Policy paper

Voluntary carbon and nature market integrity: UK government principles

These principles guide responsible participation in voluntary markets for buying and selling carbon and nature credits.

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Voluntary markets are those in which carbon or other credits are produced and purchased voluntarily rather than for legal compliance purposes, and do not include compliance schemes such as the UK Emissions Trading Scheme.

These principles respond to concerns about the quality and integrity of some credits available in the market and how they are used to make claims about environmental impact. They set out how the government considers high-integrity credits and how these can be used responsibly and appropriately by buyers such as businesses or other organisations as part of meeting their climate or environment goals.

We will consult on the proposed implementation of these principles and seek views on how they could be applied through guidance, standards and regulatory oversight.

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Published 15 November 2024

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