France has launched a groundbreaking corporate charter that sets global standards for transparent and credible carbon credit use in line with the Paris Agreement’s Article 6.4, ESG News reported on Monday.
The Coalition for Paris-Aligned and High-Integrity Use of Carbon Credits aims to ensure that companies prioritize real emissions reductions and only use carbon credits as a supplement within a validated Net Zero strategy.
Unveiled by Agnès Pannier-Runacher, France’s Minister of Ecological Transition, the charter marks a major step following COP29, where global consensus was reached on rigorous standards for carbon credit validation.
Seventeen companies, including Schneider Electric (EPA: SU), Capgemini (EPA: CAP), Beko, and FDJ United (EPA: FDJU), have already signed the pledge.
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The coalition has two key corporate commitments: Decarbonization First and High-Integrity Credits Only.
This means that companies must reduce emissions through time-bound Net Zero pathways, backed by independent verification and comprehensive emissions reporting.
In addition, they must use credits aligned with Article 6.4 and the Core Carbon Principles by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market.
The charter also ensures that a portion of carbon credit financing supports climate adaptation in vulnerable developing nations and small island states.
Schneider Electric executives praised the initiative at the ChangeNOW Summit, held on 24-25-26 April in Paris, stressing that carbon credits should accelerate—not replace—operational emission cuts, according to ESG News.
They emphasized that credits must meet strict quality standards and deliver measurable social and environmental benefits.
The charter supports a dual approach to climate action: using both avoidance/reduction credits and removal credits to meet global climate goals.
The full text of the pledge is available here.
