• Bay Area nonprofit Cool Effect introduces $1 million award to accelerate early-stage carbon projects.
• Initiative targets projects verified under CCP-approved standards, including both nature- and technology-based solutions.
• Funding seeks to overcome the financial bottleneck that prevents high-quality projects from scaling in the voluntary carbon market.

San Francisco Nonprofit Targets Bottleneck in Carbon Markets

Cool Effect, a Bay Area nonprofit focused on advancing high-quality carbon projects, has launched a $1 million award designed to help promising climate initiatives move beyond the earliest stage of development. The new program, called The Cool Effect Catalyst, will provide critical seed capital to projects that pass a rigorous vetting process and demonstrate the potential to deliver measurable, verifiable carbon reductions or removals.

The initiative arrives as the voluntary carbon market faces pressure to prove credibility and integrity amid mounting corporate demand for offsets. While new methodologies and technologies continue to emerge, many projects fail to advance because of a persistent gap in early-stage financing.

Carbon Done Correctly

Cool Effect’s framework for project selection, branded as “Carbon Done Correctly,” requires multi-stage due diligence, scientific validation, and on-the-ground evaluation. The nonprofit said Catalyst funding will be disbursed in exchange for credits issued at a later date, helping projects secure the upfront resources they need while maintaining accountability for results.

“As we celebrate our 10-year anniversary, The Cool Effect Catalyst reflects our unwavering commitment to supporting the world’s highest quality carbon projects,” said Jodi Manning, Chief Executive Officer of Cool Effect. “This milestone is about more than looking back. It’s about empowering the future of climate action.”

The award is open to projects that have already issued or plan to issue credits under a carbon crediting program approved by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market’s Core Carbon Principles (CCPs). Eligible applicants must also provide a detailed plan — whether research-based, design-focused, or implementation-ready — along with a clear timeline for credit issuance.

Eligibility and Criteria

Cool Effect will consider both reduction and removal projects, spanning nature-based and technology-driven solutions. To qualify, methodologies must have been published or updated since January 2022, reflecting the latest standards for permanence, additionality, and verification. Applicants must also outline how they intend to use the award funds to support measurable climate outcomes.

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“Too many scientifically sound projects never make it past the starting line due to lack of resources, and this award is designed to change that,” said Dee Lawrence, Co-Founder and Director of Cool Effect. “With the launch of The Cool Effect Catalyst, we’re addressing one of the most significant barriers to climate solutions: early-stage funding.”

Implications for Investors and the Market

For investors and corporates under pressure to demonstrate credible climate strategies, initiatives like the Catalyst could help widen the pipeline of high-integrity projects in the voluntary carbon market. Financing constraints have long hampered smaller developers and emerging technologies, creating a mismatch between corporate demand for quality credits and the supply able to meet stringent ESG standards.

By providing upfront capital in exchange for later credits, the award creates a structure that resembles early investment blended with procurement, potentially offering a model that others in the sector may adopt. The approach aligns with growing calls from policymakers and investors for mechanisms that derisk early-stage carbon projects and diversify beyond large-scale forestry initiatives.

A Global Signal

Cool Effect’s launch carries weight not only in the U.S. but across emerging carbon markets worldwide, where developers face similar challenges in securing startup funding. The announcement also coincides with heightened scrutiny on voluntary credits as regulators, standard-setters, and buyers debate the role offsets should play in net-zero pathways.

For C-suite leaders, the Catalyst underscores both the opportunities and the risks of engaging in carbon markets: the chance to support high-quality projects that pass independent scrutiny, and the need to avoid projects unable to scale due to financial shortfalls.

Cool Effect plans to select its awardee later this year, positioning the initiative as both a financial lifeline and a governance test for how emerging carbon projects can demonstrate credibility in a market still defining its future.

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