After a sharp decline in Q1 2024, global ESG fund flows registered modest improvement in Q2, though U.S. ESG funds continue to experience outflows. As energy become a major national security theme for major economies, strong growth in clean energy investment is anticipated in 2024 and beyond, driven by national industrial policies such as the U.S. Inflation Act (IRA), the EU Green Deal and similar incentive schemes around the world.

Despite a decline in carbon credit issuance (supply) in 2022-23 as market standards took shape, carbon credit retirements (an indicator of demand) have remained broadly stable.

2024 is poised for strong growth in clean energy investment, with continued support from the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the EU Green Deal, and similar incentive schemes around the world.

Demand for voluntary carbon credits has continued to pick up in 2024, with year-to-date retirement levels reaching record highs. However, new supply has not kept pace issuance in voluntary carbon markets has remained on par with levels seen in 2022-23, well below the record high levels seen in 2021.

Global climate flows surpassed $2 trillion in 2023 up from $1.4 trillion in 2022. While still well short of the estimated $8.1 trillion annual pace needed to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the pickup reflects the strong growth in climate finance commitments in recent years.?.

Demand for voluntary carbon credits (VCC) reached an all-time high in December 2023, reflecting the exponential increase in corporate climate commitments. Under favorable market conditions, and as the policy drivers for a net-zero economy take shape, annual demand for retiring VCCs is projected to surpass $3 trillion by 2030 a sharp increase from less than $0.8 billion in 2023.

Global climate flows are on track to surpass $2 trillion in 2023 up from $1.4 trillion in 2022. While still well short of the estimated $8.6 trillion annual pace needed to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the pickup reflects the strong growth in climate finance commitments in recent years.

Voluntary carbon credit issuance and retirement have cooled significantly amidst integrity concerns, highlighting the need for private sector-led initiatives like the ICVCM Core Carbon Principles to be operationalized as soon as possible.

Rising global tensions and political divides could hinder multilateral efforts to achieve sustainable development goals. Global economic performance remains subdued, with significant regional disparities; a contributing factor has been the prolonged stagnation in global capital flows over the past 15 years amid post-financial crisis regulatory initiatives.

Voluntary carbon credit issuance picked up significantly in Q2 2023, as the ICVCM Core Carbon Principles and Assessment Framework were launched. Greater collaboration between the supply-side ICVCM and demand-side Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) will support market development and rapidly growth in demand as companies ramp up climate commitments.

Global climate flows surpassed $1.1 trillion in 2022 - up over 25% from $870 billion in 2021. However, this is still well short of what will be needed to achieve net-zero emissions. ESG stock and bond market performance improved in Q2 2023. Despite rapid growth, ESG integration in global debt markets is still at an early stage: just 6.1% of total debt issuance in Q2 2023 was ESG-linked.

Amid tighter monetary and financial market conditions, ESG fund flows remain subdued and volatile. After large outflows in March, April saw a slight recovery in investor appetite for ESG funds. However, outflows from emerging market ESG funds accelerated in April.

The voluntary carbon markets continue to gain momentum despite financial market volatility in recent months. The proliferation of net zero targets by large corporates remains the major driver of market expansion.

ESG fund flows have picked up, amid easier financial conditions and growing demand. Global climate flows surpassed $1.1 billion in 2022 - up over 25% from $870 billion in 2021. On average, ESG stocks and bonds are up by some 5% in 2023 ytd. Global sustainable/ESG debt issuance was down over 15% to $1.3 trillion in 2022, from $1.5 trillion in 2021. We project global ESG debt issuance to climb to $1.7 trillion in 2023 and near $2 trillion in 2024.

Progress by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (IC-VCM) and the release of the Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) will help address ongoing concerns about voluntary carbon credit quality a must to support market expansion; Greater price transparency will also help: in this first edition of our new Voluntary Carbon Markets Monitor, we introduce a registry transparency index to assess disclosure of the registries that track and validate the quality of carbon credit projects.

We are pleased to share the latest edition of our new quarterly chartbook, designed to monitor sustainable flows (to ESG funds, climate finance flows, and climate finance to emerging markets), ESG market development, the electric vehicle industry, and the evolution of the voluntary carbon market. The chartbook also includes our regular ESG Country Scorecard a useful indicator of progress in areas including carbon efficiency as well as broader environmental and social issues in emerging and frontier markets. We welcome your comments!.

Voluntary carbon markets (VCMs) are featuring prominently in discussions at COP27, as multiple initiatives are being launched to support their critical role in scaling up finance to emerging and developing economies.

Climate finance and ESG investing were top themes at our IIF Annual Membership Meeting and the IMF/WB Annuals; Energy security concerns, inflationary pressures and budget strains are jeopardizing timetables for climate goals.

Offset issuance in voluntary carbon markets has slowed this year amidst concerns over excess offset supply; Rising corporate net-zero pledges and technology advances (e.g. blockchain-based protocols) should support market growth, however, lack of price transparency and standardization remains a significant barrier for market growth; The finalized Article 6 Rulebook could spur efforts to integrate voluntary and compliance markets over time; Defining global threshold standards for high quality carbon credits should help bring greater price transparency and liquidity to voluntary carbon markets; A large share of carbon offset projects originates from emerging markets; pure removal-based offsets remain too scarce.

Against a challenging market backdrop, flows to ESG funds fell to just $75 billion in Q1 2022-a sharp slowdown from their recent pace. Inflows in March ($15 billion) were at their weakest since March 2020; Sustainable debt issuance dropped to $285 billion in Q1, down 30% from Q4 2021; However, investor demand will remain underpinned by the continued acceleration in corporate net-zero pledges.

Offset issuance in voluntary carbon markets declined sharply in Q1 2022-the slowest pace of issuance since Q3 2020. Most of the issuance came from China, the DRC, Indonesia, India, the U.S. and Turkey in Q1.

The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)-which would charge importers of steel, aluminum, and other inputs a tax equivalent to the EU’s domestic carbon price-calls for a gradual phase-in of reporting "embedded emissions"; From 2023, reporting on iron, steel, aluminum, fertilizer, electricity, and cement will take effect, and importers will start paying a tariff on these products from 2026; In 2020, the EU imported some $50 billion in "CBAM products" from countries outside of the EU Emissions Trading System; Russia, China, and Turkey export the most CBAM products to the EU; Italy and Germany are by far the largest importers.

The IIF Sustainable Finance Monitor covers key developments in the global sustainable finance agenda. In the December issue, we discuss the how a US framework for sustainable finance could take shape under a Democratic Administration. In addition, we share the latest policy and regulatory updates, an overview of open sustainable finance consultations, news on key initiatives, frameworks and tools, our ESG market snapshot, and a calendar SFWG activities in 2021.

The IIF Sustainable Finance Monitor covers key developments in the global sustainable finance agenda. In the October issue, we discuss the IIF's Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets and the transition to net zero emissions, share key updates on policy and regulatory developments, the latest on key initiatives, frameworks and tools, our ESG market snapshot, and SFWG activities and events.

Voluntary carbon offset (VCO) issuance has grown strongly in recent years, doubling in 2019 to nearly 130 MtCO2e; However, trading volumes have been subdued since peaking at 135 MtCO2e in 2008.

This IIF Staff Paper examines what the European Council will prioritize in the second half of this year. Although Berlin had drafted an ambitious program – transitioning to a greener economy, boosting digitalization, reforming migration policy and redefining the bloc’s relationship with the UK as well as China – the German Presidency will now instead prioritize tackling the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.