Green Earth attended the European Climate Summit (ECS) 2026, where speakers from across the energy, finance, and policy sectors gathered to discuss the evolving role of carbon markets. Several sessions stood out for their relevance to the verified carbon market and the direction of global carbon policy.
Meeting during the European Climate Summit (ECS).
A recurring point throughout the summit was that voluntary buyer coalitions alone cannot sustain or scale the carbon market. Speakers, including Robin Huedepohl of E.ON and Carmen Alvarez of Sylvera, independently noted that corporate demand initiatives have value, but that governments must do more. Alvarez described governments as the 'big true enablers' of the market, stressing that setting clear policies and approving new project typologies are prerequisites for a functioning system.
Steve Kelly of 1PointFive added that resolving cross-border jurisdictional issues is essential to stimulate a truly global carbon credit market and that policymakers must actively support Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) credits to encourage corporate uptake.
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A dedicated session on aviation decarbonisation covered the growing role of carbon removals in a sector where sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) cannot deliver full neutralisation of residual emissions on their own. Speakers examined how major corporations are funding aviation sustainability through Scope 3 commitments, purchasing and retiring SAF certificates to meet their own targets.
The session also highlighted a shift in purchasing behaviour, with aviation stakeholders increasingly moving away from lower-cost avoidance credits in favour of portfolios that include nature-based solutions and permanent removals. Airports, not just airlines, are emerging as active buyers of high-quality carbon credits.
One notable point concerned compliance complexity. Airlines operating across multiple jurisdictions must simultaneously satisfy the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), regional schemes such as the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), and their own internal targets, a challenge that calls for greater cross-departmental alignment within organisations.
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Two further sessions addressed the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the role of credit standards in compliance markets. On CBAM, speakers warned against allowing UN-backed credits from the Article 6.4 mechanism to be used too early to offset CBAM liabilities, on the grounds that this risks suppressing the domestic carbon price and disadvantaging European manufacturers.
Green Earth team members during the European Climate Summit (ECS).
On integrity, the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (IC-VCM) was discussed as a potential 'gatekeeper' for compliance markets, with its Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) positioned as a universal quality benchmark. Regulators are increasingly looking to the IC-VCM framework to ensure that only high-integrity credits enter national and international compliance schemes.
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As policymakers move to raise the bar on credit quality, and compliance frameworks like CORSIA and CBAM begin to shape what buyers can and cannot use, demand for high-integrity carbon credits is set to grow. At Green Earth, we develop and manage nature-based carbon credit projects across Africa and Asia, giving businesses and institutional buyers direct access to verified carbon assets that are rigorously monitored and independently certified. Whether you are building a long-term portfolio strategy or sourcing credits to meet specific compliance obligations, our transparent, end-to-end approach is built for the standards the market now demands.
