Our editorial policy explains how The Planet Brief researches, writes and reviews sustainability, carbon markets, ESG (environmental, social and governance), net zero and green finance articles.
Last updated: May 2026
Editorial mission
The Planet Brief exists to make sustainability topics easier to understand without stripping away the complexity that matters. We write for founders, operators, investors and business readers who need clear explanations of carbon markets, ESG reporting, net zero, climate claims and green finance.
Source standards
For regulatory, market, reporting and financial topics, we prefer primary or authoritative sources. These include official government guidance, regulators, standards bodies, scheme administrators, recognised market organisations and original policy documents.
Examples include sources such as the GHG (greenhouse gas) Protocol, SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative), ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization), the European Commission, UK government guidance, the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority), ICMA (International Capital Market Association) and official carbon market scheme documents. We may also use credible journalism, academic work or practitioner sources when they add useful context.
How we handle uncertainty
Sustainability regulation, carbon markets and green finance change quickly. Where rules, prices or market conditions may change, we aim to make that clear and avoid presenting moving information as permanent fact.
For articles involving proposed rules, consultations, market prices or changing eligibility criteria, we try to separate what is confirmed from what is expected, proposed or conditional. Where dates matter, we aim to use specific dates rather than vague timing language.
Article structure and sources
Our longer guides are intended to be useful without requiring a reader to already know the topic. We aim to explain acronyms on first use, link to relevant background articles, cite useful source documents, and include practical checks where a reader may need to compare options.
Source links are chosen for usefulness rather than volume. A regulatory explainer should point readers toward the regulator or standard-setter where possible. A market article may also include credible research, industry sources and primary market documents where they help explain the issue.
Financial and professional boundaries
Green investing content is for information and education only. It is not financial advice, investment advice, a recommendation, or a personal financial promotion. ESG reporting, carbon accounting and compliance content is general information only and is not legal, accounting, tax or regulatory advice.
Commercial independence
The Planet Brief may reference related projects including The Carbon Workbench where the tools are relevant to the article. We aim to keep these references useful, limited and clearly contextual. Sponsored content, affiliate links or material commercial relationships will be disclosed where relevant.
Commercial relationships should not decide whether a subject is covered or how a conclusion is written. Where product links are included, the article still needs to stand on its own with practical explanation, caveats and buying checks. We do not present affiliate products as personalised recommendations.
Review and updates
We review priority articles when rules, guidance or market conditions materially change. Articles may include an updated date where useful for readers.
Priority review areas include sustainability reporting rules, carbon market eligibility, green finance regulation, carbon price guides, high-traffic investment explainers and articles where outdated information could materially mislead readers. Older articles may be updated, expanded, redirected or retired if they no longer serve readers clearly.
Contact
For editorial questions, email hello@theplanetbrief.com.