You’ve got your hands full. You’re trying to run your carbon credit business and still find time to scale. You’re also probably getting all sorts of suggestions on which registry to list with and why. Between all the verification and coordination with different parties, you don't know how long it'll be until your credits can be issued.
However, selecting the right registry is key to getting the right visibility for your projects and sending the right message about them in the first place.
Whether you end up choosing based on the type of credits they offer, their rates, or quality indicators like CCP-approved methodologies, you’re creating a new sales channel for buyers to funnel in through. On top of that, listing on a registry demonstrates your commitment to transparency and integrity in the market. Since you’d be having to go through a validation and verification process and making your credit issuances, retirements, and important relevant documents like your PDD public, you’re displaying that there’s nothing to hide when it comes to your due diligence.
That’s why we created this guide to walk you through a list of the most respected carbon offset registries, explain how they function, why you should opt for listing your project on a carbon offset registry, and some of the challenges you might face when you do so.
We’ll be looking at:
- ACR
- The Climate Action Reserve
- Gold Standard
- Verra
- Isometric
- Puro.earth
- Plan Vivo Foundation
- City Forest Credits
- International Carbon Registry
- Carbon Standards International
How Registries Function in the VCM
Not only do registries function as a demand channel, but they are also vital to bridging trust between suppliers and buyers in the VCM.
Their validation processes and transparent credit lifecycle tracking ensure suppliers are true to their word. Keeping a public track record of the carbon credit lifecycle is especially important because it eliminates the risk of credit double-counting — an unfavorable outcome for both buyers and sellers.
The way that they enforce adherence to vetted methodologies also adds peace of mind to buyers. This is especially true for methodologies that have been CCP-approved or bear some other quality indicator.
Many registries also open their pending projects for public comment. By doing so, they are fostering important academic dialogue that strengthens their projects and holds project developers accountable.
Plus, registries make the buying process much more streamlined for corporations looking to offset their emissions. Instead of having to hop from one supplier site to another, trying to validate every claim, and understand what credits are even available, they can just filter and sort by carbon credit project information on the registry of their choosing.
Dedicated registries also make it easier for buyers to find the type of carbon credits they need. If they’re looking for more permanent removal solutions, they can go to a technology-based carbon credit project registry. Or, if they want more community-rooted projects, they might opt for a nature-based solutions registry.
When purchasing carbon credits is never as simple as adding something to cart, registries invite more ease to the process.
Challenges Developers Commonly Face
While there are some clear benefits to listing your projects on a registry, there are some challenges you may encounter during the process.
Choosing a Methodology
Some methodologies are considered to be stronger indicators of quality than others (like being CCP-approved. However, they may not easily slot into your existing process — whether it has to do the rate at which you record your metrics or the boundaries of your land-based project.
Working through the time it takes to pivot, understand the timeline to issuance, and compile the documents that registries require can be a daunting task to add to your already-full plate.
Long Timelines to Issuance
You won’t start issuing credits immediately or even shortly after registering for an account. It can take anywhere from 6-8 weeks until you’re ready. There’s simply too much validation and verification to be done.
This is especially true since this verification has to go through third-party bodies. This can lead to a lot of delays or pauses in an already lengthy process just because of coordination alone.
This can be tough for developers who are counting on these sales to continue driving the business.
Why You Should List Your Projects on a Registry
Listing is extra work — there’s no doubt about it. However, the additional credibility (and sales) it’ll give your carbon credit projects makes it well worth the effort.
Transparency Appeals to More Buyers
The robust investigation into a project's claims and tracking of credit issuances has led to a perception from buyers that registry-listed credits are of higher quality. The clear public documentation of project details, methodologies, and verification reports that they provide is exactly what more and more carbon credit buyers are looking for.
This not only makes them more willing to purchase your credits but also more willing to purchase your credits at a higher cost.
Reduced Double-Counting Risk
That same transparency helps ensure double-counting won’t be happening under their watch.
The governance they provide guarantees carbon credits aren't sold more than once through unique serial numbers and retirement tracking, which is also important to buyers. Measures to stamp out double-counting are at the root of all high-integrity projects.
Access to Premium Markets
You have to follow certain methodologies from certain registries like Verra or Gold Standard to be eligible for high-demand markets like CORSIA. These markets make your credits a hot commodity, and one that you can typically charge price premiums for.
Helpful Preparation for Compliance Markets
Compliance markets are still developing their preferred methodologies. Frameworks like Article 6.4 and CRCF will require specific methodologies that may build on existing registry approaches. Early adoption will save you time and effort later on.
Easier to Find
On top of everything else, joining a registry makes your projects much easier to find and purchase. It’s a milestone to hit as your carbon credit business matures to grow your sales.
