Understanding the CO₂ market. Shaping responsibility.
The voluntary CO₂ market is growing rapidly, but trust is often lacking: many certificates show impact only on paper. Transparency will be decisive going forward—through monitoring, clear standards, and traceable projects. Those who understand this today will make better decisions tomorrow.
Climate change is no longer a topic that concerns only politics or NGOs.
It has become an economic factor.
And while many companies are still waiting for framework conditions to “stabilize,” new markets, new technologies, and new competitive advantages are emerging in the background.
One of these markets is the voluntary CO₂ market (Voluntary Carbon Market, VCM).
This was exactly the focus of our most recent live webinar with CEO Paul Pletsch:
What is happening right now—and why should entrepreneurs understand this market before it becomes the standard?
The voluntary CO₂ market is growing—faster than expected
Current market analyses show that the voluntary CO₂ market is expected to multiply by 2030.
Why?
Because CO₂ emissions are increasingly becoming an accounting and strategic issue for companies.
- More and more companies are setting net-zero targets.
- Supply chains are being assessed based on CO₂ emissions.
- Banks are beginning to expand credit assessments to include CO₂ risks.
CO₂ is becoming a new key metric in business decisions.
Those who understand it make better decisions.
But the market has a trust problem
Organizations such as Carbon Market Watch criticize that CO₂ certificates are often used to “outsource” climate protection instead of actually reducing emissions.
The criticism can be summarized as follows:
“CO₂ markets must not become a crutch to avoid real climate action.”
So-called carbon farming—projects that aim to sequester CO₂ through agriculture or afforestation—is under particular scrutiny.
The recurring questions are:
- Is CO₂ really stored permanently?
- Is there monitoring and clear standards?
- Or is it just a “certificate on paper”?
Many projects cannot adequately answer these questions.
As a result, greenwashing emerges—not out of bad intent, but due to a lack of transparency.
What the market needs now: traceability
The webinar made one thing clear:
The CO₂ market does not have a volume problem—it has a trust problem.
What entrepreneurs need in order to take action are:
- transparent projects,
- measurable impact,
- traceable data.
New technologies make exactly this possible:
Satellite monitoring measures forest development in real time.
Blockchain prevents double certification.
Regulatory requirements are driving standardization.
When CO₂ storage becomes traceable and verifiable,
CO₂ certificates can evolve from a “marketing tool” into a strategic asset class.
Why entrepreneurs should act now
One statement by Paul stood out clearly in the webinar:
“The CO₂ market today is where the crypto market was in 2015.
Those who understand it now will benefit from its development tomorrow.”
This is not about “buying certificates.”
It is about understanding a new market logic:
- CO₂ becomes a cost factor.
- CO₂ reduction becomes a competitive advantage.
- Transparent CO₂ projects become assets.
Entrepreneurs who wait will eventually react.
Entrepreneurs who understand will act.
Conclusion
We are at a point where responsibility, technology, and economics converge.
Entrepreneurs who understand today how CO₂ markets work and how real impact is verified are positioning themselves strategically for the years ahead.
Not because they want to “appear sustainable,”
but because it is smart to understand markets.