My first hours at COP30 have reinforced for me an essential truth: we need the carbon markets to raise finance for climate action, and we need more than ever to build trust and momentum in this source of much-needed finance through the delivery of real-world, high-integrity, development outcomes.  

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As ever, the Singapore Pavilion is hosting thought-provoking content and partnering with others to push the conversation forward, and the message today was unambiguous: carbon market finance should be a conduit for sustainable development, not an end in itself. At a moment when there is widespread concern about how we will raise enough capital to meet global climate goals, carbon markets can and should be part of the solution, unlocking real investment for real outcomes when designed with integrity and purpose.

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What stood out was the emphasis on co-benefits. Things like reforestation paired with clean cookstoves, women’s empowerment, economic development, and improved health and education outcomes. These aren’t simple collateral benefits; they are central to how carbon projects should be structured. In many cases, those co-benefits will outweigh the carbon value itself.

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There is a strong emphasis on government generating predictable, navigable frameworks.  

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One of the underlying questions affecting carbon markets is how we prevent intermediaries from extracting value, leaving project developers or communities behind? The best response I’ve heard so far came from GenZero, who said that robust disclosure and transparency are vital, but markets must also avoid penalising early participants unfairly. Buyers and sellers can’t be pitted against each other as the market evolves.

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In that same vein, cheap credits are not always the best credits. There is lots of talk during COP about how robust project design and verification create higher-integrity credits. If we want high-quality, scalable markets, integrity must command value.

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One of the most stirring events I attended was a side session on indigenous land rights. The energy in the room was electric: “we will defend each tree, each river.” This was intended as a practical commitment.  

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The policy discussion went deep into the practical foundations of forest protection, and there was a clear call to not only to halt deforestation, but to commit to restoring lands.  

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First-Day Takeaways

As COP30 unfolds, the themes of integrity, simplicity and inclusion will only grow more urgent. My first day at the conference showed that real progress happens where practical policy meets genuine political will.

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