Indicators for the Promotion of Sustainable Development in Carbon Market

This report by the NewClimate Institute examines methods for implementing sustainable development impact assessments within climate change mitigation mechanisms, specifically focusing on project-level indicators for monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) in voluntary and mandatory carbon markets.

• The report argues that the complexity, rigour, and granularity of sustainable development assessments should not be generalized but should instead be based on the program's rationale, the intended use of results, and the potential commodification of outcomes. While more rigorous approaches can improve the understanding of project impacts, they may also introduce unnecessary transaction costs.
• To reduce complexity and transaction costs while maintaining reliable assessments, the report suggests providing flexibility in MRV approaches and linking indicators to accessible data sources and internationally accepted benchmarks. It also provides a criteria-based checklist to help formulate objective and comparable indicators.
• Regarding the prevention of negative impacts, the report concludes that while pre-defined indicators are useful, they are insufficient on their own; grievance mechanisms and stakeholder consultation are essential for identifying and addressing unforeseen negative effects.

APA

NewClimate Institute (2020). Indicators for the Promotion of Sustainable Development in Carbon Market. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/indicators-for-the-promotion-of-sustainable-development-in-carbon-market

Chicago

NewClimate Institute. Indicators for the Promotion of Sustainable Development in Carbon Market. 2020. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/indicators-for-the-promotion-of-sustainable-development-in-carbon-market.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=NewClimate Institute |title=Indicators for the Promotion of Sustainable Development in Carbon Market |date=3 December 2020 |url=http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/indicators-for-the-promotion-of-sustainable-development-in-carbon-market |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{newclimateinstitute2020indicators, author = {{NewClimate Institute}}, title = {{Indicators for the Promotion of Sustainable Development in Carbon Market}}, institution = {NewClimate Institute}, year = {2020}, month = dec, url = {http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/indicators-for-the-promotion-of-sustainable-development-in-carbon-market}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }