Climate Action Reserve

What Climate Action Reserve does

Climate Action Reserve is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) carbon credit registry headquartered in Los Angeles, California, founded in 2001 (per firmographic records; the company's own history timeline cites 2009 as its establishment year for the carbon registry program). It establishes protocol-based standards for quantifying and verifying greenhouse gas emissions reduction and removal projects, oversees independent third-party verification bodies, and issues serialized Climate Reserve Tonnes (CRTs) and Registry Offset Credits (ROCs) tracked on a transparent public registry designed to prevent double counting. The organization serves project developers, corporations, governments, and verifiers, with protocols spanning Natural Climate Solutions (forest, grassland, biochar, soil enrichment, rice cultivation, urban forestry, nitrogen management), Waste Handling & Methane Destruction (landfill, livestock, mine methane, organic waste), and Industrial Processes & Gases (adipic acid, nitric acid, low-carbon cement, ozone-depleting substances). It is the designated Offset Project Registry for California's Cap-and-Trade Program and Washington's cap-and-invest program, and is ICAO-approved to provide eligible emissions units for CORSIA in international aviation; multiple protocols have been approved under the ICVCM Core Carbon Principles framework.

The underlying technology is a Modular Protocol Structure separating jurisdiction-agnostic core requirements from location-specific modules, allowing efficient expansion into new geographies while preserving regulatory-quality standards. Every CRT carries a unique serial number encoding project country, type, developer ID, vintage, and batch, enabling full pedigree traceability on the public registry. Revenue is generated entirely through fees rather than credit sales: account setup and annual maintenance fees ($200–$500), project submittal fees ($500–$700), a per-credit issuance fee ($0.19 prior to 2026, $0.20 from January 1, 2026 for newly submitted projects), a $0.03/CRT transfer fee, and a $3,500 variance review fee. Credit retirement is free, reinforcing the registry's role as neutral infrastructure rather than a credit seller. Cumulative issuance reached 250 million CRTs with a record 27.6 million credits issued in 2025, and the organization maintains active corporate and government relationships including Microsoft, Disney, Chevron, Stanford, CBRE, Indigo Carbon, and Ascend Performance Materials.

The Reserve does not sell carbon credits directly; instead, it operates the registry infrastructure and directs market participants to purchase CRTs through independent retailers, wholesalers, brokers, and exchanges listed in its Carbon Market Directory. Its go-to-market combines thought leadership (monthly bilingual newsletter, NACW conference, Carbon Connection podcast, public-comment webinars, multi-stakeholder protocol workgroups) with enterprise field sales to project developers and government entities. Strategic positioning emphasizes regulatory-grade integrity, protocol-level transparency, and protocol portability across jurisdictions — capabilities increasingly demanded as voluntary carbon markets professionalize under CORSIA, ICVCM, and state-level compliance programs.

Name

Climate Action Reserve

Legal name

Climate Action Reserve

Website

https://climateactionreserve.org/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Climate Action Reserve is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) carbon credit registry that establishes protocols, oversees independent third-party verification, and issues serialized Climate Reserve Tonnes (CRTs) for voluntary and compliance markets across 10+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carbon Credit Registry Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Carbon Registries & Issuance Platforms (Project/credit lifecycle, serials, issuance, retirement) (EUABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Voluntary Carbon Credit Verification & Validation (VCS/Gold Standard/ACR/CAR) (EUABACAA), Compliance Carbon Market Verification & Accreditation (EU ETS/UK ETS/California/Regional) (EUABACAB), Carbon Credit/REC Tracking, Claims & Chain-of-Custody Platforms (EUABAEAH), Carbon Credit Ratings & Due Diligence (Quality Scoring, Integrity Assessments) (EUABADAF), ESG/Sustainability Reporting & Disclosure Platforms (EUABAEAB)

Keywords

• Voluntary carbon registry
• Carbon credit issuance
• Emission reduction verification
• Compliance offset programs
• Carbon credit protocols

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Credit Issuance Fees: Fee charged per CRT issued to project developers upon successful verification and registration. Effective January 1, 2026, the issuance fee is $0.20 per credit for newly submitted projects (previously $0.19). The Reserve allows deferral of payment for up to five months.
2. Account Fees: Account setup fees ($500 for project developers, traders/brokers/retailers; $200 for aggregated project owners) plus annual account maintenance fees ($500/$200 respectively). These cover software maintenance, staff time, and operational costs for the nonprofit organization.
3. Project and Transaction Fees: Fees for project submittal ($500-700 per project), variance reviews ($3,500), project transfers ($500), and credit transfers ($0.03 per CRT). Retirement of credits is free.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Climate Action Reserve operates a nonprofit carbon credit registry that establishes protocols for quantifying GHG emission reductions, oversees independent third-party verification bodies, and issues Climate Reserve Tonnes (CRTs) and Registry Offset Credits (ROCs) tracked on a transparent public registry system. It supports both voluntary carbon markets and compliance programs, including California's Cap-and-Trade, Washington's cap-and-invest program, and the CORSIA international aviation scheme.

