Resources & Tools: Your Carbon Pricing Command Center

Everything You Need to Not Get Lost in the Carbon Pricing Wilderness

Alright, so you’re sold on carbon pricing. You understand it works. You know it’s coming. You’ve read all about implementation, benefits, and timelines. Great!

Now comes the practical question: “Where do I actually find reliable information, data, and guidance?”

Because here’s the thing about carbon pricing: there’s a LOT of information out there. Some excellent. Some outdated. Some completely wrong. And sorting through it all is like trying to find a specific grain of sand on a beach while someone keeps throwing more sand at you.

So consider this your curated guide to the actually-useful resources that policymakers, businesses, and researchers rely on. Think of it as your carbon pricing command center—everything you need in one place, explained in plain English, with zero jargon about why you should care about each one.

Let’s build your toolkit.

Part 1: Policy Resources (Or: The “How To Actually Do This” Guides)

World Bank Carbon Tax Guide: The Foundational Textbook

What it is: Comprehensive guidance on designing and implementing carbon taxes

URL: worldbank.org/carbonpricing

Why it’s essential:

Written for policymakers actually implementing systems (not academics theorizing)
Covers real-world design choices (not just principles)
Includes case studies from successful implementations
Updated regularly with new lessons learned

What’s inside:

Design fundamentals: Tax base, rate setting, revenue use
Implementation pathways: Phasing, thresholds, exemptions
Political economy: Building support, managing opposition
Distributional impacts: Protecting vulnerable populations
International considerations: Trade, competitiveness, CBAM

Best used for:

Governments designing new carbon taxes
Policymakers comparing design options
Researchers analyzing tax effectiveness
Consultants advising on implementation

Pro tip: Don’t read it cover-to-cover (it’s dense). Use it like a reference manual—jump to the specific design question you’re facing.

The most useful chapters:

Setting the tax rate (Chapter 3)
Revenue recycling options (Chapter 5)
Addressing competitiveness concerns (Chapter 7)
Building political support (Chapter 9)

ETS Handbook: Cap-and-Trade

What it is: Detailed guide to designing Emissions Trading Systems

Published by: International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP)

URL: icapcarbonaction.com/ets-handbook

Why it matters: If the Carbon Tax Guide is for taxes, this is for cap-and-trade systems.

What’s inside:

System architecture: Cap setting, allowance allocation, trading
MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, Verification): The unglamorous but critical stuff
Market oversight: Preventing manipulation, ensuring liquidity
Linking considerations: Connecting with other systems
Expansion options: Adding sectors, including offsets

Key sections you actually need:

Cap setting methodology (Chapter 2): The most important decision you’ll make
Free allocation vs auctioning (Chapter 4): Revenue vs industry support trade-offs
Market stability mechanisms (Chapter 6): Preventing price volatility
Registry systems (Chapter 8): The boring infrastructure that makes everything work

Real-world application:

China used this when designing their national ETS
Brazil is referencing it for their SBCE system
UK consulted it for their expanded ETS

Mistake most governments make: Skipping the MRV chapter because it’s boring. Don’t. Bad MRV = unreliable data = system doesn’t work.

FASTER Principles: The Quality Control Checklist

What it is: Six principles for effective carbon pricing design

FASTER stands for:

Fair (distributional impacts considered)
Aligned (with overall climate goals)
Stable (predictable, reliable policy)
Transparent (clear rules, public data)
Efficient (cost-effective emissions reductions)
Reinforcing (complements other policies)

Why these matter: Every carbon pricing system should pass the FASTER test. It’s the minimum bar for “well-designed.”

How to use them:

Before implementation: Design checklist

Is our system fair? (Impact analysis on low-income households)
Is it aligned? (Does carbon price level match climate targets?)
Is it stable? (Political commitment, institutional framework)
Is it transparent? (Public data, clear methodology)
Is it efficient? (Broad coverage, minimal exemptions)
Is it reinforcing? (Coordination with other climate policies)

After implementation: Evaluation framework

Annual check: Does our system still pass FASTER principles?
Identify gaps: Which principles are weakest?
Plan improvements: How to strengthen weak areas?

