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Knowledge Hub

Carbon Glossary

Article 6 & International Market Mechanisms

What is Article 6 of the Paris Agreement?
What is the Article 6.4 mechanism?
What is the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)?
What are ITMOs?
What is a corresponding adjustment?
What is a host country letter of authorization (LoA)?

Carbon Pricing Mechanisms

What is a cap-and-trade system?
What is a carbon tax?
What is the EU ETS?
What are EUAs?
What is the difference between a carbon credit and an EUA?

Carbon Markets: Overview and Types

What are carbon markets?
What is the voluntary carbon market (VCM)?
What are compliance-grade carbon credits?
What is the carbon market's role in net-zero?
What is carbon market liquidity?

Carbon Credits and Offsetting Concepts

What are carbon credits?
What is carbon offsetting?
What is carbon dioxide removal (CDR)?
What are carbon removals?
What are avoidance credits?
What is climate contribution vs. offsetting?

Credit Integrity and Quality Principles

What is additionality in carbon projects?
What is permanence in carbon offsets?
What is permanence risk in nature-based credits?
What is leakage in carbon markets?
What is double counting in carbon markets?
What is buffer pooling in carbon projects?
What is buffer pool capitalization?
What are carbon credit ratings?
What is vintage mismatch in offsetting?
What is a vintage in carbon credits?
What is the carbon removal hierarchy?

Carbon Credit Systems & Registries

What is a carbon registry?
How do carbon credits get verified?
What is a carbon credit retirement?
What is a monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) system?
What is a carbon project baseline?
What is project stacking in carbon markets?
What are cookstove carbon credits?
What are co-benefits in carbon projects?

Emissions Accounting and Scope

What is Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions?
What are residual emissions?
What is lifecycle emissions accounting?

Global Oversight and Reviews

What is the Global Stocktake?
What is the UNFCCC?
What is the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF)?

Instruments Beyond Carbon Credits

What are Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs)?
What are RECs, GOs, and I-RECs?
What is insetting?

Market Infrastructure and Roles

What is a carbon market intermediary?
What is over-the-counter (OTC) carbon trading?
What is credit aggregation?

Project Types and Nature-Based Approaches

What are nature-based solutions (NbS)?
What is regenerative agriculture?
What is community-based carbon project design?

Standards, Governance, and Integrity Initiatives

What is the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM)?
What are the Core Carbon Principles (CCPs)?
What is the Voluntary Carbon Market Integrity Initiative (VCMI)?
Who are Verra and Gold Standard?

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