Reviewed by John Buckley, Managing Director, Carbon Footprint Ltd · Last reviewed 23 September 2026
For years, carbon offsetting promised a simple fix: pay to cancel out your footprint. Today, credible organisations do something better. They measure and cut their emissions, then fund verified climate projects to take responsibility for what's left - and they say so honestly.
Support high-integrity projects through purchasing verified carbon credits.
• Carbon offsetting funds verified projects that reduce or remove emissions; each carbon offset credit equals one tonne of CO2e.
• The language is shifting from "offsetting" to taking responsibility and contributing to climate solutions, because offsets do not erase emissions.
• Credible buyers measure, reduce, then fund independently rated, high-integrity projects and report transparently.
• You can buy CRISP-rated carbon credits online with an instant certificate and public retirement record.
Prices: portfolio carbon credits from £6.50 per tonne + VAT, or choose specific projects from £5 per tonne + VAT. Discounted tiered pricing is available for orders over 100 tonnes. Monthly subscriptions start from £6.50 + VAT a month for one tonne of CO2e.
Carbon offsetting means funding a verified project that reduces or removes greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere, to compensate for emissions you cannot yet avoid. Each carbon offset - or carbon credit - represents one tonne of CO2e, and is retired on a public registry so it can never be sold twice.
Projects you can contribute to range from clean cookstoves and safe water to forest protection, renewable energy, tree planting and engineered carbon removals such as biochar. The best projects also improve health, protect biodiversity and support local livelihoods.
The money spent on carbon offsets has funded real climate solutions. The problem was never the projects themselves - it was the story told about them. "Offsetting" suggests an emission has been erased, and that invited claims like "carbon neutral" from businesses that had done little to reduce their own footprint.
High-profile investigations in 2023 questioned whether some forest carbon credits delivered the reductions they claimed. Buyers learned that not all carbon offsets are equal - and that quality, transparency and independent scrutiny matter.
In the UK, the CMA's Green Claims Code and the ASA expect environmental claims to be clear, accurate and substantiated. In the EU, the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive applies from 27 September 2026 and prohibits product claims of "carbon neutral" or "climate neutral" status that rely on offsetting.
ISO 14068-1 replaced PAS 2060 as the reference standard for carbon neutrality, with stronger requirements to reduce emissions before using carbon credits. The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) does not allow credits to count towards reduction targets, but encourages companies to invest in climate action beyond their value chain. The VCMI Claims Code sets out how to talk about that contribution credibly.
The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) introduced the Core Carbon Principles, a global benchmark for high-integrity credits. Independent ratings, such as our CRISP ratings, let buyers see the strengths and risks of each project before they buy.
The result: carbon credits matter more than ever - but the language has shifted from offsetting to taking responsibility and contributing to climate solutions.
| Old-style carbon offsetting | Taking responsibility today | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | Buy offsets instead of cutting emissions | Measure your footprint and reduce it first |
| Role of credits | "Cancel out" emissions | Fund climate solutions |
| Project choice | Lowest price per tonne | Independently rated, verified, high-integrity projects |
| Claim | "Carbon neutral" label | Specific, transparent contribution claims backed by evidence |
| Evidence | Private certificate | Public registry retirement and shareable proof of impact |
Understand your Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions with our free business carbon calculator, Sustrax software or a full carbon footprint assessment.
Set targets and cut emissions across energy, travel and your supply chain. Our target setting and Net Zero Standard give you a credible framework.
Buy carbon credits from verified, CRISP-rated projects to support climate solutions around the world.
Receive your certificate and public retirement record instantly, ready for ESG reporting, stakeholders and customers - with support on making compliant green claims.
Browse and buy carbon credits online in minutes, with full project information, free CRISP ratings and an instant, shareable certificate.
For sustainability, ESG and procurement teams who need a robust, defensible portfolio aligned to their net zero strategy.
Set a monthly subscription so your contribution to verified, CRISP-rated projects continues automatically.
Plans start from £6.50 + VAT a month, funding one verified tonne of CO2e each month. Increase your plan as your footprint data and reduction strategy develop.
Keep your climate action consistent with straightforward records to support internal reporting and stakeholder updates.
Clean cookstoves, safe water, renewable energy and forest protection prevent emissions while improving lives. See Gold Standard projects and VCS carbon credits.
Biochar, afforestation and other removal methods take CO2 out of the atmosphere and store it. Explore carbon removal.
Plant trees in the UK and internationally to restore habitats and engage your team. Discover tree planting or UK tree planting for CSR.
A snapshot of the independently verified, CRISP-rated projects available on our Carbon Marketplace.
Climate Action Reserve · Carbon removal
Afforestation in coniferous and broadleaf forests. Meets the ICVCM Core Carbon Principles.
Project ID: CAR1729
Vintage: 2022
CRISP rating: 4.2 / 5
Gold Standard · Cookstoves
Cleaner cookstoves cut fuel use, emissions and indoor air pollution. Meets the ICVCM Core Carbon Principles.
