Frequently Asked Questions

Because the market is flooded with low-quality credits and confusing claims. We built COMP to solve this problem. When you buy from us, you get three things no one else offers in one place: 1. Unmatched Transparency with CRISP: We are the only marketplace that gives you a free, independent CRISP rating on projects. This "intelligence layer" does the hard work for you, assessing projects for quality and risk so you can invest with total confidence. 2. Instant, Verifiable Proof: Through our "Proof of Impact" system, we provide an immediate, automated certificate following payment. Following payment the carbon credits are retired on the appropriate registry. This is your guarantee against "double counting" and proof of your climate action. 3. 20+ Years of Trust: We are not a new, faceless broker. We are an audited (QAS) team of carbon experts who have been leading the industry for over two decades. We only sell credits we would be proud to put our own name on.

CRISP (Carbon Rating & Insights Platform) is our proprietary, independent rating system. Our experts analyse projects against key criteria—including additionality, permanence, and co-benefits—to give you a clear, easy-to-understand quality rating. It's designed to help you de-risk your purchase and avoid greenwashing.

Yes. We are annually audited against the Quality Assurance Standard (QAS) for carbon credits. This is a rigorous, 40-point independent audit that verifies our processes and, most importantly, confirms that we retire the correct quantity and quality of credits to match all of our sales.

Yes. We believe in multiplying the impact of every action. When you buy carbon credits through COMP, you are also supporting two other crucial initiatives at no extra cost to you: 1. Community Reforestation: For every 10 tonnes you purchase, we fund the planting of a new tree in our long-standing community project in Kenya. We have been supporting this specific project for over 18 years, helping to restore biodiversity and remove additional CO2 from the atmosphere. 2. Funding Future Innovation: 5% of all income COMP receives is donated to the Freedom Flight Prize, a multi-million-pound prize we founded to accelerate the development of zero-carbon passenger aircraft. When you buy from COMP, you aren't just compensating for your emissions; you are supporting long-term community action and investing in the breakthrough technologies of tomorrow.

The ICVCM (Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market) is an independent, global body set up to establish a new, high-integrity benchmark for the entire carbon market. The "Core Carbon Principles" (CCPs) are their set of 10 principles that define a high-quality carbon credit. When a credit is "CCP-labelled", it means the ICVCM has assessed it and it meets this new, rigorous quality threshold. The ICVCM's goal is to build trust and transparency, which we strongly support.

This is an excellent question. Think of it this way: • The ICVCM CCP Label is a high-integrity pass/fail benchmark for the programmes (the registries) and the individual methodologies. • Our CRISP Rating is our proprietary, expert-led analysis that provides an ongoing, granular quality 5 star rating for individual projects. The ICVCM's assessment process is rigorous, but it is also very slow. It will take several years for them to assess all programmes and methodologies. CRISP gives you the immediate you need to make confident decisions on specific projects today, covering all projects in our marketplace, including the many project types and methodologies that the ICVCM has not yet assessed.

Yes, as they become available. The ICVCM's approval process is in its early stages, so the global supply of CCP-labelled credits is still extremely limited. We are actively sourcing these credits and provide you the ability to filter for them on COMP. In the meantime, our CRISP rating remains the most reliable, comprehensive guide to identifying high-quality projects across our entire portfolio.

A carbon credit represents a verified reduction or removal of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to one metric tonne of CO2 (tCO2e). When you purchase carbon credits, you're funding projects that remove or reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, such as renewable energy projects, forest conservation, or methane capture initiatives.

Carbon credits work by funding projects that either remove CO2 from the atmosphere or prevent emissions that would otherwise occur. Each credit represents one metric tonne of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e) reduced or removed. When you buy carbon credits, you are compensating for your own emissions by supporting verified environmental projects.

As CO2 spreads out in the atmosphere and climate change is not local – it doesn't matter where the emissions take place or where they are compensated. 1 tonne of CO2 in Manchester is the same as 1 tonne of CO2 Mumbai.

Yes, when purchased from reputable sources with proper verification standards. Look for credits certified by recognised standards like Verra (VCS) and Gold Standard. These ensure that projects are real, additional, permanent, and properly measured. Avoid uncertified or unverified credits.

Common types include: • Renewable Energy (wind, solar and hydro power projects) • Forest Conservation (protecting existing forests from deforestation) • Reforestation and Afforestation (planting new trees) • Methane Capture (capturing methane from landfills or agriculture) • Direct Air Capture (technology that pulls CO2 directly from the air) • Energy Efficiency projects (like clean drinking water and efficient cookstoves)

Avoidance credits prevent emissions from going into the atmosphere that would otherwise occur (like switching from coal to renewable energy), while removal credits actively remove CO2 from the atmosphere (like direct air capture or forest growth). Removal credits are becoming particularly important for companies looking to achieve Net Zero.

