Eco-business Podcast

Voluntary carbon markets have been in existence for over three decades, and the industry could well be set for future growth despite a recent bump in the road. But its potential to combat climate change may never be fully realised without a rethink of some key mechanisms, industry veteran David Antonioli believes. The founding chief executive of Verra, the world’s largest carbon credit certifier, sees at least two key areas where change is needed. First, the market should adopt an “end game” for emissions-saving initiatives to become economically viable without carbon financing. Someone will need to define the “positive tipping point” at which this happens in each sector – be it sustainable agriculture, reforestation, or clean energy – rally participants towards the goal, and then disallow the sale of carbon credits thereafter. Second, Antonioli thinks that project approval rules should be simplified to help initiatives get going faster. This means approvals should be based on simple lists of eligible acti