Real example—The UK ETS redesign:

Fair: Added revenue recycling mechanism
Aligned: Increased cap reduction rate to match net zero
Stable: 10-year trajectory announced
Transparent: Quarterly data publication
Efficient: Expanded coverage to new sectors
Reinforcing: Coordinated with CBAM implementation

The principle most systems fail: Stability. Governments change, policies shift, systems get weakened. Build institutional protection from the start.

Benchmarking Tools: How You Stack Up

What they are: Comparative analysis tools showing how different carbon pricing systems perform

Key platforms:

1. ICAP ETS Map

Visual comparison of all ETSs globally
Design features side-by-side
Coverage, prices, auction results
URL: icapcarbonaction.com/ets-map

2. Carbon Pricing Scorecard (World Bank)

Grades jurisdictions on implementation quality
FASTER principles-based assessment
Identifies best practices
URL: carbonpricingdashboard.worldbank.org/scorecard

3. Climate Policy Database

Compare policy mixes across countries
See what combinations work
Filter by sector, mechanism, effectiveness
URL: climatepolicydatabase.org

How to use benchmarking:

For policymakers: “Show me jurisdictions similar to us (GDP, industry mix, political system) and how they designed their systems.”

For businesses: “Show me carbon prices in countries where we operate so we can model costs.”

For researchers: “Show me which design features correlate with emissions reductions.”

The insights you’ll find:

Nordic countries: High prices, strong revenue recycling, public support
China: Intensity-based, gradual expansion, lower prices
California: Linked system, strong MRV, price floor/ceiling
EU: Mature market, high prices, international linkages

What benchmarking reveals: There’s no “perfect” system, but there ARE patterns in what works.

Part 2: Data Platforms (Or: Where The Numbers Live)

Carbon Pricing Dashboard (World Bank): Your One-Stop Data Shop

URL: carbonpricingdashboard.worldbank.org

What it is: Interactive platform tracking all carbon pricing globally

Why it’s indispensable: This is THE authoritative source. When governments, businesses, or researchers cite carbon pricing statistics, they’re usually pulling from here.

What you can do:

1. Explore by Instrument Type

Filter by: ETS, tax, credit mechanism
See all systems globally on one map
Click any jurisdiction for detailed data

2. Analyze Coverage

Which sectors covered by which systems
What % of national emissions priced
Gaps in coverage by country

3. Track Prices

Current carbon prices by jurisdiction
Historical price data (back to 1990s)
Price trends and projections

4. Follow Revenue

How much revenue generated
How revenue is used (by jurisdiction)
Revenue trends over time

5. Compare Systems

Side-by-side comparison tool
Design features across jurisdictions
Effectiveness metrics

The most useful features:

For quick stats: Homepage summary (28% coverage, $103B revenue, 80 instruments)

For deep dives: Country pages with full system details

For presentations: Downloadable charts and graphics (Creative Commons licensed)

For analysis: Excel export of all data

Pro tips:

Bookmark specific country pages you track regularly
Set up Google Alerts for “State and Trends” (annual update)
Use data export for your own analysis
Check “last updated” date (data lags 3-6 months usually)

The data you’ll reference constantly:

Current carbon prices (for cost modeling)
Coverage statistics (for policy advocacy)
Revenue use (for design inspiration)
System design details (for benchmarking)

Net Zero Tracker: Who’s Actually Serious?

URL: zerotracker.net OR climateactiontracker.org

What it is: Database of national net zero commitments and progress

Coverage: 100+ countries with net zero pledges

What it tracks:

1. Commitment Status

Proposed, pledged, in law, or achieved
Target year (2035, 2050, 2060, 2070)
Scope (economy-wide or sectoral)

2. Implementation Progress

Policies in place
Emissions trajectory
Gap to target
Likelihood of achievement

3. Quality Assessment

Is commitment binding (law vs pledge)?
Is pathway credible (policies vs aspirations)?
Are interim targets set (2030 checkpoints)?

Why this matters for carbon pricing:

Connection: Net zero commitments create demand for carbon pricing (most cost-effective tool to hit targets)

Analysis: Countries with credible net zero pathways typically have carbon pricing

Reality check: Many net zero pledges lack implementation plans. Carbon pricing is the gap.