Project ID: GS12285
Vintage: 2022
CRISP rating: 4.4 / 5
Gold Standard · Clean water
Safe drinking water removes the need to boil water over wood fires.
Project ID: GS11010
Vintages: 2023, 2024
CRISP rating: 4.4 / 5
Our free CRISP ratings score projects on the factors that determine whether a carbon credit delivers what it claims:
Would the reduction or removal have happened without carbon finance?
How secure is the carbon over time, and what happens if it is reversed?
Are emissions quantified conservatively and checked by an independent auditor?
Does the project simply move emissions somewhere else?
Is the methodology the project uses approved under the ICVCM Core Carbon Principles (CCP)?
Honest, specific claims build trust; vague ones create greenwashing risk. Instead of "we're carbon neutral", many organisations now say what they have actually done, for example:
"In 2025 we measured our emissions, cut them by X% against our baseline, and funded X tonnes of verified climate projects to take responsibility for the remainder."
If you want a formal neutrality or net zero claim, follow a recognised framework such as ISO 14068-1 or our Net Zero Standard. Read more on carbon neutral vs net zero.
Carbon offsetting means funding a verified project that reduces or removes greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere, to compensate for emissions you cannot yet avoid. Each carbon offset, or carbon credit, represents one tonne of CO2e, and is retired on a public registry so it cannot be sold twice.
Yes. The terms describe the same verified unit of one tonne of CO2e reduced or removed. "Carbon credit" is now the more common term because it describes the unit being bought, while "carbon offset" describes one particular way of using it.
"Offsetting" implies emissions are cancelled out, which has led to misleading "carbon neutral" claims. Regulators, standards bodies and scientists now expect organisations to cut emissions first and describe carbon credits as a contribution to climate solutions, rather than a way to erase their footprint.
High-quality carbon credits deliver real, measured emission reductions and removals, as well as benefits such as clean water, forest protection and improved health. Quality varies widely, which is why independent ratings such as CRISP, recognised standards such as Gold Standard and Verra, and the ICVCM Core Carbon Principles matter when choosing projects.
It depends on quality and how it is used. Offsetting draws fair criticism when low-quality credits are used instead of cutting emissions. Done after measuring and reducing, with independently verified, well-rated projects, carbon credits fund real emission reductions and removals, plus benefits such as safe water and cleaner air. Many organisations now describe this as a climate contribution rather than cancelling out their footprint.
Our Zambia Western Province Safe Water Project (Gold Standard GS11010) provides community safe water points, so families no longer need to boil water over wood fires. That cuts wood use and emissions, and the verified reductions are issued as carbon credits. Each credit is one tonne of CO2e, retired on a public registry when you buy it, and also funds safe drinking water and cleaner air at home.
Start by measuring your carbon footprint, then cut what you can. For the emissions that remain, buy verified carbon credits: each represents one tonne of CO2e and is retired on a public registry in your name. UK individuals and businesses can buy online from £6.50 per tonne + VAT, or spread the cost with a monthly subscription from £6.50 + VAT a month, which funds one verified tonne each month.
Offsetting one tonne of CO2e costs from £5 + VAT for a specific project, or £6.50 + VAT for a ready-made portfolio. Price depends on project type, location, vintage and quality: reduction credits such as clean cookstoves sit at the lower end, while durable removals such as biochar cost around £125 + VAT per tonne. Discounted pricing applies to orders over 100 tonnes, and monthly subscriptions start from £6.50 + VAT for one tonne a month. You can compare live prices for every project on our Carbon Marketplace.
Calculate your footprint, set out your reduction plan, then choose projects on the Carbon Marketplace and receive your certificate and public retirement record instantly. Larger organisations can ask our consultants to design a bespoke carbon credit portfolio.
You can plant UK trees with us from £6.50 + VAT per tree. Trees take decades to grow, so we don't count a newly planted tree as a carbon saving you can report today. For that, Tree Buddying (£13.50 + VAT) pairs each tree with a verified carbon credit. The tree adds long-term carbon storage, wildlife habitat and local community benefits.
Reduction credits prevent emissions from happening, for example by replacing polluting cookstoves or protecting forests. Removal credits take CO2 out of the atmosphere and store it, for example through tree planting or biochar. Removals are increasingly needed to balance residual emissions on the path to net zero.
Carbon neutrality claims now need to follow a recognised standard such as ISO 14068-1, which requires measurement and reduction before any carbon credits are used. In the EU, consumer-facing product claims of neutrality based on offsetting are prohibited from 27 September 2026. Many organisations now make contribution claims instead. Take specific advice before making any public claim.
Our 2026 report sets out why supporting high-integrity carbon credits now is one of the most effective things responsible organisations can do for the climate.
Support verified climate solutions and get instant, shareable proof of your impact.