How to sell carbon credits: buyers, offtake agreements and pricing
89 matching capital sources on the ASFIP database · Last checked October 2026
Selling carbon credits is less about finding a platform and more about matching your credit type to the right buyer at the right point in your project. A carbon project without an offtaker is a cost centre; with a signed purchase agreement it becomes something lenders will finance.
This page explains the main sales routes, what buyers look for, and lists corporate buyers, carbon funds, traders and Article 6 sovereign buyers on our database.
Find the right route for your project
Ask iSustain Advisor Live about carbon buyers for your country, sector and project stage. Your free result includes a project summary, match count and three named sample organisations.
Ways to sell carbon credits
- Spot sales of issued credits through brokers, exchanges or direct to buyers.
- Forward offtake agreements (ERPAs) that commit a buyer to purchase future credits at an agreed price or floor.
- Prepayment or streaming deals where a buyer or carbon fund pays upfront in exchange for future credits — often the main source of development capital.
What carbon credit buyers look for
- Credible baselines and additionality.
- A recognised standard.
- Permanence and leakage safeguards.
- Community benefit-sharing.
- Clear land and carbon rights.
- Host-country authorisation where relevant.
- A developer able to deliver volumes on time.
Article 6 buyers
Governments including Switzerland, Singapore, Sweden, Norway, Japan and Korea buy internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs) under Article 6.2. These deals need the host country to authorise the transfer and apply a corresponding adjustment, so involve your national carbon authority early.
Pricing tips
- Floor-plus-share-of-upside structures protect both sides in a volatile market.
- Removals and credits with strong co-benefits or compliance eligibility command higher prices.
- Do not sign long exclusive offtakes at low prices just to fund registration — compare several buyers first.
The funders
Each profile shows mandate, instruments and sector appetite. Verified contacts and application routes are available to members.
- Microsoft Carbon Removal ProcurementCommercial Investor · United StatesOne of the largest corporate buyers of durable carbon removal globally, running annual procurement rounds that have included African cookstove, biochar, reforestation and BECCS suppliers.Carbon Credits / ERPAResults-based Finance
- Singapore Carbon Tax Article 6 ProcurementCarbon Finance Mechanism · SingaporeSingapore allows carbon-taxable companies to surrender authorised Article 6.2 credits, and has signed implementation agreements and MOUs with several African countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Kenya.Carbon Credits / ERPAResults-based Finance
- Symbiosis CoalitionCarbon Finance Mechanism · United StatesBuyers coalition of Google, Meta, Microsoft and Salesforce contracting high-quality nature-based restoration credits, with tenders open to African restoration projects.Carbon Credits / ERPAResults-based Finance
- BioCarbon PartnersCarbon Finance Mechanism · ZambiaZambia-headquartered, award-winning REDD+ project developer that structures and finances forest carbon offset projects across Zambia and Mozambique, channelling carbon credit revenue into community conservation payments and protecting over 2.1 million hectares of dryland forest through its flagship Luangwa Community Forests Project.Carbon Credits / ERPAResults-based Finance
- NextGen CDR FacilityCarbon Finance Mechanism · SwitzerlandJoint venture of South Pole and Mitsubishi Corporation aggregating corporate demand to buy durable carbon dioxide removal at scale, with African supply in its portfolio.Carbon Credits / ERPAResults-based Finance
- LEAF CoalitionCarbon Finance Mechanism · United StatesPublic-private coalition purchasing jurisdictional REDD+ credits at scale, with African jurisdictions among signed agreements.Carbon Credits / ERPAResults-based Finance
- Korea Article 6 / ITMO ProcurementGovernment Agency · South KoreaKorea uses internationally transferred mitigation outcomes towards its NDC and supports overseas mitigation projects, including African renewable energy and waste programmes.Carbon Credits / ERPAResults-based Finance
- Frontier ClimateCarbon Finance Mechanism · United StatesAdvance market commitment funded by Stripe, Alphabet, Meta, Shopify, McKinsey and others, pre-purchasing permanent carbon removal including from African biochar and enhanced weathering suppliers.Carbon Credits / ERPAResults-based FinanceProject Preparation
- Wildlife Works CarbonCarbon Finance Mechanism · United StatesREDD+ project developer and financier providing upfront capital and carbon credit monetisation for forest conservation projects, including Mai Ndombe in DRC.Carbon Credits / ERPAProject PreparationResults-based Finance
Showing 9 of 89 matching capital sources. The remaining 80 — including their verified routes and eligibility criteria — are reserved for members.
Common questions
- Can I sell carbon credits before they are issued?
- Yes, through a forward offtake agreement or ERPA. Many buyers and carbon funds also prepay part of the price to fund project development.
- Do I need a broker to sell carbon credits?
- Not necessarily. Larger volumes are often sold directly to corporates, funds or governments. Brokers and exchanges help with smaller volumes and spot sales.
- What is an ERPA?
- An Emission Reduction Purchase Agreement — a contract to buy a set volume of future credits at an agreed price, with terms on delivery, quality and payment.
Related guides
Official sources: UNFCCC Article 6 · Verra · Gold Standard · ICVCM Core Carbon Principles. Reviewed by the iSustain Global research team against funders' published criteria.