Carbon credit retirements in public registries reached 1,692,473 credits (1.69 million) in the seven days from 2026-09-28 to 2026-10-04, according to CarbonMeld registry data. The previous period, 2026-09-21 to 2026-09-27, recorded 641,218 credits, so the weekly total rose by 163.9%. For buyers, developers and investors, the figure is a measure of how many credits were actually taken out of circulation, not how many were issued or traded.

The Weekly Total in Context

The count covers retirement records published by five registries: Verra (VCS), the American Carbon Registry (ACR), ART TREES, Gold Standard and the Climate Action Reserve. The totals are the retirement records each registry publishes, as read by CarbonMeld.

The records do not say who retired the credits or why. Whether the weekly increase continues in later periods is not yet visible in the data.

Verra Accounts for the Largest Share

Verra (VCS) recorded 1,266,632 credits (1.27 million) in 331 retirement records. In the previous period it recorded 375,530 credits in 315 records, an increase of 237.3%. The number of records changed little, while the credit total grew sharply, so the records in the latest week were larger on average.

Verra’s records were read up to 2026-10-17, which is later than the end of the period, so they had time to be published. Even so, registries publish with delays, and the latest days can still grow.

Other Registries: Mixed Movements

The American Carbon Registry showed 187,784 credits (187.8 thousand) in 23 retirement records, against 175,883 credits in 43 records before, a rise of 6.8%. Fewer records therefore carried a slightly higher total.

Gold Standard recorded 82,801 credits (82.8 thousand) in 60 retirement records, compared with 76,999 credits in 52 records previously, up 7.5%.

The Climate Action Reserve was the only registry in the list to decline. It showed 2,788 credits (2.8 thousand) in 6 records, against 12,506 credits in 5 records, a fall of 77.7%.

ART TREES: A Small Base and a Large Percentage

ART TREES recorded 152,468 credits (152.5 thousand) in 5 retirement records. The previous period showed 300 credits in 1 record. The percentage change is +50722.7%, but it is calculated from a very small base and should be read as such.

Its records were read only up to 2026-09-30, earlier than the other registries, so the picture for the final days of the period may be incomplete. The data do not show the reason for the jump.

The Five Largest Retirements by Project

The largest single project in the period was the Renewable Solar Power Project by Adani Green Energy Limited (VCS-1815, India), with 230,000 credits (230.0 thousand). Four more projects followed:

Four of the five largest retirements sit under Verra’s VCS, and one under ART TREES. The list spans India, Colombia, Indonesia, Uzbekistan and Cote d’Ivoire, and includes renewable energy, hydropower, gas leakage reduction and a jurisdictional forest program.

What the Data Can and Cannot Tell Readers

Retirement records are a count of credits used. They do not report buyers or beneficiaries, so the data cannot separate corporate claims from other uses. They also do not explain why the weekly total moved as it did.

For developers, the figures show which registries and project types appeared among the largest retirements in this particular week. For buyers and investors, a single week is a narrow window, and one large record can shift a registry’s total considerably.

What to Watch

  • Whether the records for the week to 2026-10-04 grow further as registries finish publishing.
  • Whether Verra’s weekly total stays near 1.27 million credits or returns toward the earlier level of 375,530.
  • Whether ART TREES retirements remain above the 300 credits of the previous period.
  • Whether the Climate Action Reserve’s decline of 77.7% reverses in the next weekly count.

The next weekly comparison will show whether the 163.9% rise marks a lasting level or a single large week. The records alone do not answer that question.