How to use it:

For advocacy: “Country X pledged net zero by 2050 but has no carbon pricing. Here’s the gap.”

For investment: Countries with credible net zero + carbon pricing = attractive for green investment

For policy: “Our net zero target requires X% emissions reduction. Carbon price of $Y achieves this.”

What the tracker reveals:

Leaders (credible pathways + policies):

UK: Net zero law + carbon pricing + sector plans
EU: Binding targets + ETS + regulation
Nordic countries: Early movers + high prices + compliance

Middle pack (pledges + some policies):

China: 2060 target + ETS expanding + major investments
Japan: 2050 target + voluntary market + technology focus
South Korea: 2050 target + ETS + hydrogen strategy

Laggards (pledges without pathways):

Various countries with 2050 pledges but minimal climate policy
No carbon pricing, no major regulations, aspirational targets only

State and Trends Report: The Annual Deep Dive

Published by: World Bank (annually since 2012)

URL: worldbank.org/carbonpricing (report section)

Publication date: Usually May/June each year

What it is: Comprehensive annual assessment of global carbon pricing

The 2025 report highlights:

80 operational instruments (up from 75 in 2024)
28% emissions coverage (up from 24%)
$103 billion revenue (up from ~$95B)
All major middle-income economies implementing or considering
ETSs dominant mechanism for new instruments

What’s in each report:

Part 1: Overview (10-15 pages)

Key statistics
Major developments past year
Emerging trends
Executive summary for busy people

Part 2: Compliance Instruments (30-40 pages)

Detailed ETS analysis
Carbon tax developments
Coverage and price evolution
Revenue use analysis

Part 3: Carbon Crediting (20-30 pages)

Voluntary market trends
Compliance market updates
Article 6 implementation
Credit prices and volumes

Part 4: Regional Deep Dives (30-40 pages)

Asia-Pacific developments
Europe updates
Americas progress
Africa & Middle East emergence

Part 5: Technical Annexes (50+ pages)

Detailed country data
Methodology notes
Historical data tables
All the wonky stuff

How to actually use this 150+ page report:

Don’t read cover-to-cover: Nobody does. Not even the authors.

Instead, use strategically:

Read executive summary (15 minutes, covers 80% of what matters)
Skim Part 1 overview (identifies key developments)
Deep dive your region of interest (30 minutes)
Reference technical annex when you need specific data

Best practices:

Download PDF and search keywords (Ctrl+F is your friend)
Jump to your country’s section
Use charts in presentations (cite source: World Bank State & Trends 2025)
Compare year-over-year to track progress

The insights you’ll find:

Which mechanisms are gaining traction (ETS surge)
Where prices are heading (steady increase)
How revenue is being used (infrastructure priority growing)
What’s working and what isn’t (evidence-based assessment)

Climate Watch: The Everything Database

URL: climatewatchdata.org

What it is: Comprehensive climate data platform covering emissions, policies, NDCs, and more

Why it’s useful: When you need data BEYOND just carbon pricing—emissions trends, sector breakdowns, policy landscapes

Key modules:

1. GHG Emissions

Historical emissions by country
Sector breakdowns
Projections to 2050
Per capita metrics

2. NDC Tracker

All submitted NDCs
Target analysis
Progress tracking
Gap analysis

3. Climate Finance

Flows by country
Source and destination
Instrument types
Effectiveness data

4. Climate Laws & Policies

Comprehensive policy database
Filter by type, sector, country
Implementation status
Effectiveness evidence

How carbon pricing fits in:

Climate Watch shows the full policy landscape
Carbon pricing is one tool among many
See how carbon pricing complements other policies
Understand policy mixes that work

For carbon pricing practitioners:

Context: How does our carbon price fit in national climate policy?
Benchmarking: What policy mixes achieve best results?
Gaps: What policies do we need alongside carbon pricing?

Most useful for:

Policy analysts assessing comprehensive climate action
Researchers studying policy interactions
Journalists covering climate policy
NGOs tracking government commitments

Part 3: Organizations (Or: Who’s Actually Doing The Work)

UNFCCC: The UN Climate Central

What: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

URL: unfccc.int

Role: International climate negotiations and framework

Key resources:

Article 6 Hub: Implementation of international carbon markets

Technical guidance
Country participation
Registry information
URL: unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/article6

Paris Agreement Central: Official repository

All NDCs submitted
Long-term strategies
National communications
Progress reports

Why you care: If you’re working on international cooperation, Article 6 mechanisms, or need official NDC data, this is the source.

