Increased government ambition, tighter regulations, greater corporate sustainability commitments, and the outcome of the international COP process will demand serious net zero action from large-scale organisations over the next decade and beyond.

The approval of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement at COP29 in Baku, marks a historic moment for global climate action. Article 6 introduces market-based mechanisms that enable countries to transfer emissions mitigations internationally to meet climate targets. After nine years of negotiations, nations have finalised the frameworks for its two main components, Article 6.2 and 6.4, fully enabling their implementation.

The UK’s newly released Principles for Voluntary Carbon and Nature Market Integrity represent a significant step forward in leveraging voluntary carbon markets (VCMs) to lower global emissions, attract climate finance, and restore nature. These principles reflect a growing international trend toward creating structured, transparent standards for market participation.