PACM operationalisation at COP30
The Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM) was formally operationalised at COP30 in Belém, with foundational standards adopted on baselines, additionality, leakage, suppressed demand, and non-permanence and reversals. At COP30, $26.8M from the CDM Trust Fund was also transferred to PACM to address critical funding shortages affecting the mechanism’s implementation pace. Progress on methodologies has nonetheless been slower than expected.
One approved PACM methodology, none for nature-based removals
As of mid-2026, the PACM has approved one methodology: AMM001 for flaring or use of landfill gas, adopted in November 2025. No nature-based methodologies have been approved, although one afforestation and reforestation methodology is in the review process. The CDM’s A/R projects had until December 2025 to submit transition requests, but the process has proven largely theoretical: only around 13 percent of all CDM credits seeking transition have been approved, with host country sign-off the main bottleneck. The general CDM transition host country approval deadline was extended to 30 June 2026 at COP30, but for A/R activities specifically, the host country approval timeline remains explicitly undefined, creating continued uncertainty. The CDM itself winds down at the end of 2026.
The MEP methodology pipeline
The first new PACM methodology to move through the MEP pipeline is a cookstove methodology, specifically a version of the CLEAR (Comprehensive Lowered Emissions Assessment and Reporting) methodology developed by the Clean Cooking Alliance’s 4C consortium, under MEP review with multiple associated tools still pending approval. New nature-based project issuances under PACM are not expected anytime soon.
The afforestation and reforestation methodology in the PACM pipeline
One afforestation and reforestation methodology is in the PACM pipeline, and may be released for public consultation later this year. While the technical details of the methodology are important, the real issues remain related to the handling of permanence.
VM0047 and voluntary methodologies as the bridge to PACM
Existing voluntary methodologies like Verra’s VM0047 (afforestation, reforestation and revegetation, ARR) could also serve as viable near-term bridges, but would need to be submitted for review.
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