The carbon market entered 2026 on a positive note; lower volumes but rising values, signaling a market that is continuing to consolidate around quality rather than scale. CEEZER's review of the Q1 2026 carbon market explores the key dynamics shaping the market today and features a deep dive into ICVCM's Core Carbon Principles, and what they mean for buyers in practice.

Key topics covered in this review:

1. The persistent shift towards quality, shown through issuance and retirement volume and value trends
2. The role of the ICVCM's Core Carbon Principles as a quality benchmark, and their limitations
3. The impact of the quality premium on CDR: Record demand, tightening supply, and what that means for your portfolio
4. How buyer behavior is reacting to the quality premium, including how experienced buyers are structuring contracts and what's holding others back
5. Price trends across both removal and avoidance credits

You can access CEEZER's in-depth quarterly through this link.