Energy Transition, Emissions, Carbon
May 05, 2025
Platts to launch new regional VCM assessments for Asia, Americas
Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, will launch new voluntary carbon market assessments to reflect regional liquidity in the Asia and Americas carbon segments, effective June 2, 2025.
Platts recognizes the continuing relevance of geography in determining the value of voluntary carbon credits and the growing market appetite to understand the value of credits from specific project types within a specific region.
Platts will launch the following assessments:
Biochar, India
To reflect growing liquidity in Asia for biochar projects, Platts will launch an assessment that reflects the value of biochar credits issued from projects in India, for which there is a growing spot market.
This assessment will reflect the most competitive of the most fungible carbon credits, issued by biochar projects in India. The specifications are as follows:
| Specifications | Biochar, India |
| Volume | 500-10,000 mtCO2e |
| Standards | Puro.Earth , Isometric |
| Vintage | Vintages of the last five years, including current year, which will roll on the first business day of Q3. For example, for assessments on July 1, 2025, Platts will reflect credits with vintages from 2021 to 2025. |
| Co-benefits | N/A |
| Geography | India |
| Delivery | Current Year |
| Reference Basis | Puro.Earth -certified industrial Biochar projects in India |
| Time Stamp | 17:30 Singapore time |
In light of market feedback, the assessment will reflect a maximum volume of 10,000 mtCO2e, down from the previously proposed maximum of 30,000 mtCO2e.
The assessment will follow the Platts APAC Carbon Pricing Holiday calendar and be published in $/mtCO2e.
Nature-Based Avoidance, South America
To reflect the growing liquidity in South America-based projects, Platts will launch a South American Nature-Based Avoidance price assessment.
The assessment will reflect the most competitive of the most fungible carbon credits issued by nature-based avoidance projects that avoid GHG emissions.
The specifications are as follows:
| Specifications | Nature-Based Avoidance, South America |
| Volume | 5,000–50,000 mtCO2e |
| Standards | VCS, Biocarbon, Cercarbono |
| Vintage | Vintages of the last five years, including the current year, which will roll on the first business day of Q3. For example, for assessments on July 1, 2025, Platts will reflect credits with vintages from 2021 to 2025. |
| Co-benefits | N/A |
| Geography | Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru |
| Delivery | Current Year |
| Reference Basis | VCS certified REDD+ projects in Brazil |
| Time Stamp | 14:30 EST |
The assessment will follow the Platts US Pricing Holiday calendar and be published in $/mtCO2e.
The new assessments were first proposed on April 4 in a subscriber note available here: https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/pricing-benchmarks/our-methodology/subscriber-notes/040425-platts-proposes-to-launch-new-regional-vcm-assessments-for-asia-americas(opens in a new tab)
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