CMI introduces interim membership and sponsorship policy in line with 2025 strategy
In line with its 2025 Strategic Plan, the Carbon Market Institute (CMI)’s Board has approved a new Interim Membership and Sponsorship Policy that takes a first step under its objective to “support our members to make urgent, credible climate strategies and transformative investments.”
The Strategic Plan includes an updated mission to accelerate the use of market-based solutions and support best practice in decarbonisation to limit warming to 1.5°C, and accordingly, CMI is reviewing all of its Membership, Sponsorship and annual Advocacy Positions policies.
As it works toward a final membership policy that will involve careful consultation with members, the new Interim Membership and Sponsorship Policy focuses on new and existing members who are increasing their carbon footprint, specifically those emitting more than 100,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas per year (Scope 1 emissions).
The Interim Policy will not affect current membership agreements until they are renewed or until our long-term membership policy is in place.
Commenting on the changes, CMI CEO John Connor said:
“Developing draft membership commitments and policy is not straightforward and we want careful consultation with members before building out our longer-term policy. In the interim however, this is an important step to offer clarity and a clear threshold on engagement for potential and existing members, as well as other stakeholders.”
“This is closely aligned with our 2025 Strategic Plan and our mission to help limit warming to 1.5°C, and as such, forms part of our sharpened focus on supporting CMI members to make urgent, credible climate strategies and transformative investment to realise the transition.”
“CMI is a unique member-based, but independent, institute dedicated to working with companies at all stages of the transition. This change still allows companies as associate members to participate in key forums and capacity building, but does restrict access to voting rights at our AGM, as well as limiting some sponsorship opportunities.”
“We will continue to maintain an open dialogue with all parties engaged in carbon markets to ensure that these market frameworks are driving effective and efficient climate outcomes,” said Connor.
The policy update aligns with CMI’s submission to the Safeguard Mechanism draft design, which highlights the urgent need to guide a deep structural economic transition through Australia’s policy and market frameworks. In particular, it calls for the need to:
- Closely regulating the carbon budget levels proposed for covered facilities in order to better guide the application of flexibility measures and assessment of new entrants
- Clarify the governance arrangements for setting international best practice benchmarks for new entrants under the enhanced Safeguard Mechanism and extend new entrant treatment to significant expansions at existing facilities, to ensure that these developments do not jeopardise the scheme’s abatement task.
- Develop additional complementary governance arrangements, institutions, and regulatory frameworks to address structural economic transition, including establishing an independent transition authority, requiring public transition plans as part of mandatory climate reporting and instituting a more rigorous assessment framework for emissions-intensive developments.
“CMI’s focus is to build capacity, facilitate best practice and develop policy aligned with the most ambitious Paris Agreement goal. We look forward to working with our membership base to support credible decarbonisation strategies and investments to help limit warming to 1.5C,” concluded Connor.
Notes for editors
Interim Membership and Sponsorship Policy
- New Membership and Renewal applications from large emitters with an increasing carbon footprint*:
a) Are accepted into a non-voting Associate membership category
b) Are limited from sponsorship at specified higher tiers of major CMI events
2. Existing CMI member large emitters with an increasing carbon footprint*:
a) Retain their current membership category until renewal and/ or review of long-term Membership Policy
b) Are limited from sponsorship at specified higher tiers of major CMI events, as indicated in item 1 b) above
*Large emitters = corporations responsible for emitting greater than 100,000 t CO2-e/year of (Scope 1) and who are increasing emissions through construction of new or expanded fossil fuel facilities
A member or potential member may request a review of determinations affecting them under this interim policy by the CMI’s Board membership committee.
About the Carbon Market Institute
The Carbon Market Institute (CMI) is a member-based institute accelerating the transition towards a negative emissions, nature positive world. It champions best practice in carbon markets and climate policy, and its over 150 members include primary producers, carbon project developers, Indigenous organisations, legal, technology and advisory services, insurers, banks, investors, corporate entities and emission intensive industries. The positions put forward constitute CMI’s independent view and do not purport to represent any CMI individual, member company, or industry sector.
For further information, contact Thomas Hann on 0408880536 or thomas.hann@carbonmarketinstitute.org
