Buy | Sell Carbon Credits

To understand how buying and selling carbon credits works, imagine two very different businesses: , a massive reforestation project in the Amazon, and Steel-Forge , a heavy industrial plant in Europe. 1. The Producer: Creating a Credit

Eco-Growers spends years planting millions of native trees. As these trees grow, they naturally "inhale" carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. According to Investopedia , a is a permit representing the removal of one metric ton of carbon dioxide. Once an independent auditor verifies that Eco-Growers has successfully sequestered 1,000 tons of CO2, they are issued 1,000 digital carbon credits. 2. The Buyer: Offsetting Emissions buy sell carbon credits

Meanwhile, Steel-Forge is trying to lower its environmental impact. While they’ve upgraded their machinery, their industrial process still emits 1,000 tons of CO2 more than their local government allows (a "cap"). To avoid heavy fines, Steel-Forge goes to a marketplace like Carbonmark or a Voluntary Carbon Market . 3. The Exchange: Buying and Selling Steel-Forge buys the 1,000 credits from Eco-Growers. To understand how buying and selling carbon credits

Once Steel-Forge uses these credits to meet their target, the credits are "." This means they are taken out of circulation so they can't be sold again, ensuring that the environmental benefit isn't counted twice. As these trees grow, they naturally "inhale" carbon

The money they receive from the sale provides the capital needed to plant even more trees or protect existing forests from logging. 4. Retirement: Ending the Cycle

What are carbon markets and how do they work? | UNDP Climate Promise