The GER is a ground-breaking carbon contract that enables individuals and businesses to turn their net zero ambitions into reality. It allows companies, big and small, to implement their net zero strategies and offset those unavoidable carbon emissions with one, transparent and simple-to-use instrument. It also provides conscious individuals and investors a pathway to rebalance their carbon footprint and fund projects that do good for the environment.

The GER has recently launched as a spot contract on ACX, as futures on Nodal, and will soon be on offer on EEX. Availability on these three leading exchanges offers full geographical coverage and allows for low transaction fees. The GER is also available via retailer Plannet Zero for companies and individuals.

Specifications

FAQS

Prices

The only global benchmark for the Voluntary Carbon Market
to include an in-built pathway to net zero!

The only global benchmark for the Voluntary Carbon Market to include an in-built pathway to net zero!

The Problem

The Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) is confusing, opaque and inaccessible. As a result, fewer companies and individuals have been able to offset their unavoidable carbon emissions until now. This limits the amount of funding reaching projects that reduce or remove CO₂ emissions from the atmosphere, with many not getting the investment they need, moving the day we hit net zero further into the future.

Multiple Prices

High Transaction Costs

Multiple Vintages

Multiple Project Types

High Level of Distrust

Multiple Prices

High Transaction Costs

Multiple Vintages

Multiple Project Types

High Level of Distrust

One Global Price

Low Transaction Costs

Easy Access

No Vintage

Reflects Market Trends

Clear Pathway to Net Zero

The Solution

The GER is the answer to all these shortcomings. With a single, transparent price and listed on multiple exchanges, it provides a cost-effective, readily accessible net zero aligned way to buy, sell and retire carbon credits for individuals, companies, project developers and investors alike. Each of the four components will trade and price independently of each other. All projects included in the GER are verified by leading standards such as Verra and Gold Standard.

One Global Price

Low Transaction Costs

Easy Access

No Vintage

Reflects Market Trends

Clear Pathway to Net Zero

GER - Key Features

GER - The Key Features

Single Global VCM Price

The GER will provide a reliable, single global reference price for the Voluntary Carbon Market

Pathway to Net Zero

The GER provides an Oxford Principles aligned pathway to Net Zero by increasing the proportion of long lived removals, ultimately being based solely on them by 2050

Composition Reflects Changing Market Trends

We have been guided in all that we have done by the users of the VCM. The GER’s composition evolves to reflect the mix of credits retired by carbon offsetters

Spot, Future, Digital

Net Zero Markets has partnered with exchanges across the globe to provide multiple venues and contract types to ensure the GER is accessible to all market participants

GER - Key Benefits

GER - The Key Benefits

Increased Liquidity

Similar credits are grouped together to attract a number of market participants large enough to ensure liquidity

Greater Transparency

Liquidity boosts transparency which enables investment in, and scaling of, the VCM’s project and consumer bases. The GER also makes authentication of carbon neutral claims more transparent

Provides Funding to Removal Projects

By including removals in a gradually increasing proportion, the GER puts users on an affordable pathway to net zero while providing funding to higher cost removals projects

Built on Current Market Standards

The GER is built on the foundation of existing standards, but has the flexibility to adapt as new standards emerge

Get Involved

The GER provides a transparent, cost-effective and readily accessible way to buy, sell and retire carbon credits for companies, project developers and investors alike.

Individuals & Small Companies
Larger Companies
Investors

If you are a conscious individual or a smaller business looking for a path to net zero, you can rebalance your carbon footprint with the GER in just a few clicks. Our partners at Plannet Zero allow you to purchase GERs. They will retire them and issue a certificate to you. With the GER you can be confident that your investment will fund quality projects registered by the two largest VCM registries. Carbon credits purchased via Plannet Zero will be retired on their public registry.

BUY GER

Companies around the world are working to cut their carbon emissions in order to become more sustainable and climate-friendly but if they want to become carbon-neutral they also need to offset any residual carbon emissions. The GER provides corporates with a transparent, trustworthy, and practical pathway for achieving net zero carbon emissions. Its mix reflects evolving market trends and it is the only product of its kind to include carbon removals! It is available on major exchanges around the world, which allows for low transaction fees.

