How the Core Carbon Principles Rewired the Carbon Market - Amy Merrill (CEO, ICVCM)

In Episode 9 of Season 4 of the Carbon Exposure Podcast, we sit down with Amy Merrill, CEO of the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) — the independent body whose Core Carbon Principles have become the reference framework for what a high-integrity carbon credit actually is.Amy came to the CEO seat at the end of 2024 after years leading Article 6 negotiations at the UN, and before that as legal advisor for the Kyoto Protocol mechanisms. She was part of the UN team that supported the Paris Agreement negotiations in 2015, and led the UN's Article 6 support all the way through to the rule book being adopted at COP26 in Glasgow.The ICVCM sits as the independent trust layer of the carbon market. Through its ten Core Carbon Principles, it assesses the world's carbon crediting programs at the governance level and every individual methodology on the science. Credits that pass both checks earn the CCP label — a globally agreed floor for integrity that has quickly become the reference standard the market is building on.That double-tick system has built something the market lacked before: a comparable, investable definition of what a high-integrity credit actually is. Buyers now show CCP preferences in their procurement. Governments in the UK, New Zealand, and beyond are adopting CCP-eligibility into national policy. National carbon crediting programs have just become eligible for ICVCM assessment themselves.In this conversation, we cover:- Amy's path from carbon finance lawyer to UN Article 6 lead to ICVCM CEO- The origins of the ICVCM under Mark Carney's Task Force- The 10 Core Carbon Principles and the "double-tick" assessment system- Why the whole market has come around the CCPs- How governments in the UK, New Zealand, and the African Union are co-opting CCPs into national policy- Why national standards can now apply for CCP approval- The reframe from "co-benefits" to rights-centric "core benefits"- The ICVCM's indigenous peoples engagement forum- The "big tent approach" to thought leadership- The demand-side challenge and coalitions like ARC and the Coalition to Grow Carbon MarketsIf you work in carbon markets, climate finance, policy, standards, or corporate sustainability, this is a must-listen episode.Chapters[00:00] Intro[02:20] From CDM Lawyer to UNFCCC Legal Advisor[03:25] Paris Agreement and Leading Article 6 to Glasgow[04:29] Joining ICVCM as CEO[07:02] From Mark Carney's Task Force to the Integrity Council[09:29] The 10 Core Carbon Principles Explained[11:26] The Double-Tick System and What CCP Approval Means[12:47] The Cambrian Explosion of Standards[15:10] Buyer Preferences and Government Endorsements[17:55] Interconnecting Voluntary and Compliance Markets[21:05] Why National Standards Can Now Apply for CCP Approval[24:20] From "Co-Benefits" to "Core Benefits"[27:09] The Indigenous Peoples Engagement Forum[28:32] The ICVCM's Thought Leadership Role[34:50] The Demand-Side Challenge and the ARC Coalition#CarbonMarkets #ClimateFinance #CarbonCredits #ICVCM #CCPs #Article6 #CarbonExposurePodcast