Founding Chairman of Global Carbon Council Dr. Yousef Alhorr speaking at the event.
DOHA: The Global Carbon Council (GCC), the first independent carbon crediting standard established in the Global South, headquartered in Qatar and internationally recognised under UN ICAO’s CORSIA scheme and ICVCM, has joined a global coalition of leading financial institutions, exchanges and carbon market organisations as a founding member of the Global Carbon Market Network, officially launched at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye.
The launch ceremony was held at the Arab Climate Pavilion, jointly hosted by GCC and the League of Arab States in the COP31 Blue Zone, bringing together hundreds of participants in person and virtually, including climate experts, government representatives, financial institutions, carbon market organizations, standard-setting bodies and other stakeholders.
The launch featured keynote addresses by Acting Secretary-General of UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Pedro Manuel Moreno, Chair of the UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative and Lead of the World Investment Forum Nan Li Collins, Minister of Energy and Minerals of the Sultanate of Oman
H E Eng Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, Commissioner for Climate Change of Hong Kong SAR (China) Sammy Sau Kuen Yeung, and Founding Chairman of the Global Carbon Council (GCC) Dr. Yousef Alhorr. Their participation highlighted the importance of international cooperation in strengthening carbon markets and advancing climate finance.
Convened by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the network aims to strengthen connections between carbon markets, improve transparency and investor confidence, and facilitate climate finance for mitigation projects, particularly in developing countries.
The Global Carbon Market Network addresses persistent market fragmentation caused by differing regulatory frameworks, standards, registries and trading systems. Rather than establishing another carbon market or competing standard, it seeks to connect existing voluntary and compliance markets, improve interoperability and promote consistent market practices.
Its launch comes as emissions trading systems and carbon taxes cover nearly 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions and generated more than $107bn in public revenue in 2025. Yet stronger market connections are needed to translate carbon pricing into greater investment in measurable emissions reductions and sustainable development. Speaking at the launch, Founding Chairman of the Global Carbon Council (GCC) Dr. Yousef Alhorr, emphasised the importance of cooperation, market integrity and equitable access to climate finance.
“The future of carbon markets will not be determined by how many markets we create, but by how effectively we connect them, build trust and translate carbon transactions into measurable climate impact. The Global Carbon Market Network represents an important step towards overcoming fragmentation, strengthening international cooperation and unlocking climate finance, particularly for developing countries.
