Countries endorse new multilateral coalition on compliance carbon markets at COP30

On 7 November 2025, during COP30 in Belém, governments adopted the Declaration on the Open Coalition on Compliance Carbon Markets. Developed under the leadership of Brazil, with close engagement from several partners, the Coalition is a voluntary initiative intended to strengthen cooperation on regulated carbon markets worldwide. 

The creation of the Open Coalition reflects growing interest in the interaction between compliance carbon markets, international trade, and economic development. Participation in the Open Coalition is voluntary and remains open to all interested countries. By the 15 November Ministerial Roundtable convened in Belém, the Declaration had been endorsed by 17 countries and the European Union. Current participants include Brazil, China, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Chile, Germany, Mexico, Armenia, Zambia, France, Rwanda, Andorra, Guinea, New Zealand, Monaco, Singapore, and Norway. 

According to the Declaration, the Open Coalition:

• Is a collaborative, multilateral initiative focused on the exchange of experiences on carbon pricing mechanisms, Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems, carbon accounting methodologies, and rules for the potential use of high-integrity credits, when applicable.
• Aims to implement ambition, effectiveness, and fairness (“ambição, efetividade e equidade”) in regulated carbon markets as public policy instruments to achieve Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, while preserving environmental integrity and enabling just transitions.
• Will focus on advancing climate action by offering a structure through which members may explore opportunities for coordination in the development and enhancement of regulated carbon markets, consistent with Paris Agreement goals and considering different national circumstances.
• May serve as a platform for countries to share experiences and learn from each other on regulated carbon market development and carbon pricing policies, including supporting developing countries in strengthening relevant capacities.
• Will explore options to promote long-term interoperability of regulated carbon markets.
• Will adopt an inclusive and technologically neutral approach, encourage knowledge exchange and explore opportunities for practical collaboration that improve the cost-effectiveness of regulated carbon markets.
• Will seek broad participation and work in a manner complementary to other multilateral climate initiatives, with participants exploring relevant synergies.

Work under the Coalition forms part of a broader ecosystem of international initiatives that bring governments together to strengthen carbon pricing cooperation and facilitate the exchange of technical experience. Among these, the Global Carbon Pricing Challenge (GCPC), launched in 2021, includes 17 partner national governments and the EU, working to advance robust and ambitious carbon pricing efforts. The Carbon Pricing in the Americas (CPA), created under the 2017 Paris Declaration, brings together 19 national and subnational jurisdictions across the region to support cooperation and alignment on carbon pricing. The Carbon Market Platform (CMP), launched in 2015 under Germany's G7 presidency, brings together a diverse group of countries and organizations with the aim of strengthening international cooperation on developing effective, sustainable and ambitious carbon pricing approaches. ICAP, established in 2007, now comprises 35 members and 9 observers, providing a long-standing platform for jurisdictions to share best practices on ETSs, enhance comparability of system design, and explore opportunities for compatibility and potential linking.

Looking ahead, members of the Open Coalition are expected to continue the technical work initiated at COP30, including dialogues on MRV practices, carbon accounting methodologies, and the use of high-integrity credits, as highlighted during the ministerial discussions in Belém.