Carbon Market Standards: Navigating the Landscape

Understanding the key differences and similarities across carbon standards

The voluntary carbon market is evolving rapidly, and selecting the right standard for your project can be a complex task. At EcoSecurities, we bring decades of expertise to help project developers, investors, and buyers navigate this dynamic landscape with confidence.

Our latest Carbon Standards Overview report provides a comparative analysis of leading carbon standards, examining key factors such as eligibility criteria, methodologies, project scale, permanence, and external endorsements. This comprehensive resource is designed to support decision-making in a shifting regulatory environment.

Key insights:

• Overview of leading standards – Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), Gold Standard, Plan Vivo, Puro Earth, and more
• Eligibility & methodologies – Understand project registration and credit issuance requirements
• Market alignment – Insights on how standards interact with compliance mechanisms such as CORSIA and the Paris Agreement’s Article 6
• Project permanence & crediting periods – How different standards ensure long-term carbon storage and credit validity
• SDG impact & co-benefits – Assessing social and environmental contributions beyond carbon mitigation

For project developers, choosing the right standard means aligning with investor expectations, ensuring project integrity, and accessing the most suitable market opportunities. Understanding these distinctions is critical for buyers and investors, who must make informed purchasing decisions and ensure the quality of carbon credits in their portfolios.

Download our Carbon Standards Overview today and gain a clear perspective on the opportunities and challenges within the voluntary carbon market.