When to use it:

Researching Article 6.2 (bilateral agreements) or 6.4 (centralized mechanism)
Accessing official country submissions
Understanding Paris Agreement requirements
Tracking COP negotiation outcomes

Navigating UNFCCC resources (they’re dense):

Use search function liberally
Look for “Decisions” (official agreements)
Check country pages for submissions
Follow Article 6 supervisory body meetings (where real work happens)

World Bank Partnership for Market Implementation (PMR/PMI): The Technical Assistance Arm

What: Program supporting countries to design and implement carbon pricing

URL: worldbank.org/pmi

Role: Technical support, capacity building, knowledge sharing

Services provided:

1. Technical Assistance

Carbon pricing design support
Implementation guidance
MRV system development
Institutional capacity building

2. Financial Support

Grants for readiness activities
Co-financing for implementation
Pilot program funding

3. Knowledge Platform

Case studies
Technical notes
Webinar series
Peer learning events

Countries supported (50+):

Chile: Carbon tax design
Mexico: ETS pilot
Vietnam: Market readiness
Colombia: Tax implementation
Many others across all regions

How it works:

Country requests support
PMI assesses readiness
Tailored program designed
Technical experts deployed
Implementation supported
Knowledge captured and shared

Resources you can access (even if you’re not a government):

Published case studies
Technical reports
Best practice guides
Webinar recordings

The value: Learn from countries that went through the process already. Why reinvent the wheel?

International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP): The ETS Expert Network

What: Partnership of governments with ETSs

URL: icapcarbonaction.com

Members: 35+ jurisdictions representing 55% of global GDP

Why it’s essential: If it’s about emissions trading systems, ICAP is the authority.

What they do:

1. Knowledge Sharing

Quarterly forums (government officials only)
Annual Status Report (comprehensive ETS review)
Technical webinars
Peer-to-peer learning

2. Research & Analysis

ETS design research
Linking studies
Market oversight analysis
Best practice documentation

3. Capacity Building

Training programs
Secondments (staff exchanges)
Study visits
Mentorship programs

Key resources:

ETS Map: Visual comparison of all systems globally Status Report: Annual deep dive on ETS developments Technical Notes: Specific design issues (auctions, offsets, linking, etc.) Webinar Series: Free, public, recorded

For practitioners:

Designing ETS: Use their handbook and technical notes
Operating ETS: Learn from other jurisdictions’ experiences
Expanding ETS: See how others added sectors
Linking ETS: Understand bilateral negotiations

The network effect: ICAP facilitates direct government-to-government connections. Officials can call counterparts in other jurisdictions for advice.

Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC): The Advocacy Powerhouse

What: Coalition of governments, businesses, and NGOs supporting carbon pricing

URL: carbonpricingleadership.org

Members: 40+ countries, 400+ businesses, 70+ organizations

Role: Build political support, share best practices, accelerate implementation

Key initiatives:

1. Leadership Dialogue

High-level political engagement
CEO roundtables
Ministerial forums

2. Report of the High-Level Commission on Carbon Prices

Recommended range: $50-100/tonne by 2030
Widely cited benchmark
Updated periodically

3. CPLC Assembly

Annual gathering of members
Knowledge sharing
Strategic planning

4. Regional Hubs

Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America
Tailored support by region
Local context expertise

Why it matters for carbon pricing adoption:

Political will: CPLC helps build support where resistance exists

Business voice: Corporate members advocate to governments

Knowledge sharing: Countries learn from each other’s experiences

Momentum: Creates sense of global movement (peer pressure works on countries too)

Resources:

Case studies on successful implementation
Guide for businesses on internal carbon pricing
Principles for successful carbon pricing (practical, not theoretical)
Regional reports on carbon pricing potential

When to engage:

Building coalition for carbon pricing in your country
Need business voices supporting policy
Looking for peer country experiences
Want to elevate carbon pricing in national dialogue

Part 4: How To Actually Use All This (Your Action Plan)

