The Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets is a government-led initiative designed to strengthen corporate demand for high-integrity carbon credits. Officially launched during London Climate Action Week 2025, the Coalition is now composed of 11 governments: Canada, Indonesia, France, Kenya, Panama, Peru, Singapore, Switzerland, the UK, New Zealand and Zambia. The Coalition aims to strengthen carbon market demand, unlock carbon credit finance at scale, and promote alignment of policy across international markets.
The Coalition recently announced during London Climate Action Week 2026 its plan to release a Policy Playbook at United Nations COP31 climate talks. The playbook is expected to outline a range of policy options aimed at accelerating corporate demand for high-integrity carbon credits and support the continued development of carbon markets.
The new policy initiative addresses the recognition that the voluntary carbon markets have faced credibility and demand challenges in recent years, with the latest announcement expected to help strengthen confidence by providing clearer government guidance and supporting international policy alignment.
What the Policy Playbook is Expected to Deliver
The Policy Playbook is expected to provide national policymakers with a range of policy options and actions that support implementation of the Coalition's Shared Principles. The Shared Principles is a framework that establishes six pillars for corporate carbon credit use:
- Use carbon credits in addition to decarbonization.
- Use carbon credits with high environmental integrity.
- Uphold fair price, social safeguards, and, where applicable, support co-benefits for people and nature.
- Disclose carbon credit use publicly and transparently.
- Make accurate, substantiated claims involving carbon credit use.
- Support growth of high-integrity carbon credit markets.
These six principles provide a foundational framework for the credible use of high-integrity carbon credits, emphasizing that carbon credits should assist, not replace, direct emissions reductions. The playbook will complement the Shared Principles by providing policy guidance and actionable measures intended to accelerate demand for higher-integrity carbon credits, while continuing to prioritize direct emissions reductions.
What This Means for Carbon Market Participants
For all carbon market participants, the proposed playbook could provide greater clarity around the role of high-integrity carbon credits within corporate sustainability and decarbonization strategies. By offering governments a framework for demand-side policy development, the playbook may help strengthen market confidence and drive demand for high-integrity credits.
With increasing confidence and demand, the playbook has the potential to encourage greater private-sector participation in carbon markets. Over time, this could support investment in market infrastructure, carbon projects, and longer-term purchasing commitments that help carbon markets mature and scale.
For project developers, stronger demand-side policies could increase buyer confidence and stimulate investment in carbon projects, leading to more predictable long-term demand for carbon credits. For buyers and investors, the playbook is intended to provide clarity on how carbon credits can be used credibly within decarbonization strategies. This may give organizations greater confidence to incorporate higher-integrity carbon credits into their climate plans and investment decisions.
ClearBlue Markets will continue to monitor developments related to the Coalition’s Policy Playbook. Contact us for a conversation about our voluntary markets and project development expertise and the services we offer to investors, developers, and market participants.