SmarterMarkets™ Carbon Frontiers 2025 Episode 4 | Rene Velasquez, Managing Partner, Valitera
4 snips
Mar 1, 2025 
Rene Velasquez, Managing Partner at Valitera, shares his extensive expertise in carbon markets. He discusses the contrasting states of compliance and voluntary markets, detailing ongoing challenges and fresh opportunities. Rene highlights the crucial need for integrity in carbon finance and the impact of recent corporate withdrawals. The conversation also dives into the intersection of AI and climate action, emphasizing both its potential and concerns. He encourages young innovators to engage passionately in developing climate solutions for a sustainable future.
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Carbon Market State
- The carbon market is in a transition phase, with compliance markets growing steadily.
- Voluntary markets face turbulence but are improving integrity and scaling.
Reckoning in Voluntary Carbon Markets
- The voluntary carbon market has undergone a reckoning, improving integrity and transparency.
- This reckoning has been driven by concerns about over-crediting, especially in nature-based solutions.
Debate on SBTI and Carbon Credits
- Rene Velasquez disagrees with SBTI's ideological stance against carbon credits, advocating for market-based approaches.
- He raises concerns about companies abandoning SBTI targets due to the difficulty of decarbonizing without market mechanisms.