Environmental NGOs Outline Safeguards for EU's Potential Use of International Carbon Credits Toward 2040 Climate Target
The Nature Conservancy and Environmental Defense Fund publish a new paper on importing international carbon credits in the EU.
The European Commission has just closed the consultation on the future framework on international credits and is expected to publish a proposal in the autumn. As the European Union considers how international carbon credits could contribute to its 2040 climate target, Environmental Defense Fund and The Nature Conservancy are releasing new analyses on what it would take to design a credible system for their potential use.
The paper, International Credits in the EU: Credit Quality Criteria and Implications for the EU’s Purchasing Strategy, co-authored by Environmental Defense Fund and The Nature Conservancy, examines how the EU could define, assess and safeguard credit quality while building on existing international standards and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
Istvan Bart, Senior Director, Carbon Pricing, Environmental Defense Fund, said:
“The EU does not need to reinvent the wheel on carbon credit quality. By setting clear eligibility principles and building from credible, third-party integrity frameworks – like Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and the Integrity Council’s Core Carbon Principles – the EU could help align the market around quality standards.”
Rebecca Humphries, Head of Climate Policy Europe, The Nature Conservancy, said:
“Delivering the 2040 climate target requires the EU to make coordinated, forward‑looking policy choices. A robust international carbon‑credit framework should raise climate ambition, create biodiversity and socio‑economic benefits in partner countries, strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and reinforce broader strategic objectives.
That means eligibility rules grounded in existing best‑practice standards, scaling up nature‑based solutions today while advancing removal technologies to build a resilient portfolio for the future.”
The paper underscores that if international credits are used, they will need to be designed into the EU’s climate framework with clear rules, credible governance and strong quality safeguards. The EU’s choices in the coming years could shape not only its own 2040 implementation pathway, but also the standards and market signals that influence international carbon markets more broadly.
The paper is a part of EDF’s broader series ‘Importing carbon international credits to the EU: How to make it work?’. More information is available here.
EDF and TNC will also co-host a webinar on May 28, 2026, to discuss the role of international credits in the EU’s 2040 climate target and the design choices explored in the paper. Register here.
About EDF:
With more than 3 million members, the Environmental Defense Fund creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. To do so, EDF links science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to turn solutions into action.
International credits in the EU: Credit quality criteria and implications for the EU's purchasing strategy
This paper outlines the credit criteria and purchasing strategy implications that the EU should consider when making use of the option to import international credits. It is one of a series of papers covering various aspects of the EU’s international credit purchase policy.
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more resilient. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 83 countries and territories (39 by direct conservation impact and 44 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. For more news, visit our newsroom or follow The Nature Conservancy on LinkedIn.