A Comprehensive List of Carbon Offset Registries
Struggling to differentiate one registry from another? Don’t know which is best for your budget? Keep reading to get your answers:
ACR
Headquarters: Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
Type of credits: Forestry, Industrial, Carbon Capture and Storage, and Waste Handling and Disposal
Impact measure: Over 315 million tons of CO2e credits issued
ACR is one of the oldest bodies in the VCM. It was founded back in 1996 as the first private voluntary greenhouse gas emissions registry. Today, they function as a global registry in the compliance and voluntary carbon markets.
Their long-standing history in the carbon market may have lent a hand to the level of integrity and quality listings on their site. They’re one of the highly-vetted registries to be approved by the ICVCM label their CCP-eligible credits in April 2024.
Every project listed must have methodologies that pass the requirements outlined in the ACR Standard. Their methodologies guide project developers on everything from plugging gas and oil wells to improved forest management.
Listers must also adhere to a strict validation and verification process with independent third parties that follow ISO 14064-3 and ISO 14065. Afterward, they must validate their project plans once per crediting period and be prepared to regularly verify the issuance of credits.
Listing and maintaining a project on a registry does require some financial investment and upkeep. Below are some of the fees to track with ACR:
If you’re interested in listing a project with them, you can find the application here.
The Climate Action Reserve
Headquarters: Los Angeles, California, USA
Type of credits: Natural Climate Solutions, Waste Handling & Methane Destruction, Industrial Processes & Gasses
Impact measure: 63M retired carbon credits in 2023
The Climate Action Reserve got its start in 2001 under the name the California Climate Action Registry. They were created by the state of California to help organizations calculate and report emissions. Since then, they’ve grown out of their base in California to work as a leading registry in the VCM and select compliance markets like CORSIA and those in California and Washington.
Like the ACR, they boast high-quality carbon projects. In fact, they just had three of their protocols approved by the CCP in June 2024.
They maintain their projects' quality through accreditation with pre-determined verification bodies that have to verify the purported impact levels for providers. You can find their rigorous standards in their Reserve Offset Program Manual.
They also have a live project map, which brings it all to life and makes it easy for buyers to sort through projects.
Here are some of the fees you want to account for with them:
If you’re interested in listing with them, you can do so here.
Gold Standard
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Type of credits: Community Services, Natural Climate Solutions, Renewable Energy, Waste Management, and Water Benefits
Impact measure: 371M tonnes of CO2 equivalent reduced/removed
It’s no surprise that an organization named Gold Standard holds its projects to high standards.
Ever since their start in 2003, they’ve been highlighting that all projects listed on their registry have to answer at least three of the UN SDGs. (This just goes to show that meeting that kind of criteria can be beneficial when selling and marketing carbon credits).
They proudly position themselves as a top-quality registry saying they’re “the only climate-focused standard to reach ISEAL code compliance for good governance of standard setting, assurance and oversight.”
Another notable aspect of their website is that they provide a lot of resources like infographics and videos for project developers looking to list with them. This can shine a light on what is already a lengthy process that you want to get right the first time.
Here are some of the most common fees you’ll run into when registering with Gold Standard:
If you’re interested in applying, you can do so here.
Verra
Headquarters: Washington D.C., USA
Type of credits: Blue Carbon, Carbon Capture And Storage, Agriculture, Forestry, REDD, Other Land Use, Energy Transition
Impact measure: 1.3B+ tonnes of greenhouse gasses reduced and removed
Verra is a major registry in the field. In fact, their Verified Carbon Standard Program is the leading program in the VCM with over 3,400 active projects.
They’ve issued over one billion credits across a wide array of project types since their founding in 2007. Not only have they issued a large number of credits, but they care about quality, too. They’ve designed multiple CCP-approved methodologies which is very appealing for buyers looking for top projects.
Since their registry is so robust, they separate their listings into six different programs:
- Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program
- VCS Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ (JNR) Framework
- Scope 3 Standard (S3S) Program
- Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards (CCBS) Program
- Sustainable Development Verified Impact Standard (SD VISta) Program
- Plastic Waste Reduction Standard (PWRS) Program
This stands to the testament that they’re leading the charge on a lot of different fronts in the VCM.
Take a look at some of the common fees you’ll encounter listing with Verra here:
If you’re interested in listing with Verra, you can get started here.
Isometric
Headquarters: London, England
Type of credits: Carbon removal
Impact measure: Issued 15,977 high-quality credits
Ever since Isometric’s story started in 2022, they’ve focused on introducing integrity and rigorous scientific methods into carbon removal projects. Boasting buyers like Frontier, Stripe, and Google, they’ve been relentless about high-quality carbon removal.
They claim to move rather fast compared to other registries. They say it only takes a month on average to start issuing credits and just weeks to develop new protocols. This is good news for project developers wanting to hit the ground running.
They were the first registry to be endorsed by ICROA, CORSIA, AND ICVCM. They claim their scientific standards “command a price premium for meeting the most scientifically rigorous protocols on the market.”
