Blossoming out of South America, BioCarbon Registry (BCR) recently ‘rebranded’ from ProClima but only the name has changed. Runner up to Verra VCS in the 2021 Environmental Finance Awards for Best GHG program, BioCarbon Registry has developed and continues to develop project standards and methodologies for biodiversity and GHG projects which are committed to long term sustainability. Their standard is applicable to voluntary and regulated markets (in South America) and CTX’s cloud-based infrastructure is now electronically interfaced with BioCarbon Registry´s blockchain technology making it possible to buy their high-quality Verified Carbon Credits (VCCs) electronically 24/7, 365 days.
Buyers do not need a Registry account – CTX can initiate the retirement for you or your clients and issue certificates – however CTX members, who do wish to have a registry account will get a 50% discount on the Registry account fee, and BioCarbon Registry account holders get a 50% discount to join CTX using Promo Code Bio2022. BioCarbon Registry joins the elite list of five (5) global credit standards available on CTX, which we are hoping to expand to eight (8) by the end of the year. Project Developers / Credit owners, who are CTX members can now list their credits directly to CTX from their Registry account, and trades are fully electronic from there.
BCR´s methodologies allow GHG projects to issue Verified Carbon Credits (VCC’s) across a wide variety of sectors including Renewables, Energy, Waste, Transportation and AFOLU. BioCarbon Registry stands out for its commitment to highlighting project contributions to conservation, natural-based NbS solutions, restoration, and sustainable management of ecological and social systems. BioCarbon Registry has also developed tools that facilitate the recognition of alignment of BCR projects with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDS). With offices in South America and now Turkey, Biocarbon Registry has its sights set on projects across Europe and Asia. VISIT BIOCARBON REGISTRY
CTX and GEM Select the World’s Best
With over 12 years of global carbon market experience the team at CTX and its parent company Global Environmental Markets (GEM) have learned the hard way how to select the world’s best Credit Standards.
The GHG Program standard and protocols must respond to the criteria of the voluntary ‘OFFSET’ market, following principles of additionality, permanence, transparency, precision, and excellence.
Critically these Registries must be ‘owner operated’ by the Credit standard, and where possible underpinned by proven technical credibility and capability to electronically interface with CTX.
Having interfaced with over 20 Registries globally in the past decade, including the UNFCCC CDM Registry, GEM is a world leader – and despite having its own Registry technology for sale under license, GEM will only enter into contracts to interface with credible tech, ultra-high ethics and an impeccable market track record for issuance and retirement of credits as offsets. BioCarbon Registry joins the small but elite group of carbon standards who meet these criteria.
Free Lunch? There’s no such thing?!
It’s an old cliché but there is no such thing as a ‘free lunch’, and everyone who has ever travelled internationally knows that the FX booths at airports making those same claims are far from ‘free’. Recently some carbon trading platforms have offered ‘free’ memberships and/or ‘free fees’, but in many cases, fees are embedded into the difference between the hybrid units and the price paid to the credit owners / developers, with some margins upwards of 30-50%. Can these companies really sustain the losses of tens or hundreds of millions of dollars? And if they can’t, how secure is your money or your credits?
With over 60 years combined experience operating B2B Exchanges profitably, the CTX Executive Directors know that if an exchange gives up its primary source of revenue – or pays more to clear and settle its trades than it earns (or both), it is not sustainable. And the way to build a successful exchange isn’t to pay non- income producing directors millions but to employ the best staff and build the best technology.
When you dine at the best restaurant you pay the bill with pleasure and keep going back. And you probably tip the staff, not ask them to take a pay cut. CTX isn’t perfect, but we will always strive to be the BEST – and we appreciate the support we get worldwide. Our team value our clients above everything.
Global Strategic Growth continues – new Credit Standard and new offices.
As CTX expands we have now opened offices in India, hot on the heels of Santiago, Chile and Barcelona, Spain. With Germany and Asia to come, CTX is expanding slowly and steadily – and profitably. Being profitable is crucial to our sustainability to keep providing the same service to you that we have for over a decade.
With our expansion comes promotion for two of our team members. Our congratulations to Valentina Kasyanenko, who has now become Global Head of Trading and Client Services and Mano Lavan, recently promoted to Global Head of Sales.
Mano has also been busy explaining the importance of carbon offsetting to the world, participating in a podcast: Green Matters – Decoding the decarbonisation puzzle, which makes for interesting listening.
