Carbon Credit Compliance
for Businesses
Protect your business, enhance credibility, and achieve climate goals with confidence.
Carbon credits are a powerful tool for meeting net-zero commitments—but they also carry regulatory, reputational, and financial risks. LawVisory helps companies, investors, and project developers navigate the complex legal and compliance landscape of voluntary and compliance carbon markets.
- SEC & IRS Regulatory Guidance
- FTC Green Guide & Marketing Compliance
- Project Verification & Risk Assessment
- Carbon Credit Purchase & Contract Review
Why Carbon Credit Compliance Matters
The voluntary carbon market (VCM) is growing rapidly, but scrutiny is intensifying:
- Investors and regulators demand transparency and accuracy in carbon offset claims.
- The IRS may treat carbon credits as taxable assets, with implications for structuring transactions.
- The FTC enforces rules against deceptive environmental marketing.
- States are rolling out disclosure requirements for companies using offsets.
Without a compliance framework, your business risks greenwashing claims, audits, tax penalties, and reputational damage.
Our Carbon Credit Legal, Consulting and Compliance Services
We provide end-to-end guidance on compliance, risk management, and market integrity:
For Businesses & Buyers:
- Due diligence on carbon credit purchases and sellers
- FTC & state-level marketing compliance (avoid greenwashing)
- IRS & tax mitigation structuring guidance
- Reporting and disclosure frameworks
For Project Developers:
- Verification & validation support (BeZero, Sylvera, Calyx Global, Renoster)
- Additionality, permanence, leakage, and co-benefits legal and compliance
- Contract drafting & credit issuance guidance
- Safeguards for environmental & social responsibility
For Investors & Funds:
- Carbon credit risk audits & ratings analysis
- Portfolio screening for ESG compliance
- SEC and investment adviser legal, compliance and disclosure services
Core Regulatory & Legal Principles We Navigate
- Verification & Transparency – ensuring credits are additional, traceable, and third-party verified
- Reporting & Disclosure – accurate retirement and offset claims
- Environmental & Social Responsibility – no hidden harms, fair benefit-sharing
- Taxation – IRS treatment, Section 1031 considerations, and deal structuring
- FTC Green Guides – compliant marketing of offsets
- State Disclosure Rules – alignment with emerging state-level regulations
Why Choose LawVisory?
- Deep regulatory expertise across SEC, IRS, FTC, and ESG frameworks
- Interdisciplinary approach bridging law, compliance, and market standards
- Tailored solutions for corporations, funds, and developers
- Proven track record helping clients avoid costly missteps in the carbon markets from developers to buyers to brokers
Schedule a confidential discovery call today and build a carbon credit compliance program that earns trust and withstands scrutiny.
Contact Us
+1 202-854-0515
info@lawvisory.com
1250 Connecticut Ave NW #700, Washington, DC 20036
FAQs
Q1: Do businesses need legal compliance when buying carbon credits?
Yes. Without proper verification, reporting, and disclosure, carbon credits can expose companies to greenwashing claims, tax penalties, or regulatory enforcement.
Q2: How are carbon credits taxed in the U.S.?
The IRS has not issued carbon credit-specific rules, but generally, the sale of credits is treated as a taxable event. Structuring matters greatly.
Q3: What are the FTC’s Green Guides?
They are federal rules that prohibit deceptive environmental claims, including carbon offsets, requiring proof of real and verifiable emissions reductions.
Q4: How do rating agencies like BeZero and Sylvera affect buyers?
They independently assess credit quality, helping buyers avoid low-quality or high-risk credits, but there’s no universal standard yet.
Q5: Can LawVisory help international firms enter the U.S. carbon market?
Absolutely. We guide global companies through U.S. federal and state regulatory requirements to ensure a compliant market entry.