SSFA is proud to be among the supporting organisations of the Shared Principles for Growing High-Integrity Use of Carbon Credits.
“High-integrity carbon markets are key to building market confidence. SSFA welcomes the Shared Principles as an important step toward greater alignment across governments on the credible use of carbon credits, responding to calls from financial institutions and companies for more clarity. Such initiatives complement SSFA’s work to strengthen collaboration across the ecosystem and can play a catalytic role in unlocking investment in carbon markets, mobilising capital at scale to support climate, nature, and sustainable development goals.” – Kavitha Menon (Director, SSFA)
Executive Summary
The Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets (“the Coalition”) launched a set of shared principles to boost corporate demand for high-integrity carbon credits as a complement to direct emissions reductions by providing a consistent framework across countries.
Backed by multiple governments, the Shared Principles for Growing High-Integrity Use of Carbon Credits by Companies and Other Buyers (“Shared Principles”) were issued at the COP30 Business and Finance Forum, alongside a Plan of Action. Together these set out the Coalition’s forward-looking agenda to promote the development of carbon markets through supportive policies and incentives.
With this announcement, the Coalition aims to drive climate-positive growth and accelerate the pace of emissions reductions worldwide by strengthening the incentives businesses need to invest in high-integrity carbon credits across carbon markets, including voluntary and Article 6 markets.
Developed with inputs from governments from around the world and informed by business leaders and market experts, the Shared Principles will provide companies with the clarity and confidence they need to purchase carbon credits as part of credible decarbonisation plans.
An Internationally Aligned Framework for Corporate Use of Carbon Credits
The Shared Principles establish six pillars for corporate use of carbon credits:
• Using carbon credits in addition to decarbonisation;
• Ensuring rigorous quality standards;
• Upholding fair value and social benefits;
• Maintaining transparent reporting;
• Making accurate, substantiated claims; and
• Actively supporting market development.
These pillars achieve international alignment on critical questions about the role of carbon credits and will inform national policies and incentives to unlock private sector investment in climate solutions through carbon markets.
