Read more in the September 5 edition of Invert Insights.
The voluntary carbon market (VCM) continues to mature, with buyers increasingly seeking high-integrity credits that not only compensate for emissions but also drive real-world impact for climate, nature, and communities. Yet engaging effectively in the VCM remains a challenge; credits are not interchangeable commodities, supply is fragmented across 13,000+ projects, and procurement mistakes can carry financial and reputational risks.
In a new report from Abatable, What leading carbon credit buyers do differently, the end-to-end carbon market solutions provider distills lessons from procuring over 55 million tonnes of high-quality credits for over 200 clients. Their findings spotlight what separates sophisticated buyers from the rest and how these practices improve not just individual portfolios but the market as a whole.
Given the nuances of the market and the intangibility of the product, carbon credit procurement cannot be treated like sourcing office supplies or IT services. Each credit represents a unique climate solution, developed within distinct geographies, methodologies, and risk profiles. Buyers who succeed are those who adapt procurement processes to these realities rather than force-fitting conventional methods.
Abatable’s six-stage procurement model – plan, source, evaluate, purchase, manage, and communicate – provides a structured backbone. But the true differentiators lie in how buyers execute these stages. Across nine lessons, the report highlights behaviors that elevate procurement outcomes: from internal education and transparent strategies, to partnership approaches with developers and structured feedback loops.
Among the nine lessons, a few key themes stand out.
These behaviors aren’t just “best practice.” They determine whether carbon finance is mobilized efficiently and credibly, whether projects receive timely funding, and whether companies can confidently make climate claims aligned with industry initiatives such as the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and the VCMI Claims Code of Practice.
In short, how buyers engage with the VCM is as important as what they buy. Done right, procurement strengthens market integrity, drives capital to climate solutions that need it most, and helps companies deliver on their net-zero promises.
💡 The most successful buyers don’t silo carbon procurement within sustainability teams. They engage finance, procurement, legal, and even C-suite leaders early, ensuring everyone understands the nuances of credit quality, permanence risks, and claims integrity. This upfront investment defines scope and outcomes, speeds up decision-making, avoids last-minute bottlenecks, and builds credibility in climate disclosures.
💡 No project checks every box perfectly. High-impact nature-based solutions may carry higher risks; low-risk engineered solutions may cost more. Leading buyers embrace this reality by working with trusted partners and diversifying across project types, geographies, and contract structures (spot, forward, offtake). The result is a resilient portfolio that balances immediate needs with long-term climate impact.
💡 The VCM is still evolving. Buyers who provide developers with constructive feedback on why projects were chosen or not help improve future offers, raise quality standards, and position themselves as trusted partners. Internally, running retrospectives after each procurement round creates playbooks that sharpen strategies over time. A continuous feedback loop between buyers and developers ensures that market needs are being met while maximizing climate impacts.
