Carbon credits let you pay for emissions to be reduced or removed somewhere else, one tonne at a time. Bought carefully, they can support real projects. Bought carelessly, they can fund credits that were counted twice, over-credited or never retired. This guide shows you how to buy them carefully.

Our guides follow a published editorial policy, and we cite a primary source for every fact. One of the providers we list, BuyCarbonOffsets.org, is an offset shop run by the same team; it appears on the same terms as everyone else, and every page links to our disclosure.

Claims: what changed in the EU

From 27 September 2026, EU rules ban claims, based on offsetting, that a product has a neutral, reduced or positive impact on the climate. Phrases such as “climate neutral” and “CO₂ neutral certified” are given as examplesSource 5. Businesses can still describe their investments in carbon credit projects, as long as the information isn’t misleadingSource 5. Our guide to the EU green-claims ban explains what you can still say.

A credit is worth what you can prove about it. Each one represents one tonne of CO₂ equivalentSource 1, and once it is retired in a registry it can’t be recirculated or resoldSource 9. The ICVCM’s Core Carbon Principles set a quality threshold that credits can be labelled againstSource 6, and rating agencies such as BeZero assess risks like over-crediting, non-permanence and leakage project by projectSource 7.

What you are actually buying

A carbon credit is a record in a registry, with its own serial number. A project, such as a forest protection scheme or a biochar plant, measures the emissions it avoids or removes, an auditor checks the numbers, and a standard such as Verra or Gold Standard issues one credit per tonne. Most credits retired so far come from projects that avoid or reduce emissions; only a small share are removalsSource 4. Our page on what a carbon credit is explains the basics, and removal vs avoidance credits covers the two broad kinds.

How much carbon credits cost

Prices vary widely by project type and quality. Credits retired in Q3 2026 cost an average of $6.92 per tonne, up from $5.66 a year earlierSource 2. Highly rated credits cost much more: reforestation credits rated BBB or higher averaged $23.47, against $12.80 for those rated BB or lowerSource 2. In Ecosystem Marketplace’s survey of 2024 deals, removal credits averaged $19.50 per tonne and reduction credits $4.05Source 3. Retail prices for small purchases are set by each seller. Our carbon credit price page has the latest published ranges by type, and the credits calculator turns your tonnes into a number of credits and a budget.

Where to start