Global Knowledge Forum 2026
on Carbon Pricing & Markets
Country Insights. Collaborative Solutions. Development Impact.
Countries are advancing carbon pricing and carbon markets in a context shaped by fiscal pressures, energy considerations, competitiveness concerns, and the need to mobilize investment and jobs. Many have moved into design and early implementation and are now facing more concrete policy choices and trade-offs. These include how to maintain policies that are workable in domestic contexts, manage competitiveness and economic impacts, and, where relevant, align approaches across countries and systems.
The Global Knowledge Forum on Carbon Pricing and Markets is a working platform for countries to exchange experience and focus on implementation as they progress and as the broader landscape evolves. Its objective is to help countries move forward in a practical way, by clarifying choices and identifying next steps. It brings together policymakers, their partners, and key stakeholders to discuss how they design instruments and address implementation constraints in practice.
The Forum is convened by the World Bank Group with support from the Partnership for Market Implementation (PMI) and carbon funds including the Transformative Carbon Asset Facility (TCAF), the Carbon Initiative for Development (Ci-Dev), the BioCarbon Fund Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes (ISFL), and the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), together with critical contributions from a range of knowledge partners. These programs support countries across the carbon value chain, from policy development and implementation of carbon pricing to participation in carbon markets and transactions.
DAY 1
Advancing Carbon Pricing in a Challenging Global Context
Day 1 of the Forum will help countries to further the design and implementation of their domestic pricing systems. These discussions occur against a backdrop of uncertainty in energy markets and global trade which have implications for carbon pricing. The agenda will focus on global trends, policy design lessons, interoperable market infrastructure solutions, and responses to emerging Border Carbon Adjustments, and highlight practical analytical tools that support evidence-based decision making.
9:00 am
WELCOME
Senior representatives from the World Bank Group and Government of Singapore will welcome participants and set the stage for an interactive exchange of experiences among the growing PMI community.
9:30 am
A1. MIND THE GAPS. Understanding the country-level needs: Where are we now and where are the gaps?
An opportunity for country participants to connect with each other, to share information on progress and challenges in advancing carbon pricing and markets, and to identify priority needs. Key insights will be reported back to the broader forum to inform action and coordination across the partnership.
10:30 am
A2. PARTNERSHIPS. How is the PMI partnership helping?
In response to the ambitions expressed by country participants, this segment will position PMI within the broader context of current developments in carbon pricing and markets, highlight recent program progress, and describe the types of support countries can expect from the partnership.
11:00 am
A3. COUNTRY EXPERIENCE. Lessons from Designing New Generation of Carbon Pricing Instruments
Deep dive into the experiences of governments designing or operationalizing new carbon pricing instruments. Country representatives will unpack the strategic and technical design decisions they confronted—such as scope, coverage, price trajectories, allocation approaches, strategies for integrating offsets and interactions with other policies. The discussion will surface cross-cutting lessons and highlight design questions that client countries should plan to assess over the coming year as they advance or refine their own carbon pricing instruments.
12:00 pm
LUNCH BREAK
1:00 pm
A4. TRENDS. What global trends should be on our minds? Putting a price on carbon and enhancing climate action
Key developments have reshaped global carbon pricing over the past year, particularly the importance of fiscal sustainability, maintaining competitiveness, and creating enabling environments for investment and employment. Drawing on recent reforms and emerging carbon pricing instruments, the session will explore what governments aim to achieve—fiscal, environmental, and competitiveness-related goals—and how instruments are converging or diverging across regions in pursuit of these diverse objectives. The session will also help participants identify priority areas where greater alignment and cooperation can support more effective implementation in the medium term.
2:00 pm
A5. FUTURE SHOCKS: Navigating Border Carbon Adjustments
This session will outline the current state of play on Border Carbon Adjustments, with a focus on the operational details and implications of the EU CBAM for exporters in exposed sectors. Country participants will examine compliance expectations and policy options to support domestic industries, manage competitiveness risks, and align national carbon pricing trajectories with emerging international requirements. The session will contribute to the development of a one-pager that level-sets understanding on current BCA implementation and provides a menu of options to guide countries’ response strategies.
3:15 pm
A6. INNOVATION. Implementation of Innovative Infrastructure Solutions
This session will explore how digitalization and standardization can strengthen data quality, reduce administrative burden, and support more responsive and interoperable carbon pricing systems. An interactive component will allow participants to benchmark their own Digital MRV readiness against a structured set of milestones and identify priority gaps to address as they modernize their MRV systems.
4:00 pm
A7. SOLUTIONS SHOW & TELL. Interactive tour of carbon pricing tools and solutions
Interactive showcase of PMI-developed tools designed to help countries plan, implement, and refine their carbon pricing policies.
5:00 pm
A8. TAKEAWAYS. What does it mean for Countries?
In group discussions, countries update each other on their main takeaways for the day.
6:00 pm
RECEPTION
DAY 2
Carbon Markets: Moving to Participation and Transactions
The sessions are dedicated to helping countries strengthen their readiness for international carbon markets by clarifying the evolving market architecture, the strategic choices associated with Article 6 authorization, and the technical, legal, and institutional foundations required for credible participation. Through applied simulations and hands-on engagement with tools, countries will identify practical strategies to navigate transactions, build interoperable infrastructure, and position themselves to capture emerging market opportunities while safeguarding integrity and domestic ambition.
9:00 am
WELCOME BACK. Recap from Day 1
Opening session to summarize insights from the previous day and set the objectives for Day 2.
9:20 am
B1. GLOBAL DIALOGUE: State of International Carbon Markets
Voluntary, compliance, and international carbon credit markets are evolving and converging, creating key trends in demand, supply, and market governance. By demystifying the emerging architecture and its implications, the session will help countries understand where opportunities are emerging and what conditions are required to participate effectively and strategically.
10:40 am
B2. DECISIONS: Navigating Decisions on Carbon Markets
The session will examine how countries are approaching decisions related to authorization of credits under international transfer, including strategic, regulatory and risk management considerations. Drawing on experiences from PMI and TCAF countries that have issued national carbon market regulations, participants will explore policy trade-offs and develop a clearer understanding of how to sequence decisions that balance integrity, protect domestic ambition, and capture market opportunities.
12:10 pm
LUNCH BREAK
1:10 pm
B3. LEGAL IMPLEMENTATION: Approaches to Establishing Legal Nature of Carbon Credits
The legal nature and regulatory oversight of carbon credits remain in development in many jurisdictions. Certainty on the classification of a carbon credit under private law is critical to support market participation by private entities including project developers and providers of financing. The discussion will draw on experiences of countries that have determined the legal nature of credits in their national frameworks as well as emerging international principles that promote regulatory alignment and interoperability between jurisdictions. The session will help participants understand the pathways and implications of different approaches to clarifying the legal nature of carbon credits.
2:25 pm
B4. TRANSACTIONS: Navigating Buyer Expectations and Intermediary Engagement to Unlock Carbon Market Opportunities
This session will equip client countries with a deeper understanding of buyer demands across different markets and explore available options for monetizing units. It will also help identify the capacities needed to conduct successful carbon market transactions.
4:00 pm
B5. KNOWLEDGE MARKETPLACE: A Country Climate Toolbox
Day 2 will close with an interactive showcase of PMI tools and solutions that support countries’ engagement in international carbon markets. Participants will rotate through stations demonstrating practical applications of various tools.
5:00 pm
B6. CLOSING REMARKS: Partnerships for Development
Concluding session summarizing the forum's outcomes and discussing future collaboration within the PMI community.
