Carbon Credit Calculator

This calculator estimates verified carbon credit output and revenue for a conservation project, using published tCO2e-per-hectare-per-year sequestration rates for five project types — reforestation (8.5), avoided deforestation/REDD+ (12.0), wetland restoration (6.5), grassland conservation (3.0), and mangrove restoration (15.0, the highest of the group). Multiplying that rate by your project area and duration gives gross credits, but every registry withholds a portion in a "buffer pool" as insurance against reversals (wildfire, disease, land-use change) before any credits can be sold — this tool applies buffer rates that vary by verification standard, from 12% for American Carbon Registry up to 20% for Gold Standard, subtracting that share before computing revenue. Verification and monitoring aren't free either: the model adds a flat $30,000 up-front cost plus $5/hectare for initial verification, and $5,000 plus $1/hectare annually for ongoing monitoring, netting those against gross revenue to produce net revenue and return on investment.

Two figures use the same underlying math and will read identically — "cost per credit" and "break-even credit price" both divide total verification cost by net credits generated, so treat them as the same number under two labels rather than independent checks. The equivalence figures (cars and homes offset) use rough averages of 4.6 and 7.5 tCO2e/year respectively, useful for communicating impact to donors but not a substitute for a project-specific life-cycle assessment. Real-world credit prices and buffer requirements shift with market conditions and registry rule updates, so use the figures here to scope a project, not to price an actual credit sale.