Innovate4Climate (I4C) – the World Bank Group (WBG)’s flagship forum on carbon pricing and carbon markets – celebrated its 10th anniversary with its strongest attendance in recent years, signaling renewed global momentum behind carbon market development. More than 1,000 participants from across regions and sectors gathered for the forum’s four plenary events and 12 technical workshops focused squarely on advancing implementation, strengthening market infrastructure, and scaling up carbon finance solutions. The participation of more than 80 policy champions, industry leaders, and technical experts as speakers and moderators underscored the global convening power of the WBG.
The conference is delivered through a collaboration of public, private, and multilateral partners, with Germany and Spain as founding partners and lead sponsors, and the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP) and the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) as key partners. Singapore – a regional hub for climate finance – hosted the 2026 edition through its National Climate Change Secretariat (NCSS).
More than 25 side events and roundtables complemented the core program, tackling priority policy and technical developments, including Article 6 operationalization, market integrity, and regulatory frameworks. These included discussions organized by key partners such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the ASEAN Carbon Markets Alliance, strengthening cross-institutional collaboration and regional engagement to support implementation on the ground.
I4C 2026 also served as a platform for launching a new wave of analytical tools and knowledge products to support countries in moving from readiness to implementation. These WBG reports included the State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2026 report, the Legal and Regulatory Reforms Toolkit for High-Integrity Carbon Markets, and the Guidance for Policymakers on the Role of Domestic Carbon Pricing and International Carbon Credit Markets in achieving long-term strategies (LTS) and nationally determined contributions (NDC).
A key partner for the WBG in Singapore, the NCSS launched the Singapore-World Bank carbon markets capacity program, which will support the development of interoperable carbon registries, pilot new ways of aggregating carbon credit demand and supply at the buyer-level and country-level, and cross-country learning to develop national carbon market strategies, policies, and institutions.
At the I4C Marketplace, over 20 exhibitors representing countries, regional alliances, global partnerships, and the private sector showcased knowledge exchange and stakeholder engagement. Two hubs – one for carbon registry and another for carbon projects - provided a space for countries to meet with interested partners, present their carbon programs and showcase successes and lessons learned.
Complementing this, the Open Stage program provided a dynamic platform for rapid knowledge exchange and peer learning. Sessions spotlighted emerging practices and innovations across four themes: carbon market intelligence; digital infrastructure and decision tools; green and blue carbon finance; energy access and transition finance.
I4C 2026 reaffirmed its role as a cornerstone platform for convening the global carbon pricing and markets community—bringing together policymakers, practitioners, and partners to align on solutions and accelerate delivery. Across sessions and formats, a clear message emerged: the agenda is shifting decisively from readiness to implementation, with greater emphasis on integrity, integration, and scalable partnerships. Looking ahead, the 2027 edition, to be hosted in Germany, will provide a forum to continue to support countries on their carbon pricing and markets engagements.
Visit I4C Flickr to view more photos from the event and take a moment to watch the I4C2026 highlights video!
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Photo Credit: World Bank Group
