Define the purpose
Document the intended use before selecting credits. A voluntary contribution and a compliance obligation require different checks.
CREDIT QUALITY
Look beyond the headline tonne.
A useful first review asks what happened, how it was measured, who checked it, and how the unit can be traced.
Examine additionality
Review the case that the activity depends on carbon finance and the assumptions used to establish its baseline.
Understand durability
Ask how long storage is expected to last and how reversals, monitoring and compensation are addressed.
Check measurement
Read the methodology, monitoring reports, verification documents and uncertainty treatment. A headline volume is not enough.
Trace the unit
Check registry identifiers, project details, vintage, ownership and retirement records. Seek evidence against double issuance, use and claiming.
Look beyond the carbon
Examine safeguards, community consultation, benefit sharing and the documentation behind any wider-impact statements.
A starting framework, not an approval.
These questions draw on recognised integrity resources. Completing a checklist does not establish certification, compliance eligibility or a defensible public claim.
ICVCM · Core Carbon Principles →Undated; checked 13 November 2026BEFORE YOU COMMUNICATE
A credit and a claim
need separate scrutiny.
Document your own emissions reductions and the purpose of credit use. Have any proposed public statement reviewed against the applicable framework and jurisdiction.
VCMI · Claims Code of Practice →Living resource; checked 13 November 2026Questions to take into procurement.
Which documents should I request?
Project and registry IDs; methodology and version; monitoring periods; validation and verification reports; safeguards evidence; vintage and delivery terms; retirement documentation; and any eligibility evidence required for the specific use.
Can I treat all credits as interchangeable?
No. Project activity, durability, methodology, geography, vintage and intended use can differ. Compare documented attributes before comparing price.
Does this website certify projects?
No. It provides educational resources and a planning demonstration. Refer to the relevant programme and independent specialists for an actual project assessment.