Legal and Regulatory Reform : Toolkit for High-Integrity Carbon Markets

Overview & Synopsis

High-integrity carbon markets are a critical pathway to accelerate climate resilience and mobilize finance for sustainable development. They offer developing countries debt-free revenue for projects that improve health, conserve nature, and deliver on other national priorities. However, this potential remains largely untapped because many countries lack the robust legal frameworks needed to generate and trade in high-quality carbon credits. The complexity of the evolving carbon market adds to the difficulty countries face when striving to develop such legal frameworks. The “Legal and Regulatory Reforms Toolkit for High Integrity Carbon Markets” (the Legal Toolkit) addresses this gap. It offers practical guidance, adaptable legislative options, and sample legal provisions to help countries design frameworks tailored to their unique circumstances while ensuring transparency and accountability, with a focus on facilitating greater ease in doing business. Countries that achieve building these high-integrity frameworks will enhance their access to carbon finance and position themselves as global leaders in environmental stewardship and responsible growth.