Building Bridges, State of the Voluntary Carbon Markets 2010
By Kate Hamilton, Molly Peters-Stanley, and Thomas MarcelloClick to hear the Launch Event, moderated by Forest Trends CEO Michael Jenkins. The year of 2009 was a tumultuous one for the voluntary carbon markets. First, the economic recession had a marked impact on the number of companies offsetting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. At the same time, unfolding new climate legislation in the United […]
State of Biodiversity Markets
Offset and Compensation Programs Worldwide
By Becca Madsen, Nathaniel Carroll and Kelly Moore BrandsThis report provides the status and trends of biodiversity offset and compensatory mitigation programs by geographical region. In each section, the report summarizes the total active programs and developing activities, and broad metrics like total known payments and land area protected or restored. In each region, we also analyze the characteristics of offset programs—what drives […]
Taking Root and Branching Out
State of the Forest Carbon Markets 2009
By Katherine Hamilton, Unna Chokkalingam, and Maria BendanaThis report was created to increase transparency and answer fundamental questions about the supply of forestry-based carbon credits, such as transaction volumes, credit prices, hectares influenced and tenure rights. It outlines the aggregate numbers from our survey of 61 project developers and 34 intermediaries representing 226 projects across 40 countries. This report is entirely based […]
Fortifying the Foundation
State of the Voluntary Carbon Markets 2009
By Katherine Hamilton, Milo Sjardin, Allison Shapiro, Thomas MarcelloThis report was created to answer fundamental questions about the voluntary carbon markets such as transaction volumes, credit prices, project types, locations, and the motivations of buyers in this market. Over the past several years, these markets have not only become an opportunity for citizen consumer action, but also an alternative source of carbon finance […]
Beyond Carbon, Biodiversity and Water Markets
By Ecosystem Marketplace, a Forest Trends initiativeIt is widely acknowledged that well-functioning ecosystems provide reliable and clean flows of water, productive soils, healthy and balanced biota, and many other services for human well-being. It is also widely documented that today many ecosystems and the services they provide are under threat. The use of markets and market-based mechanisms to conserve and pay […]
Picking Up Steam, State of the Voluntary Carbon Markets 2007
In the course of 2006 and 2007, interest in climate change, carbon offsets and the voluntary carbon markets accelerated dramatically. And yet despite this interest, and the fact that voluntary carbon markets have effectively been operating since 1989, quantitative data surrounding this market has been sorely lacking. Because of this situation Ecosystem Marketplace and New Carbon Finance teamed […]
The EU Emissions Trading System
By Lucas Merrill Brown, Alex Hanafi, Annie PetsonkThe EU ETS has been established and extended over three successive phases: Phase I (2005–2007, often called the “pilot phase”); Phase II (2008–2012); and Phase III (2013–2020). The EU appears to be on target and in fact ahead of schedule for achieving the ambitious emission reduction target set for the years 2008–2012, in large […]
Ecosystem Services and the New IFC Performance Standards
By Florence LandsbergEcosystem Services Requirements in new IFC Performance Standards Starting January 2012, IFC investments will be screened systematically for ecosystem service risks and impacts, which are mandated in multiple performance standards. These ecosystem service changes to the IFC standards are comprehensive and affect screening, mitigation, and compensation rules for future investments. They also include increased resources […]
Support the State of the Voluntary Carbon Markets 2012 Report
Mitigating extreme climate change is invaluable, but cutting carbon emissions comes at a price. Understanding what drives that price – from contract structure to technology – gives market players the transparency they need to make decisions that minimize risk and spur investments. The State of the Voluntary Carbon Markets reports have an established track record […]
Implications of the Legal and Policy Framework for Tree and Forest Carbon in Ghana
By Rebecca AsareThis report presents an analysis of the legal and policy framework for tree and forest carbon in Ghana in an effort to contribute to this process. It shows that the current legal and regulatory structure for forestry and lands in Ghana provides indications of how carbon rights and benefits might be managed and distributed. The […]