Buying guides

These guides take you from deciding to offset to holding a retirement record you can check. They are written for people and organisations buying in the voluntary market, and they compare sellers neutrally, including the offset shop run by the same team as this site.

Before you buy

Cut your own emissions first. The Oxford Offsetting Principles put reductions first and treat credits as a complement for what remains^{Source 1}. Then work out how many tonnes you want to cover: one credit represents one tonne of CO₂ equivalent^{Source 2}.

What every buyer should check

The same checks apply whoever you buy from:

• Serial numbers and a public registry, so you can look the credits up yourself.
• Retirement with your name on the record. Once retired, credits can’t be recirculated or resold^{Source 3}.
• The standard and methodology. The ICVCM’s Core Carbon Principles set a quality threshold, and credits that meet it can carry the CCP label^{Source 4}.

Our guide on how to verify carbon credits shows how to check a retirement in each registry, and carbon credit scams lists the warning signs.

How we compare sellers

We describe sellers using what their own pages say: the type of seller, who they serve, the smallest amount they sell, and whether they show registry serial numbers and retirement records. Where a seller’s pages don’t say, we mark it as unknown rather than guess. Sellers are listed alphabetically, not ranked.

BuyCarbonOffsets.org, an offset shop run by the same team as this site, appears on the same terms as everyone else, is marked as our own shop in comparisons, and every page links to our disclosure.

Which guide is for you?

• Buying for yourself? How to buy carbon credits as an individual covers flights, everyday emissions and sellers that sell small amounts.
• Buying for a small business? Buying carbon credits for a small business covers budgets and what you can claim.
• Buying for a company? Buying carbon credits for a company covers procurement, due diligence and reporting.
• Buying in large volumes? Buying carbon credits in bulk covers requests for proposals, brokers, exchanges and contract terms.
• Comparing sellers? Where to buy carbon credits lists providers side by side.
• Buying online? How to buy carbon credits online covers what to check on a listing and after you pay.
• Looking for the lowest price? The cheapest carbon credits shows which credits cost least and the quality trade-offs.
• Want a list to work through? The buyer’s checklist has 14 checks on one page, with a free PDF.
• Want the general walk-through? How to buy carbon offsets covers the steps, prices and what to check before you pay.

New to carbon credits? Start with what a carbon credit is, or read the guide to buying carbon credits.