Laos' carbon market: a new decree, a fresh Singapore deal, and a hydropower-heavy registry

The policy picture

Laos has gone from no rulebook to a working one in eighteen months. The government adopted a Carbon Credit Decree in 2025 that makes the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment the lead authority: a developer first secures approval from the relevant line ministry, then registers with the ministry. The decree was taken on a national dissemination tour in January 2026.

On 4 September 2026 Laos signed an Implementation Agreement with Singapore, Singapore's twelfth and its fourth in ASEAN. It commits both sides to corresponding adjustments, cancels 2% of credits at first issuance for overall mitigation, and sends 5% of proceeds to adaptation in Laos. The list of eligible methodologies and the authorisation process are to follow. Laos is therefore an eligible host for Singapore's 12 million tonne tender, but its projects cannot yet show a Singapore-specific authorisation.

Laos has already authorised once: in November 2025 the ministry approved up to 3 million credits from an enteric methane project for use under Article 6.2 and CORSIA.

What the registries show

Laos' registered projects are mostly run-of-river hydropower on Gold Standard, plus cookstoves and water filters. The pipeline is more varied: more hydropower, reforestation listings from a new local developer, wastewater methane and rice, and the 600 MW Monsoon Wind project in Sekong and Attapeu, now in validation on Verra and the single largest claim in the country.

Where the credits have come from

Credits issued and retired to date, Berkeley Voluntary Registry Offsets Database (2026-06 release).

The largest projects not yet issuing

Claimed tonnes per year are the proponent's own estimate as filed with the registry, before validation.

Who is developing

Swiss Carbon Assets is the most established name, mostly on hydropower. Laos Global Carbon Technology has listed five reforestation projects, all still in the pipeline.

Developers grouped across registries and spellings by CarbonIntel. A project with several proponents counts for each.

Latest registry moves

• 2026-09-25Lao Ngam Cassava Starch Plant Carbon Emission Reduction ProjectPipeline listing requested (under validation) → Under validation (Public comment period open)

What we are watching

• The methodology list and authorisation steps under the Singapore agreement, which decide which Lao projects can actually bid.
• Monsoon Wind's validation, and whether it is offered as authorised supply.
• Laos' NDC 3.0 and how much of the forest target it keeps for itself.