France has launched a new “Charter for Paris-aligned and High Integrity Use of Carbon Credits” to promote transparency, credibility, and alignment with global climate goals in the use of carbon credits by companies. Announced by Agnès Pannier-Runacher, the French Minister of Ecological Transition, the charter follows recent international progress made under Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement, which sets global standards for the validation and issuance of high-quality carbon credits. The charter aims to address ongoing concerns about the lack of data and consistency that prevent companies from distinguishing between high- and low-quality offset projects, thus slowing the development of trustworthy carbon markets.

The French charter includes two central commitments: first, that companies prioritize emissions reductions and use carbon credits only as a complement—not a substitute—for verified decarbonization strategies; and second, that they exclusively use high-integrity credits aligned with Article 6.4 or approved by the Integrity Council for Voluntary Carbon Markets. The framework requires companies to adopt time-bound transition plans, report on all three scopes of emissions, and ensure targets are independently validated as Paris-aligned. Seventeen companies—including Schneider Electric, Capgemini, and Beko—have already signed the charter, reinforcing France’s leadership in shaping robust, high-integrity global carbon markets.