Carbon Credits (Carbon Offsetting)


Carbon offsetting includes a range of certified carbon credit projects, such as forest conservation.
We help with carbon credit advice, supply and management.

Measure, reduce, and then offset

A carbon credit, often referred to as an offset, is a credit or a certificate for preventing or removing greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere. One carbon credit is the equivalent of one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e).

Carbon offsetting is a voluntary action. Organisations and individuals purchase credits from a project of their choice. Retiring the credits on the appropriate registry such as the Voluntary Carbon Standard (Verra) Registry, the Gold Standard Impact Registry, or the Australian National Registry of Emissions Units (ANREU) finalises the transaction.


Find out what you need to know about the carbon offsetting process


Best practice recommendations

Prior to offsetting, we advise our clients to undertake a carbon footprint and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with their organisation’s activities as much as possible. This is the ethical, best practice approach to carbon management. Putting a carbon reduction plan in place often includes the following actions:

  • Improved energy efficiencies,
  • Staff training,
  • Changing or promoting sustainability in staff choices and behaviours,
  • Setting a supply chain sustainability policy,
  • Selecting reputable, carbon neutral products.

Ask us how we can help your organisation with these processes.

The Climate Active program and carbon offsetting

The Australian Government endorses the Climate Active program for carbon neutral certification. This program provides a credible mechanism for organisations claiming to be carbon neutral and/or claiming to provide carbon neutral products or services.

We recommend carbon credits that comply with Climate Active and manage your offsetting transactions in accordance with the scheme’s requirements. Our Climate Active Registered Consultants take you through every step of the process. We’ve helped organisations of all sizes and in all sectors achieve certification.

Choosing credits wisely: not all credits are the same

Not all types and standards of carbon credits are the same and not all offsets are eligible for Climate Active certification. Approved abatement includes:

  • Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs)
  • Verified Emissions Reductions Standards: (VER): VERRA and Gold Standard
  • Certified Emissions Reductions Units (CER)
  • GreenPower (LGC)

Stapled credits:

While uncertified offsets are not eligible Climate Active abatement alone, they may be ‘stapled’ to approved credits.

What to expect when you work with us

Primarily we provide carbon credits created under the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and Gold Standard (GS VER). We source credits from projects such as forest conservation and renewable energy (solar, wind, ‘run of river’ hydro schemes, and fuel switching).

Regardless of the volume or type, we retire all credits on behalf of the purchaser.

Pangolin’s procedures: transparency and client attributions on the registries

Public visibility and the carbon credit registry

As well as providing offsetting advice, we purchase and retire certified credits on the appropriate carbon registry. We are one of the few providers with transparent and highly visible offsetting practices: we clearly identify our clients as the purchasers of the carbon credits. Our entries are publicly visible and include offset activity with project serial numbers, the organisation name, and comments linked to the client. We also provide a certificate for our clients with offsetting details.

Here are a few examples demonstrating how we attribute our clients’ offset purchases on the registries:

Related services

Pangolin Associates Managing Director, Iain Smale - Climate Leadership Conference

Carbon Neutral Events

Hold a sustainable event. Make it carbon neutral, or go all the way - certify it under Climate Active. It might be an easy first step towards a carbon neutral product or operations.

Orangutans. Carbon offsetting project: Borneo (Indonesia): Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve.

Carbon Credit Projects

More and more businesses are aligning carbon offsetting choices with their business practices. See a few projects our customers support through Pangolin’s carbon credit services.

Capital Brewing Co: carbon neutral certified products and organisation

Climate Active

Climate Active is assurance for your clients, stakeholders, and supply chain that yours is a carbon neutral business. We have helped more than half the certified businesses in the program. Find out how you can get there too.