Growth of the Carbon Markets

According to a new study from research firms Ecosystem Finance and New Carbon Finance, the voluntary carbon market is maturing fast, growing from $96.7 million in 2006 to $704.8 million in 2008. The report assessed the so-called voluntary market for carbon credits, which operates outside formal UN and European Union (EU) backed carbon trading schemes such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), Joint Implementation (JI) and Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The 100% growth rate of the voluntary market is double that recorded by the regulated carbon markets.

1 Source: Ecosystem Marketplace, New Carbon Finance, World Bank

Transaction values in the Voluntary Carbon Market