Unlocking Carbon Newsletter - January 2023

Welcome to Sylvera’s newsletter featuring articles and insights from our team of experts, industry leaders and the carbon community.

In the year ahead we anticipate a lot of development in the carbon markets and possibly a few curve balls, as well. The wild west market will hopefully be a thing of the past and as we eagerly await a more stable environment, one certainty is that Sylvera will continue to keep you up-to-date with the latest market movements.

In our first newsletter of 2023, we’re going back to basics and giving you everything you need to know about the Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCMs) to help inform your climate strategies. We’ve selected nine articles to help you on your journey.

SBTi's Recommendations for Beyond Value Chain Mitigation

Net zero targets are popular in the private sector; in fact, organizations covering more than 90% of global GDP have made net zero commitments. But although a net zero private sector is a necessary milestone for the green transition, this alone won’t keep our planet below 1.5C of warming.?

Corporates should be thinking about their role in the global net zero transition, beyond abating their own emissions. In this blog we explore what this looks like in the context of setting a science-based net zero targets, and the key Beyond Value Chain Mitigation principles to bear in mind. READ MORE

A Primer on the VCMs

Participation in the VCMs is growing as organizations set ambitious climate commitments. But there can be a temptation to favor price over quality and a failure to conduct the necessary due diligence to seek out quality carbon credits. This is a risky and dangerous strategy that can have detrimental repercussions.?In this blog, we outline the fundamentals to help you navigate the VCMs. READ MORE

Carbon Offsetting 101

If you’re confused about carbon offsetting, you’re not alone. Misinformation and strong opinions about offsets abound, and it can be hard to know whether offsetting is the best (or the worst) action you can take for your net zero strategy and the planet. But as COP27 confirmed, offsets are here to stay. This is our ultimate guide to carbon offsetting, and it has everything you need to get started. ?READ MORE

Why Additionality matters?

Additionality is intrinsic to the environmental integrity of a carbon project. A carbon project is only additional if the emissions reductions or removals would not have occurred without revenue from the sale of carbon credits. But additionality can be hard to measure and is oftentimes thought of as a binary condition. This article outlines our process and rationale for evaluating additionality and why it is a necessary part of the due diligence process. READ MORE

How to assess Permanence?

When we talk about the permanence of carbon offsets, we’re talking about how long the carbon dioxide removed or avoided will be kept out of the atmosphere. In this article, we explore why permanence matters and how carbon projects assure that the carbon they sequester or avoid will remain out of the atmosphere for certain length of time. This is particularly important since all offsets face the risk of reversal, although some have a higher risk than others. READ MORE

“Removals-only” mentality isn’t the answer There’s a growing narrative that carbon removals technology will bring the climate crisis under control. Meanwhile, other types of carbon offsetting projects, particularly nature-based solutions, are portrayed as low integrity and fraudulent. So does everyone need to shift focus immediately to removals credits only? Put simply: no. Here’s why the avoidance vs removals debate is oversimplifying a complex issue. READ MORE

How to avoid greenwashing

Corporations are coming under growing pressure to set ambitious climate targets. However, they open themselves up to accusations of greenwashing when they make climate action claims that they cannot back up. This can lead to severe reputational, regulatory and legal consequences. This article explores the regulations clamping down on greenwashing claims and why transparency is key to avoiding any backlash. READ MORE

What carbon means for corporate balance sheets?

As private organizations face rising ESG-related pressures, the medium- to long-term cost predictions for carbon is going up. Whether due to carbon taxes, cap and trade systems, or even voluntary commitments, large corporations will soon be adding carbon to their balance sheets. Forward-thinking companies are doing this already, and in doing so, they are transforming carbon from liability to asset.? READ MORE

An introduction to Jurisdictional REDD+

The fundamental difference between Jurisdictional REDD+ (JREDD) and project-level REDD+ is that all the forests in a national (e.g. whole country) or subnational (e.g. state or province) jurisdiction must be considered when monitoring forest activities. Our blog explains the pros and cons of JREDD and why regardless of the type of REDD+, credits still need to be high quality. READ MORE

Jurisdictional REDD+ is not a new concept, but only recently have we seen real moves towards large-scale issuances available on voluntary carbon markets. Interest in jurisdictional and nested approaches to REDD+ keeps growing, but how do they differ from project-based REDD+??

Hear directly from policy and industry experts exploring the theory and practice of Jurisdictional REDD+, and learn why the move towards jurisdictional and nested REDD+ seems to be the direction of travel for the market. REGISTER NOW

In case you missed it: Article 6 E-book - The rule book for carbon markets, under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, was agreed at COP26. We provide a simple and straightforward summary of key developments and what you need to know following COP27. DOWNLOAD HERE

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