A Real Project Is Not the Same as a Real Seller
Carbon credit projects are recorded on public registries, so a project number can usually be confirmed as genuine. That confirms the project exists. It says nothing about whether the person asking for money is its developer, a current holder of its credits or a broker with no connection to it at all, and that is exactly the gap a convincing seller relies on.
A Registered Project Can Still Have Nothing to Sell
Registration and issuance are two different stages. A substantial share of registered carbon projects have never issued a single credit, and others have issued credits that have since been sold or retired. A project being real and registered does not show that it has any credits available, which is the very claim the seller is making.
A Credit Serial Number Can Be Checked Against the Registry That Issued It
Where a specific credit serial number is offered, the registry's own public records can usually confirm whether it is still active, has already been retired or cancelled, or belongs to a different project altogether. A seller who cannot or will not provide a serial number removes the one detail that would allow the credits to be checked independently.
A Green Energy Investment Follows the Same Promotion Rules
Shares and bonds in green energy projects are frequently sold by brokers and cold callers. Their promotion needs the same section 21 approval, or FCA authorisation, as any other controlled investment. A green fund, or a scheme that pays a return on panels or turbines, goes further, because the firm running it must itself be authorised by the FCA. Describing a scheme as green does not exempt it from the rules that would otherwise apply.
How MetaAshes Examines This
A MetaAshes assessment cross-references a firm's details against the official record in a single pass. For this question, the most relevant checks include:
- Carbon credit project verification
- Carbon credit availability
- Carbon credit serial verification
- Carbon credit ownership
- Green energy site verification
Frequently Asked
If the carbon project number checks out, is the investment genuine?
Confirming that the project exists is only the first step. It does not show that the seller holds any credits from it, that any credits remain to be sold, or that the specific credits offered are still active rather than already retired or sold elsewhere.
Is a green energy investment exempt from normal promotion rules?
No. Shares or a bond in a green energy project need the same approved promotion, or FCA authorisation, as any other controlled investment. A green fund, or a scheme paying a return on panels or turbines, must be run by a firm the FCA has authorised, which can be checked by its FCA reference number.
This guide is provided for general information and does not constitute financial or legal advice.