BUY GER FUTURES

BUY SPOT GER

Whether you are a conscious private investor or a fund manager, the GER offers you an easily accessible, transparent and trustworthy tool to gain exposure to the carbon market with peace of mind, knowing your investment will go into funding quality projects, certified by the leading standards such as Verra and the Gold Standard. You will also be funding those all-important carbon removals projects, whose quick technological advancement is essential to reach net zero targets.

BUY GER FUTURES

BUY SPOT GER

Individuals & Small Companies
Larger Companies
Investors

The GER is a unique, physically-delivered, hybrid carbon offset, that adapts to market trends.
It is made up of four underlying components, with each of them representing a grouping of carbon credits.

Base Carbon Contract (BCC)

Carbon credits from renewables and energy efficiency

Forestry Carbon Contract (FCC)

Carbon reductions from Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use

Prime Carbon Contract (PCC)

Offsets from projects with additional United Nations Sustainable Development Goals benefits such as education and gender equality

Carbon Capture Contract (CCC)

For long-lived carbon removals

Contract Weightings

The GER also sets out a net zero pathway by including a growing proportion of long-lived carbon removals via the Carbon Capture Contract. This path is fixed through to 2050 at which point the GER will be 100% Carbon Removals (aligned the Oxford Principles).

The GER evolves with the market. The weightings of the offset sub-contracts (BCC, FCC & PCC) will be recalibrated to reflect the proportion of carbon credit types retired each year by users globally.

Netzero graphics ger initial composition

Importance of Removals

The GER is the first contract of its kind to include a growing proportion of vital carbon removal projects, which will be essential for reaching net zero targets on time.

To hit net zero, long-lived removals will have to become the only permissible carbon credit that can be used to offset residual carbon emissions. However, long-lived carbon removals are currently expensive and not readily available. Many offsetters feel these types of credits are unaffordable, which limits the funds flowing to these vital new technologies and delays their development. The GER is designed to bridge this gap by including a small, but growing, proportion of the Carbon Capture Contract (CCC).

Carbon removals will make up 100% of the GER contract by 2050!

By making the purchase of long-lived removals affordable, the GER stimulates a market for, and investment in, hard-to-reach removals projects.

2023 GER WEIGHTING

Specifications

Global Emission Reduction Contract (GER)

The GER is a contract designed to offer a benchmark carbon price for corporate and retail offsetters. It is comprised of four sub-contracts (the BCC, the PCC, the FCC and the CCC) that encompass the voluntary carbon sector, including carbon removal projects.

Contract Specifications:

Denominations 1 tCO2e
Contract Size: 1,000 tCO2e (1 Contract = 1,000 tCO2e)

Base Carbon Contract (BCC)

The BCC includes carbon credits generated by renewables and energy efficiency projects that have been approved by Verra or Gold Standard.

Contract Specifications:

Denominations 1 tCO2e
Contract Size: 1 tCO2e (1 Contract = 1 tCO2e)

Forestry Carbon Contract (FCC)

The FCC covers carbon credits generated from agricultural, forestry and land use projects that have been approved by Verra or Gold Standard.

Contract Specifications:

Denominations 1 tCO2e
Contract Size: 1 tCO2e (1 Contract = 1 tCO2e)

Prime Carbon Contract (PCC)

The PCC covers carbon credits generated by those projects with additional benefits that meet at least three of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and have been approved by Verra or Gold Standard.

Contract Specifications:

Denominations 1 tCO2e
Contract Size: 1 tCO2e (1 Contract = 1 tCO2e)

Carbon Capture Contract (CCC)

The CCC covers carbon credits from projects* that provide long-lived removal of carbon emissions, such as biochar, BECCS and DACC projects, that have been approved by Verra or Gold Standard.

Contract Specifications:

Denominations 1 tCO2e
Contract Size: 1 tCO2e (1 Contract = 1 tCO2e)

*In the absence of qualifying long-lived removals, EU Allowances (EUAs) will be accepted as a proxy.

Download Specs