Evaluation and analysis of domestic and international carbon market mechanisms, with the objective to inform design of new mechanisms which can support countries to achieve their climate commitments, to increase future ambition, and to support sustainable development.

Carbon market mechanisms play an important role in many international and domestic discussions around climate change mitigation efforts and come with both opportunities, but also risks. Internationally, the 2015 Paris Agreement set out provisions for market mechanisms to assist countries in achieving their nationally determined contributions, increase ambition and support sustainable development. Parties continue to work on the exact design of these mechanisms. International aviation and shipping are also considering carbon market mechanisms as a climate change measure. The “Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation” (CORSIA) started in 2021; and International Maritime Organization (IMO) also lists market-based measures as a candidate measure for its strategy to reduce GHG from global shipping. Increasing numbers of national and sub-national jurisdictions are also working on various forms of carbon pricing. In addition, the future role of voluntary carbon markets is increasingly in the spotlight, with a growing number of companies setting emission reduction or net-zero targets; many companies are purchasing carbon offset credits to ‘neutralise’ their emissions, while others – aware of the limitations of offsetting– are seeking alternative approaches.
NewClimate Institute is active in the analysis, evaluation and design of international and domestic carbon market mechanisms. We have developed a depth of analysis on the Kyoto mechanisms to inform the design and development of future mechanisms, particularly those that increase mitigation ambition of countries and deliver an overall mitigation impact. NewClimate’s climate responsibility approach sets an alternative blueprint for companies to address their own corporate climate responsibility, marking an alternative approach for the future of voluntary carbon markets that focuses on transparency and constructive impact.
Our experts combine years of experience working in various capacities with the Kyoto Protocol mechanisms, the EU ETS and voluntary offsetting markets. We provide inputs to discussions under CORSIA and IMO, and advise international policy makers on emerging market concepts and piloting activities.
Associated projects

Increasing transparency and integrity of corporate climate pledges
A key aspect of the work, lead by the NewClimate team, is to set up a corporate climate pledge monitor which will shed light on a range of voluntary climate strategies, showcasing ambitious action as well as highlighting where existing commitments fall short.

Appraising policy choices for Article 6 of the Paris Agreement
Rules for the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement are still under negotiation at the international level. This project sheds light on the potential impacts of this policy making process through a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Understanding Climate Neutrality and Net Zero Targets
A growing number of countries and companies are setting climate neutrality or “net-zero” targets. Although the apparent growth in climate ambition of these actors is a promising development…

Informing EU policy options for tackling aviation’s climate impact
Assessing ICAO’s global market-based measure (CORSIA) and its interaction with the EU ETS.

CORSIA: Analysis and evaluation of regulating international aviation emissions through offsetting
NewClimate Institute conducted research to support the German Emission Trading Authority on CORSIA design issues.

Future role for voluntary carbon markets after 2020
This research project considers the future role for voluntary carbon markets after 2020.

Analysis of pre-2020 developments in the global carbon market
The project developed and applied a method to assess the vulnerability of existing project-based mitigation activities (e.g. CDM) to discontinuing their abatement activity.

Virtual Article 6 Pilots
NewClimate Institute is working to elaborate virtual Article 6 pilots to contribute to the discussion regarding rulemaking for Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

Sustainable development framework for market mechanisms
This ongoing research project aims to overcome the previously identified barriers to combine SD and GHG mitigation impacts through the identification of practical solutions and concrete proposals for the implementation of SD indicators in GHG mitigation projects.

Technical advisory services “Global Carbon Market”
NewClimate Institute was contracted by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), as part of a larger consortium, to advise GIZ’s agency on its “Global Carbon Market” project.

Benchmarking Guide for climate policy instruments
NewClimate Institute developed a practical and in-depth guide on how to design and implement benchmarks for policy makers.

Innovative Financing Options for the Adaptation Fund
Assessing potentials and pathways for financing adaptation through carbon pricing approaches

Development of a sectoral market-based approach
The project establishes a strong case for incorporating sustainable design and energy efficiency considerations into new residential development, especially in the social housing segment.

Integration of market mechanisms and emission trading schemes
Design and integration of market mechanisms and emission trading schemes under a new climate change agreement. The German emission trading authority (DEHSt/UBA) contracted NewClimate Institute together with adelphi and Öko-Institut to provide a foundation for the formulation and further development of a German position in the climate negotiations, and to facilitate a scientifically-based contribution of… Read More

Offsetting in carbon taxation systems
Analysis of the potentials and limits of different offset standards in bilateral and global CO2 price systems. Return to all expertise and projects An increasing number of countries and regions developed CO2 pricing mechanisms, including carbon taxes and emission trading systems. Some of these countries are designing or plan to design standards for the use… Read More

Carbon market mechanisms in future international cooperation on climate change
Overview of the options for the use of carbon market mechanisms in a 2015 climate change agreement

Carbon integrity assessment of mitigation actions
Development of a methodology and scorecard to assess the carbon integrity of mitigation actions

Results-based financing in Carbon Markets – connecting market and non-market based approaches
Current situation of results-based financing (RBF) approaches in climate policy.

Bilateral agreements as basis towards piloting sectoral market mechanisms
Opportunities provided by bilateral agreements for piloting market-based approaches at sectoral levels. Return to all expertise and projects The German emission trading authority (DEHSt/UBA) funded this research project which was conducted by a consortium of NewClimate Institute and Ecofys to assess opportunities provided by bilateral agreements for piloting market-based approaches at sectoral levels. The main… Read More

Evaluating the state of the CDM
Evaluation of the present implementation status of CDM projects and identification of support measures to keep CDM projects mitigating. Return to all expertise and projects The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) was introduced by the Kyoto Protocol and has developed into one of the most important international carbon market instruments. The CDM stimulated investments in greenhouse… Read More
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