electrification. Meanwhile, the ISSB decided to create a non-mandatory Practice Statement to guide nature disclosures. On the other hand, UNEP FI and GRI indicate that biodiversity loss already represents a systemic financial risk. The biggest challenge remains the lack of reliable data, with less than 1% of companies reporting biodiversity impacts.
Shorts & Opportunities include the MSCI report on the Australian carbon market, where large integrity differences between ARR projects are already affecting prices and decisions. A UNFCCC webinar presented MRV's new guidance for REDD+, with supporting materials that we are sharing with you. At Green Transformation Week, Simon Stiell stated that clean energy is the antidote to the volatility of fossil fuels. There are also job opportunities at VCMI and IETA in carbon markets and climate policy.
In addition to a list of events, which has been expanded as summer approaches in the northern hemisphere.
More details below and - if you like - listening to the Dance-pop in Spanish and English “Carbon en Revolución” or some other musical choice of your preference.
Carbon Credits
Global Capital in Carbon Credits Soars and Concentrates in a Few Buyers, Shows MSCI
The report “Investment and Offtake Trends in the Global Carbon Credit Market”, published in April 2026, reveals that the carbon credit market reached a record US$22 billion in 2025, driven by large offtake contracts — which surpassed investments for the first time — and by a strong migration to carbon removal, especially in carbon engineering and nature restoration. The analysis also shows a growing concentration of buyers, with Microsoft accounting for 86% of the global value of offtakes, while the number of investors decreased, even with the increase in financial volume. The study highlights the expansion of long-term agreements, the dominance of removal projects, and the geographical division between carbon engineering (USA and Europe) and nature-based solutions (Latin America, Africa and Asia).
South Korea, UNFCCC and GGGI - created at Rio+20 - Launch Global Platform for Voluntary Carbon Credit Markets
Since the Statement of Intent signed at the end of 2024 between the Ministry of Economy and Finance of South Korea and the UNFCCC, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), an international intergovernmental organization created in 2012 during the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, has joined the group. And on April 22nd, in Yeosu, they officially launched the project “Global Voluntary Carbon Market (GVCM) Aligned with the Paris Agreement”, a three-year initiative (2026–2028) aimed at strengthening voluntary carbon credit markets. Through a unified standard aligned with the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM), the main objective is to ensure high integrity, transparency and avoid double counting. The event brought together representatives from governments, the private sector, and civil society, highlighting pillars such as credibility based on the PACM, infrastructure for ITMO transfers, and practical examples such as the Norway-Zambia transaction, projected to generate 3.5 million tons of CO₂ reductions. The institutions emphasized that the GVCM seeks to restore global confidence in carbon markets and support countries in generating and trading verified reductions, with the presentation of its operational model planned for COP31.
India Highlights Cooperation via Article 6 in its 2031–2035 NDC
India's 2031–2035 NDC, published last Friday, April 24, 2026, reaffirms the national commitment to reducing emission intensity, expanding non-fossil energy, strengthening forest sinks, and implementing adaptation measures to increase climate resilience. The document emphasizes the need for climate finance, technology transfer, capacity building, and international cooperation, including the possibility of participation in the mechanisms foreseen in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, as part of strategies to support a low-carbon development pathway aligned with national priorities and common but differentiated responsibilities in the international climate regime.
India and South Korea Seal Climate Cooperation Focusing on Article 6.2
Signed on April 20, 2026, the joint communiqué between India and South Korea reinforces the partnership in climate, environment, oceans, blue economy and Arctic research, highlighting the commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement, especially through Article 6.2, which allows international cooperation in mitigation projects and the transfer of emission reduction results between countries to support their NDCs. The document emphasizes actions in renewable energy, low-carbon technologies, marine protection, sustainable fisheries and polar research, as well as promoting scientific and institutional exchange. The two nations affirm that expanding this cooperation will drive innovative and scalable solutions for sustainable development in the Indo-Pacific and other regions.
Brazil, Verra Issues First Carbon Credits Under New Reforestation Methodology
In a statement released on April 21, Verra reported that it had approved the first carbon credits generated by the VM0047 ARR methodology, which innovates by allowing the combination of ecological restoration with sustainable productive activities, expanding the eligibility of areas and the predictability of carbon removals. The Brazil Cerrado 1 project received 230,120 VCUs and could remove 7.3 million tons of CO₂ in 20 years, recovering up to 25,000 hectares in the Cerrado and generating benefits for biodiversity, local communities, and the supply of high-integrity credits in the voluntary market.
Others Highlights
European Commission launches AccelerateEU package to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and accelerate clean energy
On April 22, 2026, the European Commission presented the AccelerateEU package, a set of measures to protect consumers and industries from the impacts of the current fossil fuel crisis and accelerate the transition to clean energy produced within the EU. The plan includes coordination actions between Member States for the management of gas and oil stocks, the creation of a Fuel Observatory to monitor transport fuels, temporary and targeted measures to alleviate high prices — such as income support, energy vouchers and tax adjustments — and structural initiatives such as an Electrification Plan and a review of electricity taxation to favor renewable sources. The Commission highlights that dependence on imported fossil fuels has already cost an additional €24 billion since the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, reinforcing the urgency of accelerating European energy independence.
