The trusted advisor to global carbon market leaders
Identify, diligence, and source the right portfolio to accelerate your transition to net zero.
The trusted advisor to global carbon market leaders
Leading companies are integrating a portfolio of high-quality environmental attribute certificates (EACs), sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), renewable energy credits (RECs), carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits, and insetting initiatives as part of their net-zero strategies. Yet, high-quality credits remain scarce. Recognizing this, climate leaders and financial institutions are collaborating with Carbon Direct to actively identify, diligence, and source the right portfolio to accelerate the transition to net zero.
Technical diligence: the foundation for smarter purchasing decisions
Carbon Direct works with buyers and financiers to identify, evaluate, and assess high-quality projects, building and supporting customized portfolios that align with their impact goals. Our experts help climate leaders navigate the market with confidence, reducing risk in purchasing and financing decisions.
Technical diligence: the foundation for smarter purchasing decisions
Carbon Direct works with buyers and financiers to identify, evaluate, and assess high-quality projects, building and supporting customized portfolios that align with their impact goals. Our experts help climate leaders navigate the market with confidence, reducing risk in purchasing and financing decisions.
Technical diligence: the foundation for smarter purchasing decisions
Carbon Direct works with buyers and financiers to identify, evaluate, and assess high-quality projects, building and supporting customized portfolios that align with their impact goals. Our experts help climate leaders navigate the market with confidence, reducing risk in purchasing and financing decisions.
What is technical diligence?
Our science-driven process enables informed decisions on carbon credit procurement and financing carbon projects by evaluating project qualities, risks, and opportunities. We offer tailored services, ranging from rapid red-flag analysis, to in-depth desk-based review, to extended, iterative investigation—including a site visit by our scientists. Using our rigorous Criteria, Carbon Direct examines project strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and risks (reputational, operational, regulatory, and implementation), costs, and overall impact—supporting high-quality outcomes.
Why does technical diligence matter?
Not all projects and credits deliver real climate impact. The technologies and strategies behind EACs, SAF, RECs, insetting, and CDR credits vary widely in maturity, market adoption, risk profiles, and suitability for the net-zero transition. Today, fewer than 10% of CDR projects in the market meet the rigorous quality criteria set by Microsoft and Carbon Direct. Standardized, top-down diligence approaches often miss key nuances in project quality, exposing buyers and financiers to delivery risks, financial losses, media scrutiny, and legal challenges.
What is technical diligence?
Our science-driven process enables informed decisions on carbon credit procurement and financing carbon projects by evaluating project qualities, risks, and opportunities. We offer tailored services, ranging from rapid red-flag analysis, to in-depth desk-based review, to extended, iterative investigation—including a site visit by our scientists. Using our rigorous Criteria, Carbon Direct examines project strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and risks (reputational, operational, regulatory, and implementation), costs, and overall impact—supporting high-quality outcomes.
Why does technical diligence matter?
Not all projects and credits deliver real climate impact. The technologies and strategies behind EACs, SAF, RECs, insetting, and CDR credits vary widely in maturity, market adoption, risk profiles, and suitability for the net-zero transition. Today, fewer than 10% of CDR projects in the market meet the rigorous quality criteria set by Microsoft and Carbon Direct. Standardized, top-down diligence approaches often miss key nuances in project quality, exposing buyers and financiers to delivery risks, financial losses, media scrutiny, and legal challenges.
What is technical diligence?
Our science-driven process enables informed decisions on carbon credit procurement and financing carbon projects by evaluating project qualities, risks, and opportunities. We offer tailored services, ranging from rapid red-flag analysis, to in-depth desk-based review, to extended, iterative investigation—including a site visit by our scientists. Using our rigorous Criteria, Carbon Direct examines project strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and risks (reputational, operational, regulatory, and implementation), costs, and overall impact—supporting high-quality outcomes.
Why does technical diligence matter?
Not all projects and credits deliver real climate impact. The technologies and strategies behind EACs, SAF, RECs, insetting, and CDR credits vary widely in maturity, market adoption, risk profiles, and suitability for the net-zero transition. Today, fewer than 10% of CDR projects in the market meet the rigorous quality criteria set by Microsoft and Carbon Direct. Standardized, top-down diligence approaches often miss key nuances in project quality, exposing buyers and financiers to delivery risks, financial losses, media scrutiny, and legal challenges.
Our Criteria
Microsoft and Carbon Direct set the quality standard for the carbon markets
Microsoft, the world’s largest buyer of CDR, collaborates with Carbon Direct each year to refine industry-leading quality criteria for CDR projects. Our criteria not only helps buyers evaluate project quality, mitigate risk, and make informed procurement decisions, it guides suppliers to integrate high-quality practices into their projects and developers toward positive outcomes.
