Mark Carney: Offset market is not functioning—CeraWeek
Former BoE governor says ‘tiny’ offset market could play more influential role
Reform of the carbon offset market is required to accelerate the energy transition, UN special envoy for climate action & finance Mark Carney said on a panel discussion at CeraWeek yesterday. The former Bank of England governor asserted that the carbon offset market was too small and improperly managed to have a noticeable impact. In particular, he criticised the inconsistency in the way carbon offset credits were used to incentivise companies. “This market is estimated to be something like $350mn a year, so it is tiny,” said Carney, who is also finance adviser to UK prime minister Boris Johnson for Cop26. “It is fragmented. Sometimes it will cost 10¢/t, other times $70/t. And there is a
Also in this section
9 January 2026
A shift in perspective is needed on the carbon challenge, the success of which will determine the speed and extent of emissions cuts and how industries adapt to the new environment
2 January 2026
This year may be a defining one for carbon capture, utilisation and storage in the US, despite the institutional uncertainty
23 December 2025
Legislative reform in Germany sets the stage for commercial carbon capture and transport at a national level, while the UK has already seen financial close on major CCS clusters
15 December 2025
Net zero is not the problem for the UK’s power system. The real issue is with an outdated market design in desperate need of modernisation






