Climate Week NYC 2026: Nature-based Solutions need demand, finance and integrity to scale

Climate Week NYC 2026 brought together leaders from across climate, nature and carbon markets. Three themes stood out for the Nature+ Coalition: a project pipeline that demand has yet to match, new approaches to financing nature, and a continued focus on integrity as the condition for scale for high-integrity Nature-based Solutions (NbS).

Carbon market demand still lags the NbS pipeline

Project developers and investors were strongly represented across the week, while corporate buyers were comparatively less visible. The pipeline of credible Nature-based Solutions is maturing, but the long-term demand needed to bring projects to scale is not growing at the same pace.

Compliance markets are increasingly seen as a way to close that gap, but the numbers show how much is still missing.The first Forest Finance Roadmap Progress Report notes that forest carbon units from certain standards are or will be eligible under CORSIA, subject to specific eligibility criteria and host‑country approval. It also cites an IATA estimate of 213 million tonnes of first-phase offsetting requirements, against only 38 million tonnes of eligible units currently available. These carbon markets come with specific timelines and eligibility requirements, which makes regulatory developments increasingly important for the sector.

Nature finance: TFFF, jurisdictional REDD+ and forest finance

The Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) remained a prominent topic, weeks after the UK announced a £400 million loan commitment, which is subject to final due diligence and to the facility's governance arrangements. The TFFF aims to create long-term financial incentives for protecting tropical forests, with a proposed share of payments directed to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.

One year after the launch of the Forest Finance Roadmap, the Forest & Climate Leaders' Partnership presented its first Progress Report at Forest Finance Day. It shows jurisdictional REDD+ (JREDD+) gaining traction: at least $473 million was paid for results between July 2025 and June 2026, covering at least 86 million tonnes of CO2e from 12 jurisdictions. More than 85% of that came from public sources. The report also warns that overall progress remains well below what is needed to close the estimated $66.8 billion annual forest finance gap.

Discussions on JREDD+, benefit-sharing and new forest economies showed how jurisdictional approaches can link forest protection with sustainable production, livelihoods and local development.

Integrity: the condition for scaling high-integrity carbon credits

Across conversations on nature and carbon markets, the question was consistently how to scale while maintaining credible outcomes. That means robust measurement and monitoring, permanence, safeguards and fair benefit-sharing, the principles behind the ICVCM Core Carbon Principles.

The programme reflected this. Sessions looked at risk management tools such as buffer pools, and at new ways to measure the impact of nature-based projects using randomized controlled trials and dynamic baselines to strengthen additionality.

Upcoming policy developments, including the Article 6.4 mechanism, the EU’s future treatment of removals in the ETS and the evolution of the SBTi Net‑Zero Standard, which includes the phased introduction of Ongoing Emissions Responsibility and the requirement for companies to support eligible removals from 2035 onward, could further shape the market.

Takeaways from Climate Week NYC 2026

The momentum is there. Scaling high-integrity Nature-based Solutions will require credible projects, stronger demand, robust integrity and market frameworks that connect these pieces.

For the coalition, Climate Week reinforced the importance of bringing together project developers, companies and policymakers, and of contributing to the frameworks needed to scale.
See where members will be next on the Let's meet page, and join the coalition to take part.