Government backs trusted voluntary nature and carbon markets
The Government has announced a new approach to support the growth of trusted voluntary nature and carbon markets in New Zealand.
Voluntary nature and carbon markets allow private money to fund projects that restore nature or remove greenhouse gases, including wetland restoration, native planting, habitat protection and carbon removal.
The new approach is designed to give buyers, landowners and project developers more confidence in the quality of schemes operating in New Zealand.
It introduces two pathways.
- The first recognises schemes already accredited by reputable international bodies.
- The second creates an opt-in New Zealand endorsement pathway for domestic schemes that meet New Zealand’s integrity principles.
Endorsement will be a quality signal, not a Crown guarantee. Buyers will still need to carry out their own due diligence.
The Government says this work is needed because pressure on nature and climate is bigger than public funding alone can meet. Because of this, New Zealand has been missing opportunities to attract private investment into local projects
The package also opens the door to voluntary markets projects on public conservation land, where they deliver additional benefits to what is already there and still meet normal Department of Conservation requirements.
The approach has been informed by 10 pilot partnerships with market participants between June 2025 and March 2026. Representatives from two of the projects were at Minister Hoggard’s announcement including Trees That Count and Pāmu, along with Ministry for the Environment partner, QEII.
See all the other pilot partners and find out more about their projects.