VCMI launches updated Carbon Markets Access Toolkit

The Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) has published an updated version of its Carbon Markets Access Toolkit (originally released in 2023), which provides a step-by-step guide for governments to decide whether and how to engage with regulated and voluntary carbon markets, as well as those facilitated under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

The Toolkit was developed in partnership with Climate Focus and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), as part of VCMI’s Access Strategies Program. It aims to help policymakers identify how to participate meaningfully in carbon markets and access carbon finance to help fund climate plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Moreover, the toolkit addresses key decision points, including: i) if and when to enter carbon markets, ii) how to use them to finance national climate and development strategies, iii) how to develop a strategy for Article 6, iv) how to address legal and institutional considerations, and v) how to host high-quality and integrity carbon projects.