Nature-based solutions like forests can be effective but carry risks such as wildfires, disease, or reversibility. The best nature-based projects have strong monitoring, insurance against reversals, and buffer pools to account for potential losses. Reducing deforestation is a key step towards reducing emissions, and without supporting these projects there is a real risk we will not be able to achieve climate change targets.

High-quality credits must be: • Additional (wouldn't happen without carbon credit funding) • Permanent (reductions are long-lasting) • Verified (independently audited) • Unique (not double-counted) • Recent (from recent projects) While you should always look for top certifications (Verra, Gold Standard), this can still be complex for a non-expert to navigate. That's precisely why we built CRISP. Our free CRISP ratings on COMP do this hard work for you, analysing these core principles to give you a clear quality score.

Additionality means the project wouldn't have happened without carbon credit funding. This is crucial - if a renewable energy project was already profitable and planned, it's not additional. True additionality ensures your money creates genuine new climate impact rather than funding something that would happen anyway. This is one of the key criteria that projects are validated and verified against to meet the carbon standards.

Verification involves independent third-party auditors who review project documentation, visit sites, check measurements, and confirm that claimed reductions are real and properly calculated. Projects must follow strict methodologies developed and managed by the standards organisations (e.g. Verra and Gold Standard) and undergo regular monitoring and re-verification. Only once the carbon savings or removals have been verified can the project issue the carbon credits.

Browse the project directory without an account, then sign in to see the price of each project in pounds sterling. Add the tonnes you need to your basket and pay by card through Stripe. Your credits are retired on the registry in your name and your certificate is issued instantly. The Carbon Marketplace is run by Carbon Footprint Ltd, a UK company based in Basingstoke and audited annually against the Quality Assurance Standard. Individuals and businesses of any size buy through the same marketplace.

Read our guide to buying carbon credits in the UK

First, calculate your carbon footprint using reliable calculators. We recommend Sustrax Vita for individuals / households, Sustrax Lite for small organisations, and Sustrax AX/MX for large organisations. A typical individual might emit 4-16 tonnes CO2e annually, whereas a company may be responsible for emitting 1,000s of tonnes. Buy carbon credits to match your calculated emissions.

This is a critical question. The old-fashioned approach was to "reduce first, then compensate" what's left years later. We believe this is a dangerously slow approach for the climate crisis we face today. We champion a "dual-action approach" based on the Compensation Imperative: 1. Reduce Aggressively: Pursue every available opportunity to decarbonise your own operations. 2. Compensate Immediately: Take full responsibility for the emissions you are still causing today by funding high-quality, verified carbon projects. Waiting a decade to take responsibility is no longer a credible option. True climate leadership means reducing and compensating in parallel, starting now.

While technically possible, it's better to view carbon credits as covering unavoidable emissions. Focus on funding carbon solutions for specific activities (like flights), annual residual emissions, or emissions that are difficult to eliminate immediately while you work on longer-term reductions.

Prices vary based on project type, quality, location, and certification standards. Technology-based removal credits (like direct air capture) can cost £150-£600+ per tonne of CO2e, while nature-based or avoidance credits might cost much less, with options around £5 to £50 per tonne. Different project types will have different costs associated with development and ongoing running and maintenance.

On this marketplace, nature-based and avoidance credits typically cost between £5 and £50 per tonne of CO2e. Engineered removals such as biochar and direct air capture cost from around £150 to over £600 per tonne. UK-based credits, when we have them, are among the most expensive on the marketplace and supply is limited. Prices exclude VAT and include registry retirement, your certificate and payment fees. Applicable VAT is added at checkout. Sign in to see the exact price of each project.

Not necessarily. Price reflects many factors, including project type, location, co-benefits, and the credit vintage. A very low-cost credit can be a red flag for low quality or an old vintage. However, price is only one factor. We strongly recommend using our free CRISP ratings on each project to get a more complete picture of its quality, co-benefits, and risks, regardless of price.

This varies by provider. Some include all costs in the listed price, while others add registry fees, platform fees, or retirement costs. Always check the total price and what's included before purchasing. Prices shown on COMP exclude VAT and include retirement, certificate and payment fees. Applicable VAT is added at checkout.

Yes, we use Stripe for processing our payments. When you get to the payment stage, you can select the currency you would prefer to pay in.

We are always looking for high-quality projects to add to our offering. The projects need to be from ICVCM Approved Programmes (e.g. Verra's VCS, Gold Standard). Contact our team if you would like to list your project: info@carbonfootprint.com.