Additionality and baselines
Assess that carbon removals are additional, with a conservative and site-specific project baseline reflecting what would have occurred without carbon finance.
Leakage
Accounts for domestic and international carbon leakage impacts in a conservative manner, or provides evidence of leakage avoidance.
Durability
Evaluates the reversal risk and projects the storage duration, including whether MRV plans are in place to monitor stored carbon and reliably detect potential reversals.
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, & verification (MMRV)
Reports all greenhouse gas emissions associated with a carbon project using accurate, repeatable, and verifiable quantification methods.
Social harms, benefits, & environmental justice
Demonstrates efforts to minimize new social harms to people and communities, while preventing the exacerbation of existing social harms.
Environmental harms and benefits
Commits to minimizing environmental harm while promoting ecosystem health and environmental services benefits.
Our Criteria
Microsoft and Carbon Direct set the quality standard for the carbon markets
Microsoft, the world’s largest buyer of CDR, collaborates with Carbon Direct each year to refine industry-leading quality criteria for CDR projects. Our criteria not only helps buyers evaluate project quality, mitigate risk, and make informed procurement decisions, it guides suppliers to integrate high-quality practices into their projects and developers toward positive outcomes.
Additionality and baselines
Assess that carbon removals are additional, with a conservative and site-specific project baseline reflecting what would have occurred without carbon finance.
Leakage
Accounts for domestic and international carbon leakage impacts in a conservative manner, or provides evidence of leakage avoidance.
Durability
Evaluates the reversal risk and projects the storage duration, including whether MRV plans are in place to monitor stored carbon and reliably detect potential reversals.
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, & verification (MMRV)
Reports all greenhouse gas emissions associated with a carbon project using accurate, repeatable, and verifiable quantification methods.
Social harms, benefits, & environmental justice
Demonstrates efforts to minimize new social harms to people and communities, while preventing the exacerbation of existing social harms.
Environmental harms and benefits
Commits to minimizing environmental harm while promoting ecosystem health and environmental services benefits.
Our Criteria
Microsoft and Carbon Direct set the quality standard for the carbon markets
Microsoft, the world’s largest buyer of CDR, collaborates with Carbon Direct each year to refine industry-leading quality criteria for CDR projects. Our criteria not only helps buyers evaluate project quality, mitigate risk, and make informed procurement decisions, it guides suppliers to integrate high-quality practices into their projects and developers toward positive outcomes.
Additionality and baselines
Assess that carbon removals are additional, with a conservative and site-specific project baseline reflecting what would have occurred without carbon finance.
Leakage
Accounts for domestic and international carbon leakage impacts in a conservative manner, or provides evidence of leakage avoidance.
Durability
Evaluates the reversal risk and projects the storage duration, including whether MRV plans are in place to monitor stored carbon and reliably detect potential reversals.
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, & verification (MMRV)
Reports all greenhouse gas emissions associated with a carbon project using accurate, repeatable, and verifiable quantification methods.
Social harms, benefits, & environmental justice
Demonstrates efforts to minimize new social harms to people and communities, while preventing the exacerbation of existing social harms.
Environmental harms and benefits
Commits to minimizing environmental harm while promoting ecosystem health and environmental services benefits.
“
Whether it's engineered carbon dioxide removal or sustainable biomass sourcing, we know that we can go to Carbon Direct to answer any question on carbon dioxide removal. They are the scientific experts that we trust to evaluate the highest integrity carbon dioxide removal projects today.
Brian Marrs
Senior Director, Energy and Carbon Removal, Microsoft
“
Whether it's engineered carbon dioxide removal or sustainable biomass sourcing, we know that we can go to Carbon Direct to answer any question on carbon dioxide removal. They are the scientific experts that we trust to evaluate the highest integrity carbon dioxide removal projects today.
Brian Marrs
Senior Director, Energy and Carbon Removal, Microsoft
“
Whether it's engineered carbon dioxide removal or sustainable biomass sourcing, we know that we can go to Carbon Direct to answer any question on carbon dioxide removal. They are the scientific experts that we trust to evaluate the highest integrity carbon dioxide removal projects today.
Brian Marrs
Senior Director, Energy and Carbon Removal, Microsoft
Our technical diligence services
Science-backed diligence to achieve your climate goals
Carbon Direct brings together world-class scientists and domain experts to help companies activate and accelerate their net-zero transition. Our team has conducted over 600 project diligences and 150 in-depth reviews of emerging technologies. With deep expertise in reforestation, soil carbon, insetting, marine CDR, biochar, SAF, RECs, direct air capture, carbon mineralization, and more, we provide the rigor and insights needed to navigate the complexities of markets with confidence.
