The best place to get carbon credits is directly from the project developer you want to support. This is the most direct and lowest cost way to buy carbon offsets. To do so, you need to have a lot of patience as it typically takes two or more years for a carbon credit to reach the market after project completion. This is due to the required project design, securing financing, project development and construction, and project validation and registration.

Once the credits are ready to be sold, they will be put up for sale by the developer under an agreement called an Emission Reduction Purchase Agreement (ERPA). An ERPA allows the crediting project to sell the credit volumes it expects to produce over time. This option is usually used by large buyers with significant emissions reduction requirements or investors looking to invest in a project at an early stage.

Other options for buying carbon.credit exchange involve retail traders or brokers. These businesses link supply and demand by purchasing large amounts of credits directly from the supplier, then bundling them into portfolios based on their size, location, quality, and other criteria. They then sell these bundles to the end buyers, often taking a small commission. Retail traders can be a good choice for larger companies that require greater volumes of carbon credits than smaller entities.

Another option is to seek out a carbon credit retailer that has already sourced and verified projects. These retailers may also be able to advise buyers on where in the lifecycle of a credit or offset they should make their purchases. This is important because it affects pricing and the timing of when a credit will be available for use.

Finally, some carbon credit buyers choose to sponsor the development of protocols for new types of project activities that are not yet eligible in existing crediting programs. This option is resource-intensive and can be risky but may be appropriate for organizations that are seeking to contribute to a low carbon world.

When buying carbon credits, it is crucial to find ones that are carefully verified using careful data and analysis. This ensures that the credit will have the environmental impact it claims to. One of the most popular ways to verify carbon credits is through a third party verifier, such as LandGate’s Verification Services. Verified carbon credits are guaranteed to be of high quality and can be sold to the voluntary carbon market. In the VCM, entities purchase carbon credits to demonstrate their commitment to reducing their own emissions or to compensate for their emissions from activities not under their control. This helps them achieve their net zero goals or hedge against the financial risks of a transition to a low carbon economy. The carbon market is growing rapidly and the demand for carbon credits is expected to continue to grow as more countries move to a low carbon economy. The VCM is the fastest-growing segment of the carbon markets, accounting for almost 50% of current emissions reduction transactions globally.