For Policymakers Designing Systems

Week 1: Orientation

World Bank Carbon Tax Guide OR ICAP ETS Handbook (pick your mechanism)
State & Trends Report (current year, executive summary)
Carbon Pricing Dashboard (benchmark against similar countries)

Week 2-4: Deep Design Work

FASTER Principles checklist (design against these)
Benchmarking tools (compare design options)
PMI technical notes (specific design questions)

Month 2-6: Implementation Planning

ICAP Status Report (learn from others’ implementation)
UNFCCC Article 6 guidance (if international cooperation planned)
Climate Watch (understand policy mix context)

Ongoing: Stay Updated

Subscribe to World Bank carbon pricing newsletter
Follow ICAP on LinkedIn (they post updates)
Attend CPLC webinars (free, valuable)
Check dashboard quarterly for new data

For Businesses Managing Carbon Costs

Immediate: Assessment

Carbon Pricing Dashboard: Where do we operate? What are current prices?
Net Zero Tracker: What are target countries’ commitments?
State & Trends: What’s the trend for next 5 years?

Planning: Model Scenarios

Use benchmarking to estimate future prices
Model costs at $25, $50, $100 per tonne
Identify reduction opportunities
Calculate shadow price ROI

Operations: Monitor & Adapt

Dashboard: Track price changes in operating countries
ICAP reports: Watch for ETS expansions
PMI case studies: Learn from other businesses’ strategies

Advocacy: Engage Intelligently

CPLC business member resources
Industry-specific guidance
Participate in consultations (informed voice)

For Researchers & Analysts

Foundational Reading:

State & Trends (most recent + historical)
ICAP Status Report (annual)
PMI technical notes (depth on specific issues)

Data Sources:

Carbon Pricing Dashboard (export to Excel)
Climate Watch (broader context data)
Net Zero Tracker (commitments tracking)

Methodology:

World Bank guides (how systems SHOULD work)
ICAP reports (how systems ACTUALLY work)
Benchmarking tools (comparative analysis)

Staying Current:

Subscribe to multiple sources
Set Google Alerts for key terms
Attend webinars (free CPD/learning)
Follow key organizations on social media

For NGOs & Advocates

Building Your Case:

FASTER Principles (what good policy looks like)
Benchmarking (show what’s possible)
Case studies (proof it works)

Data for Campaigns:

Dashboard (current coverage gaps)
Net Zero Tracker (commitment-action gap)
State & Trends (trends and momentum)

Engagement Strategies:

CPLC (join coalition)
PMI (support government readiness)
ICAP webinars (understand technical details)

Coalition Building:

Business voices (CPLC members)
International examples (ICAP network)
Technical credibility (World Bank resources)

The Bottom Line: Your Toolkit Is Now Complete

Congratulations! You now have:

✅ Policy guides for actually implementing carbon pricing (World Bank, ICAP, FASTER) ✅ Data platforms for tracking what’s happening globally (Dashboard, Net Zero Tracker, State & Trends) ✅ Organizations providing support and expertise (UNFCCC, World Bank PMI, ICAP, CPLC)

The most important takeaway: You don’t need to use ALL of these resources. Pick the ones relevant to your role:

Government official: World Bank guides + PMI support + ICAP network Business professional: Dashboard + State & Trends + CPLC resources Researcher: All data platforms + technical reports + methodology guides NGO advocate: FASTER principles + benchmarking + case studies + CPLC

The resource you’ll use most: Carbon Pricing Dashboard. Bookmark it. Learn it. Love it.

The report you should read annually: State & Trends (executive summary minimum).

The organization you should follow: Depends on your focus, but ICAP for technical depth, CPLC for political momentum.

Pro tip: Don’t try to become an expert in everything. Deep expertise in 2-3 resources beats shallow knowledge of all of them.

Now you have no excuse for saying “I don’t know where to find information on carbon pricing.”

Because you do. It’s all right here.

Time to put these tools to work.

Word Count: 3,882 words

One last thing: These resources are constantly being updated. The URLs might change, reports get new editions, organizations evolve. But the fundamental structure—policy guides, data platforms, implementing organizations—stays the same. Bookmark this article, but update your bookmarks as resources evolve. You’re welcome.