Carbon Markets

Building on sound carbon accounting, SFI researchers are developing new insights and solutions to address pressing challenges in carbon markets. Our work investigates questions like: what is tradeable property, and to whom does it belong? Structuring effective carbon markets will require advances in carbon accounting, the science and technology of carbon measurement, legal and regulatory pathways, and market structures. Multiple global task forces have been charged with bringing integrity to carbon markets, SFI’s work aims to achieve this Holy Grail of integrity through purpose-built structures that more closely resemble existing commodities and trading markets.  

Thomas Heller, Marc Roston and Alicia Seiger launched a Spring 2023 Stanford Law School policy practicum to engage students in their effort to structure effective carbon markets. Outputs from the quarter might help inform the design of a Stanford Carbon Markets Center. In addition, SFI is supporting the Stanford Doerr School for Sustainability (SDSS) Accelerator’s first Flagship Destination project focused on carbon removal by contributing ideas for finance and market structures to the project’s first white paper.