A
Fake or unverifiable credits
Units whose origin, identifier, or registry status cannot be substantiated by reliable data.
CARBON CREDITS • INTEGRITY • VERIFICATION
The value of a carbon credit depends on its integrity.
Credible carbon credits can enable companies, event organizers, and individuals to help finance climate action. But it is essential to establish whether the credit purchased is backed by real, verifiable environmental performance.
Positive climate action — grounded in verifiable evidence.
CARBONCREDIT.CFValue depends on verifiable integrity.
TAKING PART IN CLIMATE ACTION
Emissions reduction comes first.
Credible carbon credits can complement it.
Companies should prioritize reducing their own greenhouse gas emissions. As a complement, carbon credits can channel finance to programmes that deliver verifiable emissions reductions or carbon dioxide removals.
Companies, conference and event organizers, and individuals can use carbon credits to help finance climate programmes. Properly documented use can be accompanied by a certificate identifying the relevant credits and the amount of emissions addressed or claimed as offset.
Carbon credits do not replace direct emissions reductions, and a certificate alone does not automatically substantiate every environmental claim. Integrity depends on verifiable project data, an appropriate monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system, and reliable registry records.
01Measurable outcomes
A project’s environmental performance must be supported by data.
02MRV and verification
Measurement, reporting, and verification are essential to integrity.
03Traceability
The unit’s identifier and registry status must be verifiable.
01 / CHECKING INTEGRITY
A carbon credit’s mere existence on the market is not enough.
Buyers and users need to establish whether a credit was issued under the applicable rules, which project it relates to, and whether registry data support its origin and status.
A project’s MRV system covers measurement, reporting, and verification. Independent validation or verification examines project claims, while a registry supports unit identification, recordkeeping, and status tracking. A registry does not, by itself, replace substantive project verification.
The principle
A carbon credit’s value rests on demonstrable environmental performance that complies with the applicable rules, supported by reliable registry records.
02 / PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT FROM OUROFFSET
We help investigate what lies behind carbon credits offered on the market.
OurOffset can assist in examining the origin, identifiers, registry data, and supplied documentation of carbon credits offered on the market. The aim is to help buyers and other market participants make better-informed decisions.
Depending on the case and available evidence, a professional assessment or expert opinion may be prepared. The review may cover credit traceability, consistency across documents, registry status, and verifiability.
- Review of unique credit identifiers and registry data.
- Cross-checking supplied documents and claims.
- Clear documentation of findings and remaining uncertainties.
The scope of a review depends on the documents and data available. An expert opinion can only be based on evidence that can actually be checked.
Request professional guidance03 / FRAUD AND MISCONDUCT
Protecting integrity starts with identifying misleading conduct.
Misconduct in carbon markets can occur at different stages: falsification of project data, exaggeration of environmental outcomes, misuse of documents, or the sale of credits. Any suspicion must be assessed on the basis of evidence.
B
Manipulation of MRV data
Falsified or misleading measurements, assessments, and reports that may overstate the amount of emissions reduced.
C
Registry discrepancies
Duplicate units, mismatched identifiers, inadequately documented statuses, or the risk of double counting.
Suspicion and proven fraud are not the same.
CarbonCredit.cf aims to promote reviews based on documents and verifiable facts. A methodological dispute or incomplete documentation alone does not prove intentional fraud; conclusions must be proportionate to the strength of the evidence.
04 / HOW CAN A CARBON CREDIT BE CHECKED?
Verification involves several complementary steps.
Checking integrity requires more than looking at a single certificate or website. Documents, unit data, and project claims must be assessed together for consistency.
Identifier and origin
Can the credit be found in the named registry, and do its identifier, project, and quantity details match?
Project and MRV
Are appropriate documents available for the methodology, measurement, reporting, and verification?
Status and use
Are the unit’s current status and ownership clear, and is it known whether the unit has been used or retired?
The aim is not to reject carbon credits, but to ensure that money spent on climate action supports verifiable, credible outcomes.
05 / RESPONSIBLE PARTICIPATION IN CLIMATE ACTION
Support climate action programmes — on the basis of evidence.
Under appropriate conditions, carbon credits can enable companies and individuals to provide finance for climate programmes. Integrity checks help ensure decisions are not based solely on promises or impressive-looking certificates.
- 01
Reduce our own emissions.
Direct, measurable emissions reductions should be the first priority.
- 02
Check the credit.
Check the origin, project data, documentation, and registry status.
- 03
Keep the documentation.
Maintain clear, verifiable documentation of credit use and related claims.
CARBONCREDIT.CF • INTEGRITY AND TRANSPARENCY
Climate action matters.
Evidence makes it credible.
Checking carbon credit authenticity is an essential part of responsible decisions and market confidence.
Contact usOUR OFFSET • PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT
Unsure whether a carbon credit offered on the market is authentic?
OurOffset can help review carbon credit documentation and registry data and, depending on the circumstances, prepare a professional assessment or expert opinion.
Tell us which credit, project, or commercial offer you would like reviewed. Do not send confidential or personal information until we have separately agreed on a secure way to share it.
Document reviewCross-checking identifiers, certificates, and available data.
Registry recordsReview of information available in the registry and the unit’s status.
Professional assessmentClear, documented presentation of findings and limitations.
The outcome of a review depends on the evidence available and actually verifiable. An expert opinion does not replace a decision by the competent authority.
GET IN TOUCH
Send us a message
Briefly describe what you need help with.
PROFESSIONAL SOURCES
Checking integrity requires verifiable sources.
The organizations below provide starting points for understanding carbon market integrity, methodologies, and misconduct risks. Any specific case should be assessed using the original documents.
DOJ
U.S. Department of JusticeOfficial announcements and criminal proceedings
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SEC
U.S. Securities and Exchange CommissionInvestor protection and corporate violations
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FCA
Carbon credit trading scamsConsumer warning about carbon credit trading scams
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ICVCM
Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon MarketPrinciples for a high-integrity voluntary carbon market
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CS
CreditStandard.earthCarbon standards and integrity frameworks
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CarbonCredit.cf aims to provide professional information and encourage evidence-based reviews. Claims of fraud or irregularity should be made only when supported by appropriate evidence. Suspicion, methodological disagreement, and legally established fraud are distinct categories.