We’re excited to announce that the Absolute Carbon Standard (ACS) has been released for public consultation.
The draft is open for public comment until January 24th, 2025. We’d value all feedback to ensure ACS meets the needs of the entire carbon removal ecosystem. Comments can be left directly on the document, or emailed to consultation@absoluteclimate.com. All comments will be addressed and publicly responded to by the Absolute Climate team.
The Absolute Carbon Standard is the first independent standard to define and assess carbon removal quality. It’s release is an important milestone for the entire carbon removal community.
The carbon removal market faces significant challenges today. A lack of standardization and independence has led to a system where credits are sold as fungible units, even when projects are evaluated using varying baselines, scopes, and criteria. Registries define quality while also issuing credits, creating incentives to prioritize volume over impact. The result? A low-trust market with unnecessary friction for Buyers and Project Developers alike.
The Absolute Carbon Standard changes this, by ensuring that project claims truly match their climate impacts. By separating standard-setting from credit issuance, ACS guarantees that quality is driven by outcomes, not market pressures. It applies a universal framework across all carbon removal pathways, enabling apples-to-apples comparisons between projects and creating a level playing field for all participants.
Why ACS Matters
- For Buyers: ACS delivers confidence and clarity that credit claims are defensible, reducing risks like greenwashing and simplifying diligence.
- For Project Developers: ACS’s consistent criteria allow you to differentiate your solution, making it easier to attract buyers and demonstrate your climate impact.
- For the Climate: ACS builds a future where credit claims always align with actual climate outcomes, driving strategic and impactful interventions in voluntary and compliance markets.
The Absolute Carbon Standard is a key piece of Absolute Climate’s mission to ensure that credit claims match climate impacts.
The draft of ACS that has been published for open comment can be found here.
