What are VCUs?

What are Verified Carbon Units?

Each Verified Carbon Unit (VCU) represents one ton of emission reductions from a specific project that has been validated and verified according to the VCS Program rules. For more information on the VCS program rules please visit the website for the Verified Carbon Standard Association: www.v-c-s.org.

When corporations, governments, and individuals buy VCUs and subsequently retire the VCUs they are able to offset their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from regular activities such as transportation and building heating and cooling demand. For more information on how to calculate a GHG footprint and reduce and/or offset emission please see the website for the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

For more information about companies that sell VCUs visit websites for Green-e Climate and the International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance. For more information on offsetting emission through the purchase of buying offsets you can also review the Buying Carbon Offsets: What You Need to Know page from the National Resource Defense Council.

Should I invest in VCUs?

Entities that voluntarily seek to offset their GHG emissions footprint (such as corporations, governments and individuals), project developers, traders and investors are active participants in the VCU market. There is little ability to accurately forecast demand and supply in the voluntary carbon offset space. As a result, APX strongly believes that VCUs are not suited for individuals to target as a short, medium or long-term investment. Our view is shared by the UK Financial Conduct Authority as well as the International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance (PDF).

Note: APX has not and cannot provide advice to individuals about what companies to use to sell carbon credits.