ISSB Opts for Non-Mandatory Guidance on Nature Disclosures
On April 22nd, the ISSB announced its decision to move forward with the creation of a Practice Statement — a non-mandatory guide — to guide companies in preparing nature-related disclosures, instead of developing a new mandatory standard. The proposal, which will complement the existing IFRS S1 and IFRS S2, seeks to minimize impacts during the global implementation phase and support companies in identifying and communicating nature-related risks and opportunities, using the TNFD framework as a reference. The draft for public consultation is scheduled for October 2026, when stakeholders will be able to assess whether this is the most appropriate approach to the topic.
Nature Reporting Matures and Pressures Financial Sector to Address Systemic Risks of Biodiversity Loss
The UNEP FI and GRI article, published on April 22, 2026, highlights that biodiversity loss has already exceeded seven of the nine planetary boundaries, transforming environmental risks into systemic financial risks for banks, insurers, and investors, while the advancement of nature-related reporting seeks to help institutions identify, measure, and disclose their impacts on and dependencies on nature. The text shows that regulators such as the European Central Bank, the South African Prudential Authority, and Chinese authorities already integrate nature-related risks into their mandates, but the biggest obstacle remains the scarcity of reliable and comparable data, as less than 1% of companies report on biodiversity impacts.
Shorts & Opportunities
The report “Carbon-Credit Integrity in the ACCU Market” — about Australian Carbon Credit Units — published in March 2026 by MSCI, reveals strong integrity differences between ARR (Afforestation, Reforestation and Revegetation) projects and shows how integrity premiums already influence prices and decisions. These projects, based on planting, regeneration or revegetation to expand vegetation cover and generate carbon removals, vary widely in performance and risks. Essential reading for anyone monitoring credit quality, additionality, permanence and risks in the voluntary market.
On April 20, 2026, a webinar presented MRV's new guidance for REDD+, offering an overview of its structure, key components, and practical application for countries implementing REDD+ and for experts involved in technical assessments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The corresponding e-learning course, in 27 slides, is available here.
“Clean energy is the antidote to the chaos of fossil fuel costs,” said Simon Stiell, UN Executive Secretary for Climate Change, on April 20, at the opening of Green Transformation Week, held alongside UN Climate Week 3 in Yeosu, Republic of Korea. Read the full official transcript here.
Two unique opportunities at the intersection of global diplomacy and carbon markets: VCMI is hiring professionals to strengthen demand for high-integrity carbon credits and support a coalition of 11 governments — applications are open until April 30, 2026. Check out the Workstream Lead – Demand Activation and Project Manager positions here.
Featured opportunity at IETA. If you want to work at the heart of the European Union's climate policy and influence carbon markets, this EU Policy Officer position in Brussels is open for a few more days.
Events
🇬🇧 Abril 27, International carbon credits & the EU 2040 target: A blueprint for environmental integrity. BeZero Carbon
🇨🇴🇳🇱 April 28 - 29, First International Conference on Phasing Out Fossil Fuels, by the Governments of Colombia and the Netherlands. In the city of Santa Marta, Colombia.
📅 April 29, Verra’s April 2026 Stakeholder Update Webinar
🇨🇭May 12, Building Credible Strategies for Carbon Dioxide Removals. Gold Standard
🇧🇷 May 13-14, Fórum CCS Brasil. British Consulate-General São Paulo, Brazil.
🇦🇺 May 20 - 21, Carbon Farming Industry Forum 2026. Freemantle, Australia
🇸🇬 May 20 – 22, Innovate4Climate (I4C) 2026. In Singapore
🇪🇸 May 21 - 22, 13th Meeting of the Roundtable on Financing Water. OECD, Bank of Spain (Banco de España), CDP and the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS)
🇵🇪 May 27 - 28, Peru Carbon Forum 2026, 3ra edición, ESAN, Lima, Peru
🇲🇽 June 2-4, IETA Latin America Climate Summit LACS2026, Monterrey, Mexico
🇦🇷 June 3 & 4, Argentina Carbon Forum 2026, Buenos Ayres, Argentina
🇧🇷June 10, 15º Simpósio SAE BRASIL Veículos Elétricos e Híbridos, São Paulo, Brazil
🇬🇧 June 22, 2026, Climate Innovation Forum 2026, Guildhall, London
🇧🇷 July 24, 2nd Brazilian Conference on Greenhouse Gas Inventory. Curitiba, Brazil
🇧🇷 August 27 - 28, Brazilian Climate and Carbon Conference, Brazil NBS Alliance
🇦🇿🇺🇳 October 5 - 9, UNFCCC Climate Week 2, Baku, Azerbaijan
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