The Architecture of Trust — Mark Kenber on VCMI, Scope 3 & the Future of Carbon Markets

One of the architects of the modern verified carbon market joins us on This Week in Carbon.

In this episode, Ed Smith and Rene Velasquez sit down with Mark Kenber — Executive Director of VCMI, former CEO of The Climate Group, founder of what became the Voluntary Carbon Standard (now Verra), and current ICVCM board member.

This is a deep dive into the institutional history, integrity debates, and future direction of carbon markets.

We explore:
• How the VCS was originally built
• Why integrity debates keep resurfacing in the VCM
• The tension between perfection and participation
• Greenwashing vs “green hushing”
• The Scope 3 Action Code controversy
• CCP-labelled credits and Article 6.4
• The convergence of voluntary and compliance carbon markets
• Why governments are becoming increasingly central to market development

Mark also shares his perspective on why carbon credits remain essential for climate finance — particularly in emerging markets — and why waiting for perfect solutions risks delaying real climate action.

A substantive and wide-ranging conversation on trust, policy, markets, and the future architecture of climate finance.