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The Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) enables individuals and organizations to offset carbon emissions or contribute to environmental efforts. Unlike compliance markets, the VCM operates voluntarily, attracting businesses, governments, non-profits, and individuals dedicated to reducing their carbon footprint. Engaging in the VCM demonstrates commitment to sustainability, supporting impactful climate projects and providing crucial financial backing.

Participating in the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) is crucial for demonstrating commitment to environmental sustainability and climate action. It provides vital financial support for projects, especially those focusing on gigaton-scale CO2 removal technologies, fostering innovation in the fight against greenhouse gas emissions. By directing resources to innovative solutions, the VCM accelerates the global transition to a low-carbon future, addressing urgent climate challenges and driving progress towards sustainability goals.

Carbon credits correspond to one ton of CO2e that is avoided, reduced or removed by the respective climate project that you support. It is a way to quantify the impact of the respective climate project and to add a price tag to the specific activity. The different climate projects employ all kinds of activities to avoid, reduce or remove CO2e and to mitigate climate change. After a carbon credit has been issued it can be traded in the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) until an end-user retires the carbon credit permanently.

Carbon credits result from climate projects mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Each credit represents the avoidance, reduction, or removal of one ton of CO2 equivalent (CO2e). Projects follow specific methodologies, ranging from reforestation to ocean carbon removal. Independent verifiers validate the chosen methodology, its application, and quantify the project's climate impact. Successfully verified credits become eligible for trading on the market.

Various stakeholders, including government entities, NGOs, and for-profit organizations (project developers), initiate climate projects. Project developers choose impactful activities to avoid, reduce, or remove CO2e emissions, planning meticulously based on validated methodologies. Often, these methodologies come from recognized registries ensuring compliance. After external validation, registries may issue forward-looking carbon credits. Ex-post credits are granted after operational duration and independent verification confirm actual emissions reduction.

Climate projects distinguish between avoidance, reduction, and removal based on impact activities. Avoidance prevents emissions, often through nature conservation or sustainable technologies. When integrated into a company's value chain, like using sustainable aviation fuels, it becomes a reduction effort. Removal extracts CO2e from the atmosphere, traditionally through reforestation. Technological solutions like direct air capture, biochar production, and enhanced rock weathering represent a growing field in global climate action against greenhouse gas emissions.

SQUAKE rigorously assesses climate projects for quality alignment through Core Carbon Principles, preventing double-selling and ensuring third-party validation. The evaluation includes legal, financial, and ecological factors, permanence, risks, monitoring capabilities, and quantification models. SQUAKE also evaluates projects for contributions to sustainable development goals and safeguards against social and environmental risks. This comprehensive approach reflects SQUAKE's commitment to impactful, high-quality climate projects promoting environmental sustainability.

After a carbon credit is sold and utilized by a client, SQUAKE meticulously verifies its proper retirement within the project's designated registry. To guarantee the integrity of this process, SQUAKE undergoes rigorous third-party audits conducted annually by TÜV. These audits ensure that the credits sold to customers are never duplicated, have been legitimately acquired from suppliers, and are appropriately retired, thereby upholding the credibility and transparency of SQUAKE's carbon credit transactions.