Countries issue joint Antalya Statement at COP31 on policy implementation to grow international carbon credit markets

The Statement unites countries behind the importance of carbon credit markets in delivering private sector finance for climate action.

ANTALYA, TURKEY, November 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Ministers and Climate Envoys at the UN COP31 climate talks in Türkiye have signed the Antalya Statement, highlighting the role of policy implementation to grow private sector investment in international carbon credit markets.

The statement, issued by The Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets and signed by 14 countries including Canada, France, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Luxembourg, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Türkiye, UK, and Zambia, demonstrates growing international consensus behind the role of carbon credit markets.

In the statement, signatories said carbon credit markets “play an important role in directing capital to climate action and climate-positive growth,” adding “what matters now is implementation.”

The Antalya Statement marked the launch of a Policy Playbook, which sets out eight effective policy levers governments can use to grow corporate demand for high-integrity carbon credits.

The joint statement demonstrates rising political support for leveraging the potential of carbon credit markets to mobilise billions in finance for climate action by 2035, a significant focus of this year’s UN climate talks in Antalya. Recent analysis has shown that supportive government policy could help grow demand for carbon credits and quadruple the current value of the market to US$21 billion by 2035.

“The Antalya Statement is a clear recognition of the important role of carbon credit markets in supporting the climate finance architecture,” said H.E. Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change of the Republic of Türkiye.

“Globally aligned, high-integrity carbon credit markets support the achievement of climate goals and the implementation of COP31 priorities, including the Climate Implementation Bridge goal, which aims to scale up climate investment delivered on the ground.”

The Playbook, released by The Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets at the Singapore Pavilion in Antalya, will support countries to grow demand for carbon credits, foster international consistency across policy approaches, and incentivise businesses to invest. In the Antalya Statement, signatories described the Playbook as “a vital tool for government climate action”.

The policy levers outlined in the playbook will help guide the national efforts of governments, providing investors, buyers and other carbon credit market actors with the direction needed to accelerate purchases and grow the market. It will help ensure that policies are locally anchored to support delivery of domestic objectives, while supporting globally connected markets.

Meanwhile, Dr Mohamed Farid Saleh, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, announced Egypt will join the Coalition, and Darragh O’Brien, Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, announced Ireland will also join, becoming the 15th and 16th members. The Coalition has tripled its membership since launching in June 2025.

In a foreword to the Playbook, the climate envoys of Kenya, Singapore and the UK, Co-Chairs of the Coalition, said the Playbook marks "the beginning of a new phase of policy implementation” to unlock the full potential of carbon credit markets to deliver finance for climate action. They highlighted the need to leverage high-integrity carbon credit markets “to the greatest extent possible” amid intensifying climate impacts and “a more complex and uncertain global context”.

Alongside signing the statement, the UK announced it is publishing its response to the Voluntary Carbon and Nature Markets consultation. It will issue market guidance for UK organisations in spring 2027, recognise the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism and ICVCM's Core Carbon Principles as the key global integrity benchmarks, and add a new $1m CORSIA access programme to its extensive carbon markets support portfolio.

“Across the world, families have lost loved ones and communities have been displaced by extreme weather caused by the climate crisis. We need international climate action now,” said Katie White, UK Minister for Climate Transition.

“That is why I am endorsing the Antalya Statement and the Policy Playbook to accelerate demand for high-integrity carbon markets and unlock vital finance for climate action. The UK is playing its part, with new support and forthcoming guidance to help these markets grow with integrity and deliver real impact.”

The development of the Playbook responds to calls from businesses for greater clarity, consistent guidelines and transparency from governments regarding the corporate use of carbon credits, building on the Shared Principles issued by the Coalition at COP30 last year.

Representatives of organisations that support corporate climate transitions also welcomed the Playbook and Antalya Statement as a concrete response to calls for greater consistency and clarity on private sector engagement with carbon credit markets.

“Companies want to use high-integrity carbon credits as part of credible climate strategies, but they need clear rules to invest with confidence. WBCSD welcomes this Playbook as a practical guide for governments to establish those rules,” said Peter Bakker, President and CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, a CEO-led network of more than 200 leading companies working to accelerate the sustainable economy transition.

“The priority now is implementation: governments must translate this guidance into domestic policies that provide companies the certainty and incentives they need to invest.”

“The development of carbon markets is essential to meeting international climate objectives. While the priority is for companies to reduce their own carbon footprints, they can also make very useful contributions through the purchase of high integrity carbon credits, as part of a holistic carbon strategy,” said David Kennedy, CEO of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which develops standards for companies setting emissions reduction targets worldwide.

“This is recognised by governments around the world through The Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets, which encourages companies to invest in high-integrity carbon credits, and commits to accelerating supportive policy environments.”

Ministers are due to convene at a roundtable hosted by the Coalition and with the support of the Türkiye COP31 Presidency on Monday, November 16 to deepen international cooperation to grow carbon credit markets.

The Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets will continue to advance policy development and implementation to drive demand for high-integrity carbon credits in 2027. Further technical guidance, building on the levers in the Policy Playbook, will support countries to drive forward policy implementation.

Donna Bowater
Marchmont Communications
donna@marchmontcomms.com