HOW TO USE YOUR CARBON CREDITS

Purchasing carbon credits is a way to finance verified climate benefits beyond your organisation’s own emissions reductions. To use and communicate these purchases credibly, it is important to understand what carbon credits do – and what they do not do.

Carbon credits do not change your organisation’s reported greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions must continue to be measured, reported and reduced separately. The purchase should therefore be regarded as a climate contribution beyond your value chain, rather than a means of offsetting your own emissions.

SAME CREDITS – TWO WAYS TO USE THEM

Depending on your organisation’s climate strategy, carbon credit purchases can be used and communicated in two different ways.

Both approaches follow the same fundamental principle: the credits are certified, traceable and linked to verified carbon sequestration in Swedish forests. They can demonstrate your organisation’s financial contribution to climate action beyond its own emissions reductions, but cannot be used to claim that your own emissions have been reduced, neutralised or eliminated.

Climate contribution as part of your organisation’s climate strategy

This approach is suitable for businesses and organisations that have calculated their greenhouse gas emissions and wish to finance verified climate benefits in relation to a defined emissions volume, such as emissions from a specific year or part of their operations.

This means that your organisation:

Has a documented greenhouse gas emissions inventory, for example in accordance with the GHG Protocol.
Reports and reduces its own emissions separately.
Makes clear that carbon credits do not change its reported emissions.
May describe the purchase as financing verified carbon sequestration equivalent to a defined volume of emissions.
Integrates the purchase into its broader climate strategy, alongside its own emissions reduction efforts.

Standalone climate contribution

This approach is suitable for businesses and organisations that wish to support verified carbon sequestration in Swedish forests without linking their purchase to a specific volume of emissions.

This means that the purchase:

Does not alter the organisation’s greenhouse gas emissions reporting.
Is not linked to claims that the emissions of the organisation, its products or services have been reduced or neutralised.
Is not presented as carbon offsetting or emissions neutralisation.
Supports the forest carbon project and its verified climate benefits.

NOT SURE WHICH APPROACH IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

How carbon credits should be used and communicated depends on how they fit into your organisation’s climate strategy and sustainability communications.

We can help you identify an approach that is clear, transparent and appropriate for your organisation.

CONTACT US

Anneli LundmarkCEO, Nordiskt Naturkapital