Voluntary Carbon Credit Market in Portugal: Opportunities and Benefits
Published on 3 February 2025 by Catarina Costa
- Business & ESG
- Energy Transition
Portugal has taken a decisive step in the fight against climate change with the creation of the Voluntary Carbon Market, formalised by Decree-Law no. 4/2024 of 5 January.
This mechanism allows companies, organisations and individuals to generate, certify and trade carbon credits from projects that reduce or remove greenhouse gas emissions.
Enbiente, a specialist in sustainability and energy transition, supports clients in turning environmental impact into real economic value.
What is the Voluntary Carbon Market?
The VCM enables the creation and trading of carbon credits outside the regulated European Union markets. Each credit represents one tonne of CO₂ equivalent avoided, reduced or removed from the atmosphere through sustainable practices and verified projects.
Companies and individuals can sell credits when they generate emission reductions through renewable energy, forestry or energy efficiency projects, or buy credits to offset their carbon footprint and strengthen their ESG strategy.
Economic benefits and opportunities
The VCM opens new opportunities for sectors such as renewable energy, agribusiness and forestry, combining profitability with positive environmental impact.
Renewable energy
Companies with solar, wind or biomass systems can certify emission reductions and trade carbon credits, generating additional revenue. Other organisations can purchase these credits to offset emissions, encouraging investment in clean energy.
Agribusiness
The agricultural and livestock sectors can generate credits by adopting practices such as reducing nitrogen fertilisers, managing effluents efficiently, implementing regenerative agriculture and conserving soil.
Forestry sector
Reforestation, soil recovery and sustainable forest management projects are highly valued in the VCM. In addition to income from selling credits, they support biodiversity, fire prevention and ecosystem balance.
Challenges and considerations
The success of the VCM depends on proper planning and technical support. Projects must comply with strict monitoring and verification rules, may require initial investment and are exposed to price fluctuation depending on demand and project quality.
How Enbiente can help
Enbiente provides full support across every stage: project consulting and development, certification and registration, and commercialisation strategies.
Conclusion
The Voluntary Carbon Market is an opportunity to align economic growth and environmental responsibility. Portugal is positioning itself at the forefront of European decarbonisation, and Enbiente is ready to help companies and producers participate actively in this transition.
Turn climate challenges into competitive advantages.
