To meet net zero targets, businesses need to reduce their emissions as much as possible. Emissions can be tracked through measuring and carbon reporting, which will in turn help to achieve the transparency and accountability – qualities that investors and other stakeholders increasingly want. However, it can be costly and time-consuming to install modern technology to help cut emissions. This makes carbon credits all the more appealing.
Buying carbon credits is one way for a business to address those emissions that it is unable to reduce. Carbon credits are certificates representing units of greenhouse gases that have been kept out of the air or removed from it, through the implementation of emission reduction projects. While carbon credits are not a new concept, the voluntary market for carbon credits has grown significantly in recent years. Because voluntary offset credits cannot be used in the standardised compliance markets, they tend to be cheaper and more accessible.