Product overview

The Climate Action Reserve operates as a nonprofit carbon credit registry offering a unified platform for voluntary and compliance carbon markets. The core product is the issuance and tracking of Climate Reserve Tonnes (CRTs) and Registry Offset Credits (ROCs), supported by a transparent public registry system. The product portfolio includes three main protocol categories: Natural Climate Solutions (Biochar, Forest, Grassland, Nitrogen Management, Rice Cultivation, Soil Enrichment, Urban Forestry), Waste Handling and Methane Destruction (Landfill, Livestock, Mine Methane, Organic Waste), and Industrial Processes and Gases (Adipic Acid, Cement, ODS/Halocarbons, Nitric Acid). The Reserve has recently launched a modular protocol structure that separates jurisdiction-agnostic core requirements from location-specific modules. Additional offerings include a Verification Program, Climate Forward program for forward credits, the NACW conference, and a Carbon Connection podcast. The organization supports compliance markets in California, Washington, and CORSIA, while maintaining global voluntary market operations across North America, Mexico, Canada, Guatemala, Panama, and other regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Climate Forward: A forward-looking program that issues ex ante credits for anticipated emissions reductions and removals, distinct from the retroactive CRT issuance of the main program.
• Climate Reserve Tonnes (CRTs)
• Registry Offset Credits (ROCs)

Products and services

• Voluntary Carbon Credit Program (CRT Issuance)

Quantifiable outcome

• 250 million total CRTs issued, demonstrating significant market trust and volume
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.

• Indigo CarboncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2026Indigo Carbon issues agricultural soil carbon credits through the Reserve, with 1.1 million independently verified credits issued and over 2 million metric tons of verified soil carbon impact.
• MicrosoftcoreOthers · 15 January 2026Microsoft signed a 12-year deal with Indigo Ag for 2.85 million metric tons of soil carbon removals, one of the first deals issued with ICVCM Core Carbon Principles label, verified by Climate Action Reserve.
• Ascend Performance MaterialsnotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 January 2026Recipient of Climate Action Reserve's 250 millionth carbon credit for a nitric acid project in Cantonment, Florida that has reduced 647,111 metric tonnes of emissions to date.
• California Air Resources Board (CARB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReserve serves as Offset Project Registry for California's Cap-and-Trade Program; first compliance offset protocols were based on Reserve's forest, urban forest, livestock, and ODS protocols.
• Washington State Department of EcologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReserve approved to support Washington's cap-and-invest program as Offset Project Registry, accepting and reviewing offset project submittals.
• ICAO CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReserve program approved by ICAO to provide eligible emissions units for CORSIA pilot phase (2016-2020 credits).
• Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICVCM has approved multiple Reserve protocols (Soil Enrichment, Mexico Forest IFM) under Core Carbon Principles framework, providing high-integrity label for credits.
• Green-e Climate (Center for Resource Solutions)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerReserve is an Endorsed Program by Green-e Climate, a consumer protection program providing certification for retail carbon credits.
• Viresco SolutionsnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Viresco Solutions to develop the Canada Grassland Protocol; protocol development was funded in part by Canadian Forage and Grassland Association.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Sylvera: Sylvera provides independent carbon credit ratings and quality assessments using satellite data and AI. While not a registry, it serves overlapping customers (corporate buyers) by providing due diligence on carbon credits including CRTs and competing standards.
• Pachama: Pachama is a technology-driven carbon credit marketplace using satellite verification and AI. It sources credits from project developers and competes for corporate buyer demand, though it focuses more on distribution than registry services.
• BeZero: BeZero is a carbon credit ratings agency providing independent assessments of credit quality across registries including the Reserve. It serves corporate buyers and intermediaries in the same market as the Reserve's clients.

Regional players

• South Pole Group: South Pole is a major project developer and carbon credit intermediary in the global voluntary market, particularly active in Europe and Latin America. It serves as both a competitor and customer of registry services like the Reserve.

Broad incumbents

• CAR (Climate Action Reserve) — California Compliance Offset Program: The California Air Resources Board administers the compliance offset program for which the Reserve serves as Offset Project Registry. While CARB is the regulatory authority rather than a registry, it is a key counterpart and overlapping participant in the California compliance market.
• CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project): CDP runs the global disclosure system for environmental impacts and works with major corporations on climate reporting. While not a registry, it is a key ecosystem player for corporate climate claims that ultimately depend on Registry-issued credits.

Direct peers

• Gold Standard: Gold Standard is a leading carbon credit registry focused on high-integrity emission reduction projects, particularly in developing countries. It directly competes with the Reserve for project developers and corporate buyers in the voluntary market.
• American Carbon Registry (ACR): ACR is a U.S.-based carbon credit registry that registers and issues voluntary and compliance carbon credits. It is explicitly referenced in the candidate industry codes as a comparable voluntary standard alongside the Reserve.
• Verra (VCS Registry): Verra operates the world's largest voluntary carbon credit registry (VCS Program), issuing VCU credits across similar project types (forestry, agriculture, energy, industrial). It is the most direct competitor to Climate Action Reserve in the voluntary carbon market.

Others

• ICVCM (Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market): ICVCM sets the Core Carbon Principles framework that has approved three Reserve protocols. While not a competitor, it is a key governance body whose standards directly affect the positioning and pricing of CRTs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/climatereserve
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRvCpYENNft2a1q9zUsST4w
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/climate-action-reserve
• Instagraminstagram.com/climateactionreserve

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Climate Action Reserve