Carbon Expert and Greentech – Global recognition on the voluntary carbon market
29/12/2025
The voluntary carbon market is the space where CO₂ emissions turn into opportunities. Companies that commit to sustainability goals invest in projects that reduce emissions through the purchase of carbon credits. Voluntary carbon credits are certificates that show that one ton of carbon dioxide (CO₂) has been reduced or removed from the atmosphere through an internationally verified project. In this way, part of the unavoidable emissions are balanced by investments in projects that have a real effect on the environment and communities.
In recent years, this market has become a global mechanism through which both large and small companies, from Google to local firms, manage to achieve their climate targets. For some, it means reputation and social responsibility, for others it means innovation or marketing. For us, at Carbon Expert, it is the field in which we have been active for over 15 years and in which we have developed and promoted projects with measurable impact, both in Romania and abroad.
Within this framework, Carbon Expert has recently received double international recognition. The company was awarded in 2025 as the “Best Project Developer Public Health”, and was voted the second-best consultancy firm on the voluntary carbon market worldwide. Moreover, the project advised by our team, Greentech Plastic Recycling, part of Green Group, won the award for the “Best Individual Carbon Offset Project” in the world.
“Greentech’s plastic credits through recycling,” implemented in Buzău, is the first Romanian plastic recycling project certified on the voluntary market. Every year, Greentech avoids over 45,000 tons of CO₂ emissions. To better understand this volume: it represents the equivalent of more than two million mature trees absorbing the same amount of emissions in a year. The impact is not limited only to emission reductions, but is also reflected in local jobs, technological investments, and the development of the circular economy in Romania.
More information about the project can be found here: Greentech – Carbon Expert. Official details are also available in the Gold Standard registry.
The recognitions obtained confirm that Romania can be an important player on the global voluntary market. Through Carbon Expert, projects such as Greentech become visible internationally and demonstrate that the transition to climate neutrality can start locally, with concrete and verifiable results. This visibility opens opportunities not only for the business environment but also for the entire Romanian economy: it attracts investments, creates green jobs, stimulates technological innovation, and positions Romania as an example of best practices worldwide.
The fact that a Romanian project has been designated the best carbon offset project in the world shows that local expertise and initiatives can stand alongside the most important global projects. It is an important message for Romanian companies, which can leverage the voluntary market not only to achieve their climate objectives but also to build a competitive advantage and a strong image of responsibility.
Carbon Expert Plans for the Future
Carbon Expert also aims to develop new types of projects, including methane emission reduction projects in agriculture (valorizing animal waste through composting) or biogas projects, together with key players in these markets: Kohshin Engineering Co., Kohshin Europe, Genesis Biotech. Although it intends to prepare these projects for carbon credit purchases under a “pre-issuance” regime (before the issuance of certificates) to genuinely support the project’s initial investment, this is not simple in a market that is still developing. Another example of a successful, high-quality project that has obtained carbon credits with the Gold Standard certification body is located right in Bucharest: the AS Metal Aluminum Recycling Project. Details about Carbon Expert’s project portfolio in Romania can be found here: Carbon Offset Projects.
About the Voluntary Carbon Market
The voluntary carbon market (VCM) is still relatively small compared to regulated markets, but it is growing and has significant prospects. In 2024, the value of the global voluntary carbon credit market was estimated at approximately USD 4.04 billion. It is estimated that by 2030 the market could reach USD 23.99 billion, with a compound annual growth rate of about 35.1% between 2025 and 2030. The future development of this market depends greatly on factors such as national, European, and international regulations, international crediting standards, project integrity, and corporate sustainability commitments.
The importance of the voluntary carbon market is being discussed more and more at the global level. The publication Environmental Finance shows, in a recent analysis, that financial institutions will have a decisive role in expanding this market and in increasing demand for high-quality credits: Will financial institutions pile in to the voluntary carbon market?. Casiana Fometescu, founder and CEO of Carbon Expert, believes that “greater awareness among companies of the value of recycled materials and the real benefits they bring to the circular economy in Europe would be of real help in leveraging carbon credits.”
We thank all our collaborators, the Carbon Expert team, and above all, God, for this achievement!