Canopy Insights
At Canopy, every strategic decision is grounded in rigorous analysis. Canopy Insights is our dedicated platform for publishing thought leadership, field research, and market intelligence—distilling complex dynamics across carbon markets, standards, and project design. We believe that excellence begins with clarity, and that deep understanding is a cornerstone of lasting credibility and meaningful impact.
This paper reframes carbon offsets not merely as a compensatory tool, but as a strategic enabler within global decarbonisation pathways. It explores how offsets support hard-to-abate sectors, accelerate finance towards climate-positive projects, and serve as an essential bridge while systemic emissions reductions catch up to net zero targets. The paper makes the case that when designed with integrity, carbon offsets are not a concession—but a climate necessity.
Beyond Emissions Reduction: The Strategic Case for Carbon Offsets
This paper begins by examining the aviation sector’s growing emissions trajectory and its designation as a hard-to-abate industry. It explores the underlying technical constraints of aircraft propulsion, highlighting why electrification remains a major technological and regulatory hurdle. The paper concludes with an overview of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), explaining how the framework currently serves as the primary mechanism to manage aviation-related emissions at scale.
Profiling Aviation Emissions: Sector Footprint & CORSIA Framework
This paper traces the historical evolution of the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) through its distinct growth, contraction, and recalibration cycles. It unpacks the market’s early boom, the credibility crises that followed, and the ongoing efforts to restore trust through frameworks like ICVCM and VCMI. By analysing the market’s structural shifts and maturing expectations, the paper positions today’s recalibration phase as a critical juncture in the VCM’s long-term institutionalisation.
Carbon Market Cycles: Tracing the VCM's Evolution
