How Are Carbon Credits Issued?

It’s not clear to many how carbon credits come into existence. They don’t just ‘pop up’ in the way central banks increase the currency supply. In reality the process involves a complex series of steps, from a project proposal document, through to validation, monitoring, reporting and verification, and final issuance by a carbon standards group. In this Carbonwise Visual Learning asset, we help set out the sequence of steps needed to create a carbon credit.

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LATEST VISUAL LEARNING

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Explore how ‘standards’ establish thresholds and benchmarks that help to measure CO2 reductions, avoidances or removals achieved by carbon projects, produced in collaboration with Verra.
Nationally Determined Contributions: the national targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions submitted by each country voluntarily under the Paris Agreement.

30 June 2026

HIGHLIGHT
Carbon Crunch: What to Expect from the Coming EU ETS Review

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VIDEO
The Life Cycle of a Carbon Credit

Explore how ‘standards’ establish thresholds and benchmarks that help to measure CO2 reductions, avoidances or removals achieved by carbon projects, produced in collaboration with Verra.

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GLOSSARY
NDCs

Nationally Determined Contributions: the national targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions submitted by each country voluntarily under the Paris Agreement.

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