Average carbon credit prices vary more than fifty-fold between project typesSource 1, so it is tempting to buy the cheapest tonnes you can find. This guide shows which credits cost least, why, and how to keep your spend down without paying for credits that don’t do what they claim. It is part of our buying guides.
Which carbon credits cost the least?
Prices are rising. The average price paid per credit retired was $6.92 in Q3 2026, up from $5.66 a year earlierSource 9. For comparing categories on the same basis, the best open data is still Ecosystem Marketplace’s annual survey of voluntary market deals. In 2024 its average transaction price across all credits was $6.34 per tonne, down from $6.71 in 2023Source 1. Its averages by category show where the cheapest credits sit.
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| Category | Type | Average price, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Renewable energy | Avoidance | $2.67 |
| Chemical processes and industrial manufacturing | Avoidance | $3.66 |
| REDD+ (forest protection) | Avoidance | $6.03 |
| Waste disposal | Avoidance | $6.72 |
| Household and community devices (incl. cookstoves) | Avoidance | $7.30 |
| Afforestation, reforestation and revegetation | Removal | $20.44 |
| Biochar | Removal | over $160 |
Source: Ecosystem Marketplace, State of the Voluntary Carbon Market 2025 (Tables 3 and 4, and report summary for biochar). Averages of reported deals, not retail prices.As of Oct 2026
Across the whole market, reduction credits averaged $4.05 per tonne in 2024 and removal credits $19.50Source 1. Biochar removals averaged over $160 per tonneSource 1. Our carbon credit price page tracks these ranges over time.
Why are some credits so cheap?
Cheap categories tend to be avoidance projects, which prevent emissions rather than removing carbon from the air. Our page on removal vs avoidance credits explains the difference.
Low prices can also signal doubts about quality:
- Renewable energy. The cheapest category in the table. In August 2024 the ICVCM decided that credits from eight current renewable energy methodologies would not receive its CCP labelSource 2.
- Over-crediting. One review of studies covering almost a billion tonnes of credits estimated that less than 16% of the credits issued to those projects were real emission reductionsSource 4. Quality varies a lot within each category, so a low price is a reason to look closer.
A cheap credit isn't a bargain if the tonne isn't real
Each credit is meant to represent one tonne of CO₂ equivalent reduced or removedSource 6. If a project has been over-credited, the tonnes you paid for may not exist. Paying a little more for a credit with a CCP label or a strong independent rating can buy you more certainty, not just a nicer project.
Is a cheap credit ever a good choice?
It can be, if it passes the same checks as any other credit. Price isn’t only about quality. Gold Standard notes that the price of a credit depends on several factors, including the project’s co-benefits and market forcesSource 7. A project with fewer co-benefits, or in a category with plenty of supply, can be cheaper without being worse at cutting emissions. What matters is that the methodology is sound, the credits are on a public registry, and they are retired for you.
How to spend less without buying junk
Step 1: Cut first
Every tonne you avoid is a credit you don’t need to buy. Start with flights, energy and other big sources.
Step 2: Buy fewer, better tonnes
Cover a share of your emissions with credits you trust rather than all of them with the cheapest available.
Step 3: Check the label and the methodology
Look for credits from methodologies with the CCP label, and avoid categories the ICVCM has rejected.
Step 4: Compare the price per tonne
Compare sellers on the price per tonne for the same project type, including any fees, rather than the headline package price.
Step 5: Check the retirement
Make sure the credits are retired on a public registry, whatever you paid.
The Oxford Offsetting Principles put cutting emissions first and ask buyers to move towards removals with a low risk of reversal over timeSource 5. A mixed approach, with avoidance credits now and a growing share of removals, can keep costs manageable while moving in that direction. The ICVCM’s Core Carbon Principles give a quality threshold to filter bySource 3.
Our credits-needed calculator shows the cost of your tonnes at different prices per tonne, so you can compare a cheap option with a higher-quality one.
What does a budget buy? A worked example
Here is how the averages translate into a budget for 10 tonnes, using Ecosystem Marketplace’s 2024 averages of $4.05 per tonne for reduction credits and $19.50 for removal creditsSource 1:
- All reduction credits: 10 × $4.05 = about $41.
- All removal credits: 10 × $19.50 = $195.
- A mix of 8 tonnes of reductions and 2 tonnes of removals: (8 × $4.05) + (2 × $19.50) = about $71.
These are market averages, not quotes, and sellers set their own prices. The point is the shape: a small share of removals raises the cost far less than switching entirely, and it moves you in the direction the Oxford Principles recommendSource 5.
Watch out for prices that look too good
Red flags on price
- Credits with no project, standard or registry named. A low price means little if you can’t check what you bought.
- Credits sold as an investment. The FCA warns that people sold carbon credits as investments have reported they can’t sell or trade themSource 8.
- Very large amounts for very little, especially from a seller you can’t verify.
When you’re ready to buy, see how to buy carbon credits online for the steps and where to buy carbon credits to compare sellers. Do carbon offsets work? sets out the evidence on quality in more detail.