Our technical diligence services
Science-backed diligence to achieve your climate goals
Carbon Direct brings together world-class scientists and domain experts to help companies activate and accelerate their net-zero transition. Our team has conducted over 600 project diligences and 150 in-depth reviews of emerging technologies. With deep expertise in reforestation, soil carbon, insetting, marine CDR, biochar, SAF, RECs, direct air capture, carbon mineralization, and more, we provide the rigor and insights needed to navigate the complexities of markets with confidence.
Our technical diligence services
Science-backed diligence to achieve your climate goals
Carbon Direct brings together world-class scientists and domain experts to help companies activate and accelerate their net-zero transition. Our team has conducted over 600 project diligences and 150 in-depth reviews of emerging technologies. With deep expertise in reforestation, soil carbon, insetting, marine CDR, biochar, SAF, RECs, direct air capture, carbon mineralization, and more, we provide the rigor and insights needed to navigate the complexities of markets with confidence.
RFP management
Leverage our broad technology and supplier perspective to streamline your request for proposal (RFP) process. We help you design and manage RFPs, and screen proposals, in alignment with your requirements.
Project scoring and selection
Score and shortlist projects based on your requirements and Carbon Direct’s quality criteria. We assist you in selecting the best projects for deeper diligence.
Full review
Conduct desk-based project assessments, analyzing publicly available information and additional information submitted by the developer, to support spot market credit purchases.
Deep diligence
For forward offtake and financing, we perform deep diligence, including site visits with local experts, stakeholder engagement, and tailored analyses to assess project feasibility and risk.
Project monitoring
Help buyers and financiers monitor projects to evaluate adherence to contracted offtake terms, including project quality and delivery throughout the lifecycle.
Project assurance
Work with project developers and financiers to mitigate risks on behalf of buyers by supporting the successful delivery of large, novel, and impactful carbon projects.
RFP management
Leverage our broad technology and supplier perspective to streamline your request for proposal (RFP) process. We help you design and manage RFPs, and screen proposals, in alignment with your requirements.
Project scoring and selection
Score and shortlist projects based on your requirements and Carbon Direct’s quality criteria. We assist you in selecting the best projects for deeper diligence.
Full review
Conduct desk-based project assessments, analyzing publicly available information and additional information submitted by the developer, to support spot market credit purchases.
Deep diligence
For forward offtake and financing, we perform deep diligence, including site visits with local experts, stakeholder engagement, and tailored analyses to assess project feasibility and risk.
Project monitoring
Help buyers and financiers monitor projects to evaluate adherence to contracted offtake terms, including project quality and delivery throughout the lifecycle.
Project assurance
Work with project developers and financiers to mitigate risks on behalf of buyers by supporting the successful delivery of large, novel, and impactful carbon projects.
RFP management
Leverage our broad technology and supplier perspective to streamline your request for proposal (RFP) process. We help you design and manage RFPs, and screen proposals, in alignment with your requirements.
Project scoring and selection
Score and shortlist projects based on your requirements and Carbon Direct’s quality criteria. We assist you in selecting the best projects for deeper diligence.
Full review
Conduct desk-based project assessments, analyzing publicly available information and additional information submitted by the developer, to support spot market credit purchases.
Deep diligence
For forward offtake and financing, we perform deep diligence, including site visits with local experts, stakeholder engagement, and tailored analyses to assess project feasibility and risk.
Project monitoring
Help buyers and financiers monitor projects to evaluate adherence to contracted offtake terms, including project quality and delivery throughout the lifecycle.
Project assurance
Work with project developers and financiers to mitigate risks on behalf of buyers by supporting the successful delivery of large, novel, and impactful carbon projects.
Our insights
Industry insights to unlock opportunities in the net-zero transition
Our experts collaborate with first movers, disruptors, and leading institutions to accelerate and scale the net-zero transition. Explore our latest insights and expert guidance to reduce emissions, mitigate project risks, and drive meaningful climate impact.
Our insights
Industry insights to unlock opportunities in the net-zero transition
Our experts collaborate with first movers, disruptors, and leading institutions to accelerate and scale the net-zero transition. Explore our latest insights and expert guidance to reduce emissions, mitigate project risks, and drive meaningful climate impact.
Our insights
Industry insights to unlock opportunities in the net-zero transition
Our experts collaborate with first movers, disruptors, and leading institutions to accelerate and scale the net-zero transition. Explore our latest insights and expert guidance to reduce emissions, mitigate project risks, and drive meaningful climate impact.
Meet our experts
Meet our experts
Meet our experts
Ready to get started? Connect with an expert
Get answers to your decarbonization questions and explore carbon management solutions.
Ready to get started? Connect with an expert
Get answers to your decarbonization questions and explore carbon management solutions.
Ready to get started? Connect with an expert
Get answers to your decarbonization questions and explore carbon management solutions.