Their business model accounts for conflicts of interest during validation and verification in a unique way. They choose to cover the cost of verification themselves, rather than having the project developer pay it, to eliminate any potential opportunity to undermine the validation and verification of projects on their registry.
Any more information on the common fees you’ll find with isometric are not publicly available. However, if you want to start the process, you can do so here.
Puro.earth
Headquarters: Helsinki, Finland
Type of credits: Engineered carbon removal
Impact measure: Removed 1,168,830 tonnes of carbon dioxide to date
Puro.earth is another notable registry for carbon removal projects. They require each project that they list to “capture and store CO2 durably for a minimum of 100 years, and have industrial scaling potential.” This sends a positive signal to any potential buyers who want projects with a high degree of permanence that they can find those carbon credits at Puro.earth. They’ve also been endorsed by ICROA, which is another quality marker.
They heavily encourage scalability throughout their business model. They even incentivize within their fee structure. Project developers with higher volume and scale potential get more favorable pricing. They also emphasize some of their straightforward approaches to pricing. They say they have “a simple fee model by not having a secondary trading fee and instead having a fixed fee per unit retirement fee.” So, for project developers with a high level of credits that are only set to grow, it might be an option worth exploring.
Here’s some more information about their fees:
If you’re interested in registering, you can do so here.
Plan Vivo Foundation
Headquarters: Edinburgh, Scotland
Type of credits: Nature- Based Solutions
Impact measure: 10.8M tonnes of CO2 emissions reductions planned
Plan Vivo was founded in 1994 with a vision to help carbon credit project developers plant trees in Mexico. It was their guidance that helped project developers create the first credits for the VCM. Since then, they’ve become a major registry for nature-based carbon credit projects —having issued ten million Plan Vivo Certificates in 2024.
They divide all their projects into two programs:
- Plan Vivo Carbon Standard (PV Climate): forestry
- Plan Vivo Biodiversity Standard (PV Nature): restoration of degraded ecosystems and conservation of areas with significant biodiversity
One notable thing is that 60% of the income from the sale of these projects goes back to the local communities.
Their protocols are set up nicely for project developers starting small but have big plans to scale. They say that their approach allows for projects to “be made up of a single area or many separate project areas (e.g. many smallholdings) across a landscape, and can expand programmatically over time.” This means that you wouldn’t have to wait until you’re a large-scale developer to list and drive sales.
The program you end up falling under ultimately determines your pricing. We’ve broken it down for you below:
If this sounds right up your alley, you can apply here.
City Forest Credits
Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, USA
Type of credits: Urban forestry preservation and conservation
Impact measure: 13 dedicated active programs
This is a registry that’s all about urban forestry in North America. Among their buyers are the likes of PayPal, Microsoft, and the city of Austin.
City Forest Credits was founded by a scientist that spent his career steeped in urban forestry protocols and research throughout his career. That level of scientific rigor and passion has informed their mission and protocols.
They rate their projects with an impact scorecard which tracks attributes like result metrics and UN SDGs. Seeing this score makes it easier for buyers to understand the level of quality these credits have. So, for urban forestry project developers with strong projects in North America, this might be a great option.
The foundation’s passion for the myriad of benefits that city forests provide is clear across the whole site. The fact that they’re ICROA accredited is further evidence of that.
To get an idea of what it would cost to list with them, here are their fees from 2021:
If you’re interested in listing, you can get started here.
International Carbon Registry
Headquarters: Reykjavík, Iceland
Type of credits: Afforestation and reforestation, Agriculture, Energy demand, Energy industries, Manufacturing industries, Mining/mineral production, Transport, Waste handling and disposal
Impact measure: 269M tons of CO2 equivalent mitigated
Founded in 2020, the International Carbon Registry keeps their commitment to buyers and suppliers front and center. Whether it’s through waste management or mangrove conservation, they’re holding 126 projects across the world accountable to their claims.
Endorsed by ICROA and a member of IETA, they’re frequently steeped in conversations around high-integrity carbon credits. Being members of both these groups is a promising indicator for buyers. They’re also aligned with ISO 9001:2015, which adds further credibility to their operations.
Below are the fees you might encounter when listing with them:
Carbon Standards International
Headquarters: Frick, Switzerland
Type of credits: Biochar, Agriculture, Forestry, Industry
Founded in 2021, Carbon Standards International is a strong registry option for nature-based solutions. Not only have they developed novel standards for biochar and global cooling projects, but they also provide guidance services for potential listers. It’s unique for a registry to be willing to provide guidance packages, so this option might be especially appealing for early-stage developers who might benefit from extra direction.
They’re also starting to get some acclaim from major regulatory bodies in the industry. ICROA recently issued a conditional endorsement of their carbon sink projects. This is promising news about the quality of the projects on their registry, which is a positive signal to buyers.
Here is some pricing that you should expect for their services:
To get started with Carbon Standards International, sign up here.
Ready to scale?
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