Set sail: Using carbon credits to navigate the climate crisis in 2025

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© John Birchard.

Jen Stebbing
Climate and Nature Communications Consultant

Jen Stebbing writes about market-based solutions, nature tech, biodiversity markets, Indigenous peoples, natural capital investment, and nature advocacy.

Imagine you’re stranded on a desert island. You need to get off — urgently. There’s driftwood and rope scattered around, and while you know a modern yacht would be ideal, you don’t have time to wait for one to arrive. So, you get to work. You build the best raft you can with the materials at hand, knowing it’s not perfect, but it will get you moving toward rescue.

This is where we are in the effort to tackle climate change as we enter 2025. The climate crisis isn’t waiting, and neither can we. Nature-based solutions (NbS) and high-integrity carbon credits are among the driftwood and rope we have right now. They’re ready, available, and they work. We need to use them while we continue to build other craft  — technological solutions and deeper decarbonisation — for the long journey ahead.

Pragmatism over perfection

In 2025, let’s focus on building the best boat we can, not critiquing the driftwood. The voluntary carbon market (VCM) isn’t perfect, but it’s a pragmatic, immediate tool that can help us act now. Companies that invest in high-quality carbon credits are already moving faster toward decarbonisation than those who aren’t. They’re 1.8 times more likely to reduce their emissions year-over-year and 3.4 times more likely to have ambitious, science-based targets.

We can’t afford to let either/or narratives stall progress. It’s not about choosing between reducing emissions or investing in carbon credits — it’s about doing both. We need to reduce emissions within value chains and invest in beyond-value-chain solutions to balance our carbon books. Waiting for the perfect solution means staying stranded while the climate crisis worsens. 

A new norm by 2030

By 2030, we need a new norm: companies balancing their carbon books by matching unavoidable emissions with investments in high-integrity carbon credits. This isn’t just responsible — it’s smart. As regulations tighten, those acting now will be ready when voluntary action becomes mandatory.

Instead of criticising the companies building their rafts and pushing off, we should ask: Why are others still doing nothing? The real leaders are those using the available tools to act responsibly and transparently.

Carbon finance for the Global South

Clearly, we must make sure that the VCM is not a vehicle for greenwashing; but rather, a means of supporting the most ambitious action possible, in line with the mitigation hierarchy. When done right, this isn’t just a tool for corporate climate action, it’s a lifeline for communities in the Global South. Properly functioning carbon markets can unlock billions in funding to protect forests, support Indigenous peoples and local communities, and enable sustainable development. Traditional climate finance has been slow to arrive and often falls short. In contrast, carbon finance can reach those who need it today, on their terms.

A hopeful look forward

In 2025, let’s stop tearing apart the driftwood we have and support those who are focused on building the best boat we can. The climate crisis demands pragmatism, collaboration, and a commitment to finding common ground. Nature-based solutions and high-integrity carbon credits certainly aren’t the only resources at our disposal, but, equally, they can help us move in the right direction. 

We’re not stranded — but only if we start building and set sail with the boat we have, not the perfect one we wish for.

 


Want to dive deeper into the role of REDD+ (first protection) in navigating the climate crisis? Join our webinar on 23rd January to explore how pricing, Article 6, and the ICVCM’s recent decisions could shape the future of carbon finance. Don’t miss this chance to engage with leading experts and ask your questions.