Carbon Direct Releases Quality Framework for Low-Carbon Fuel Procurement

Carbon Direct has released its first Criteria for High-Quality Low Carbon Fuels, a comprehensive framework designed to help voluntary market buyers evaluate and procure low-carbon fuels (LCFs) across hard-to-abate sectors including aviation, shipping, and heavy industry.

Published in June 2026, the Criteria for High-Quality Low Carbon Fuels consolidates sustainability, carbon accounting, and feedstock sourcing considerations into a single reference guide. It covers the full LCF value chain, from feedstock sourcing through to end use, giving buyers visibility into what their procurement actually covers and where additional due diligence may be needed.

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The release comes at a time when voluntary demand for low-carbon fuels is expanding rapidly, but the market remains fragmented. Buyers today must navigate multiple certification schemes, regional regulatory programs, and quality standards that frequently cover only portions of the supply chain or environmental impact profile. Carbon Direct's framework is designed to fill that gap.

"The voluntary low-carbon fuels market is complex, crowded, and moving fast," said Rohan Raman, Senior Hybrid Decarbonization Engineer at Carbon Direct. "The Criteria give buyers something no single existing certification provides: a unified, comprehensive set of quality principles that can be used to assess the sustainability of their procurement."

Six Core Principles

The framework is built around six principles that Carbon Direct says should underpin high-quality LCF production and procurement.

Avoiding social and environmental harms

Producers must demonstrate compliance with international labor standards, protect Indigenous rights and local communities, and disclose environmental risks transparently.

Preventing negative ecological impacts

The criteria call for protecting biodiversity and avoiding land-use practices that degrade ecosystems or displace existing land uses.

Comprehensive and conservative carbon accounting

The framework emphasizes accounting for indirect impacts that are difficult to measure, including land-use change, feedstock displacement, and broader market effects.

Demonstrating additionality

Producers are expected to show that voluntary market revenues are enabling emissions reductions or fuel production that would not otherwise occur, a standard that aligns with best practices across other voluntary carbon markets.

Sustainable and transparent feedstock sourcing

Traceable supply chains are required, with clear documentation of feedstock origins and procurement practices.

Assessing potential leakage effects

The criteria ask buyers and producers to consider whether fuel switching in one area may inadvertently increase emissions elsewhere in the supply chain or market.

A Living Framework, Not a Replacement

Carbon Direct designed the criteria to complement, rather than replace, existing certification systems. It uses a clear must/should framework to help buyers distinguish minimum requirements from best practices at each stage of the supply chain.

The document is intended as a living resource, with annual updates planned. Future editions are expected to expand coverage to synthetic fuel pathways, renewable natural gas, and sector-specific applications.

About Carbon Direct

Carbon Direct is a science-based carbon management company headquartered in New York. The firm works with corporate buyers and project developers on carbon credit procurement, climate strategy, and decarbonization advisory services, including a dedicated sustainable aviation fuel practice.