• 66% of companies use ICROA-endorsed standards; 55% apply ICVCM Core Carbon Principles
• 55% plan to scale carbon credit engagement by 2030, while only 12% lack a strategy
• 46% cite unclear policy integration as the main barrier to wider participation
Corporate Confidence Rising in Carbon Credit Quality
As ESG regulation faces renewed political and economic uncertainty, global companies are increasingly confident in the credibility of voluntary carbon markets. A new global survey by SE Advisory Services, Schneider Electric’s consulting arm, finds that corporate engagement with verified carbon standards is strengthening as businesses seek credible ways to meet climate goals.
The Carbon Credit Outlook 2025 reveals that two-thirds of companies now rely on standards endorsed by the International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance (ICROA), while 55% use the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market’s (ICVCM) Core Carbon Principles to assess project quality. The findings suggest that the voluntary carbon market has matured into a structured, transparent tool for managing climate risk and advancing decarbonization.
Four in ten respondents said their organisations are already purchasing, investing in, or developing high-integrity carbon credits to strengthen supply chain resilience and long-term value. Looking ahead, 55% plan to expand their participation by 2030, while just 12% have no formal strategy in place.
From Skepticism to Strategic Value
“The shift in market sentiment is profound,” said Mathilde Mignot, Group Director of Nature & Technology-Based Solutions at SE Advisory Services. “As global decarbonization requires unprecedented investment—around $1 trillion annually in developing countries by 2030—carbon credits provide a proven, scalable mechanism for verified climate action while building strategic value.”
Mignot added that nearly one in five respondents are now developing their own carbon projects. “Owning their carbon strategy means owning their climate story,” she said.
Companies are also becoming more sophisticated in the way they build their carbon portfolios. Half of respondents prioritise nature-based removal credits such as afforestation, reforestation, and ecosystem restoration, which deliver measurable emissions impact and biodiversity benefits. Thirty-four percent focus on avoidance and reduction credits, including renewable energy and efficiency projects, while 16% are allocating to technology-based removals such as direct air capture, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), and biochar.
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Policy Gaps Remain a Key Challenge
Despite the growing confidence, 46% of respondents cite unclear policy and framework integration as the top barrier to scaling voluntary carbon market participation. Another 40% identify government policy uncertainty as a limiting factor. SE Advisory warns that without clear frameworks linking voluntary action to compliance systems, investment flows could stall despite high corporate appetite.
“Corporate leaders are confident in today’s quality infrastructure but need clear guidance on how voluntary carbon credits complement compliance systems,” said William Theisen, Commercial Director for Nature & Technology-Based Solutions at SE Advisory Services. “The next step is to create transparent pathways between voluntary and regulatory frameworks.”
With COP30 in Belém approaching, Theisen added, governments and standard-setters have an opportunity to define mechanisms that mobilize private capital at the scale required by climate science.
Carbon Pricing Systems Expanding Globally
The report notes that 37 jurisdictions now integrate carbon crediting or pricing systems into national policy, reinforcing the role of carbon markets in both corporate and governmental decarbonization strategies. New governmental coalitions have also emerged in 2025 to harmonize voluntary market standards and strengthen high-integrity credit mechanisms.
SE Advisory concludes that aligning governments, investors, and standard-setters around transparent, interoperable systems will be essential to unlock private capital for large-scale climate impact. Such alignment could bridge the gap between growing corporate confidence and the financing needed to deliver global net-zero goals.
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