Dozens of carbon project developers are calling for major reforms to the complaints procedures used by registries in the voluntary carbon market (VCM), Reuters reported on Monday.
They argue that the current systems unfairly damage the credibility of legitimate projects and delay essential climate funding.
The VCM allows companies to offset their emissions by purchasing carbon credits. However, it has faced increasing criticism from environmental groups, who claim many of these credits are “junk” and enable corporate “greenwashing.”
The Project Developer Forum (PD Forum), representing over 60 carbon initiatives globally—from Kenya to Singapore, says the current complaints process lacks fairness, since projects are often suspended publicly before developers have a chance to respond.
“Integrity is non-negotiable, but how we surface and respond to allegations matters just as much,” Nick Marshall, chair of the PD Forum, was quoted as saying by Reuters.
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Marshall also noted that some bad actors have tarnished the sector’s image. Meanwhile, developers with knowledge of wrongdoing are hesitant to come forward due to weak whistleblower protections.
The PD Forum is urging Verra—a leading U.S.-based registry—to introduce a secure, anonymous submission system on its website to address this.
In response, Verra told Reuters that it already has a robust complaints process in place since early 2024, which it says addresses the forum’s concerns.
Tensions have risen in the sector after high-profile cases such as Verra’s rejection of 37 rice cultivation projects in China last year, following a quality control review.
Developers argue that while accountability is essential, the current approach is hindering environmental progress by discouraging investment and collaboration.
The debate highlights the need to balance market integrity with fair treatment of project developers—many of whom operate in regions heavily reliant on climate finance.
