Top ten most read in 2024
Read our round-up of BeZero’s most popular insights over the past 12 months, including carbon credit explainers, major developments in carbon markets, and unique research on price-ratings dynamics.
1. Climate projects and carbon credits: climate action, today
The first in our ‘Carbon Credit Explainer Series’ aimed at corporate sustainability leaders delved into how carbon credits deliver immediate climate action by directing essential funding to climate projects around the world. A great starting point if you want to know what carbon credits are, and how carbon ratings can help choose impactful projects.
2. CORSIA: Impacts on the VCM and demand dynamics
Was 2024 the year CORSIA took off? Our markets and policy team outlined what aviation sector professionals and carbon market actors need to know about CORSIA, and how it will impact carbon markets and the demand for carbon credits.
3. $100bn for planet and people
What does a $100bn traded carbon market achieve? 17 million jobs directly supported by carbon-projects and associated activity. That's over 5 million more roles than the entire oil & gas industry today. This is what working in a sustainable economy looks like. Millions of jobs created or supported in a range of professions across nature, tech, and market infrastructure. Our thought piece set out the immense impact of a $100bn market on emissions, employment, and ecosystem.
4. Towards efficiency: Carbon credit pricing and risk
Want to know how BeZero’s ratings are driving carbon credit prices? The first of our ground-breaking reports showed how the link between ratings and price had grown, with higher rated credits priced an average of three times higher than lower rated ones by the second half of 2023. Our second report expanded on the analysis with a focus on nature-based carbon credits, and showed the relationship still held with an average 20% price premium for each BeZero rating notch.
Read part 1 and part 2
5. The critical factor driving over-crediting risk in cookstove projects
A key parameter in our assessment of over-crediting risk in cookstove projects is the fraction of non-renewable biomass (fNRB) which represents the proportion of woody biomass harvested unsustainably. Learn why dependable fNRB values are critical to our carbon accounting assessment in these project types, as well as other projects from the Household Devices sector group.
6. Assessment of Verra's new VM0047 ARR methodology
In late 2023, Verra released its new methodology for the Afforestation, Reforestation & Restoration sub-sector. We found the methodology’s major improvements were the introduction of dynamic baselines, a definitive common practice benchmark, and clearer leakage monitoring guidelines. Nevertheless, we believed improvements could still be made. Learn more in our assessment by our forestry ratings analysts and geospatial scientists.
7. Carbon credits and climate regulation: what you need to know
What do corporate sustainability leaders need to know about climate regulation? Against a dynamic policy backdrop, our explainer focused on key climate regulations to be aware of, and how to understand disclosure requirements for carbon credits. As companies become required to report information around their climate claims, demand for demonstrably high-quality carbon credits will increase. Read on to learn how carbon ratings can help substantiate these claims.
8. Six ways companies benefit from using carbon credits
Regardless of where companies are in their decarbonisation journey, high-quality carbon credits should be treated as a cornerstone of a robust climate strategy. Read on to explore six reasons sustainability heads should include carbon credits in their decarbonisation plans.
9. First DACCS rating is ‘AAA’ market milestone
Last year, we assigned our first 'AAA' for the industry's first public rating of a Direct Air Capture with Carbon Storage (DACCS) project. 'AAA' ratings represent the highest possible likelihood of removing one tonne of CO2e - an indicator of genuine quality for the carbon market. The engineered carbon removal sector is quickly becoming recognised as critical to reaching net zero emissions. Ratings such as this will spur investment so Direct Air Capture can scale and deliver real impact for the planet and people.
10. Introducing Project Fundamentals - the building blocks of carbon projects
Fundamental data is the backbone of effective carbon project analysis. But finding and using this data at scale is a manual, time-consuming and inconsistent process. BeZero’s Project Fundamentals provides technical carbon project data that’s standardised, digitised and decision-ready. Available as ready-to-consume datasets on and off our platform, this innovation will save analysts hours in data extraction and transform how carbon project analysis is carried out in this market.
What would you like us to write about in the year ahead? Get in touch with your suggestions at commercial@bezerocarbon.com