GEM and CTX are in negotiations with 2 more credit standards and 2 new trading platforms to act as strategic ‘resellers’ from the CTX global wholesale electronic market. Despite having the technology to provide commoditised trades and/or create a ‘hybrid’ unit, CTX has been unable to see the actual benefits to projects. The exchange margins are significant, and the buyer does not know what they are going to get – so it’s like a negative ‘box of chocolates’ for buyers. And the real question is – who are the end buyers?
Market Softened - and no one at CTX is surprised
As predicted in our last newsletter the Voluntary market has softened and volumes and prices have dropped by 10-20%, or more in some sectors. The concept of ‘endless increases’ by those trading futures contracts was always unrealistic, but as some supply has been withheld to try to maximise Institutional (banks) profits, or because of implications of huge returns for projects, the spin doctors haven’t really materialised those results. But now demand has rapidly picked back up on CTX – because our buyers are either end buyers (to actually offset) or Brokers/Resellers whose clients are offsetting.
CTX client funds on account have doubled in the past 30 days – now is the time to list!
International Carbon Registry (ICR)
China, Turkey, India and Brazil – ICR is set to issue a huge range of new credits in the coming weeks and months, all of which are expected to be listed on CTX. Having applied for CORSIA accreditation and with a new Verification ew credit standard to be using GEM’s National ICR is the first n .things across Asia look set to boom China‘partner’ in Carbon Meta-Registry technology which comes electronically interfaced with CTX. For the next 3 months ICR and CTX are offering a 2:4:1 deal with CTX members getting a 50% discount on ICR account opening fees and ICR projects getting a 50% discount on CTX membership fees using the CODE: ICR 2022
New Trading Features on CTX – GS PER
Members will see a range of exciting new features released to the live Exchange platform in the coming weeks. The latest upgrade includes over 40 updates/changes from admin to users and offers some exciting trade opportunities. One of these is the introduction of live trade for Gold Standard PERs (Pending Emissions Reductions), flowing on from the much-requested contract for forward purchases. CTX has done multiple direct forward purchase OTC/Exchange contracts, some multi party. A CTX electronic version of this is expected soon.
The Cowboys are back in force
Sadly, the recent massive and much publicised resurgence of the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) has given rise to a parallel uptick in fraudulent ‘credits’, and the surge appears to be mainly in the UK and USA. Both countries have been conspicuously absent from the VCM major credit standards in recent years, and as sure as night follows day relentless promotion of ‘Price Increases’ for Hybrid units – not directly linked to specific credits – has led to the creation of some very creative fraudulent documents with large scale ‘fake credits’ using bogus supporting documentation – in some cases even registries that LOOK like the real thing. This can’t happen on CTX, but we are disturbed that the extraction of massive volumes of credits by large institutional investors (the same ones trading certain ‘futures contracts we suspect) means there has been a major shortage of supply. Inexperienced buyers or traders (even one ‘exchange’ we are aware of) have been increasingly tempted by the large volumes of cheap credits miraculously available (OTC of course). In summary if it isn’t or couldn’t be listed on CTX then ‘buyer beware’.
GEM - new Registry contract for African region Voluntary standard
The initial payment has been made and the Registry is expected to commence operations in Botswana in Q3 of 2022. This fabulous SME focused strategy will operate across the Southern African Development Community region (SADC) using GEMs Carbon Meta-Registries which is Paris Agreement compliant and can issue credits ranging from Voluntary to compliant to RECs to ITMOs’. GEM is also in advanced negotiations with multiple nations to deliver the technology as a National Carbon Registry.
Earth Day 22nd April 2022 CTX will support a Critical African Action Charity
mminent extinction, traditional conservation efforts have indisputably failed. The world now has a 10-year window to finally give wildlife the protection it deserves. National Park Rescue saves African National Parks on the brink of collapse using no-nonsense direct-action operations to restore effective law enforcement, shut down corruption and reconnect the surrounding communities, key to a park’s long-term survival.
On Earth Day until the end of May 2022 CTX will donate 5% of all transaction fees to our designated charity National Park Rescue – run by our CEOs long-time friend and former London City stockbroker Mark Hiley.
Please donate directly and get behind this incredible project and help save Africa’s unique wildlife from poaching and pending extinction.
