WWF Network Position on Carbon Finance
In a recent paper WWF outlines its position on carbon finance, a form of climate finance supporting measurable greenhouse gas emission reductions or removals. WWF’s approach encourages companies to move beyond a narrow focus on their emissions and significantly contribute to global climate action.
Companies should prioritize reducing value-chain emissions while also investing in broader climate action that benefit nature and people. For their Beyond Value Chain Mitigation (BVCM), WWF recommends setting a carbon fee on residual emissions reflecting social and environmental impacts. These funds should support BVCM portfolios, with transparent contribution claims (e.g., “Our support removes X tCO2-eq annually, benefiting Y families”.
WWF supports targeted use of carbon credits to neutralize residual emissions and fund BVCM portfolios, emphasizing separate accounting and reporting of purchased credits. Safeguards must ensure credit quality and prevent double counting. WWF will not engage in trading carbon credits on open markets unless buyers are independently verified and credits are retired upon sale.
