Carbon credit retirements in public registries fell to 147,286 credits in the seven days from 9 to 15 October 2026, down 85.9% from 1,045,512 credits in the previous period, according to CarbonMeld registry data. The figures cover Verra, the Climate Action Reserve and the American Carbon Registry (ACR). For buyers, developers and investors who track demand through retirement records, the week shows a sharp drop across all three registries, though the records do not say who retired the credits or why.
The Week in Numbers
The total of 147,286 credits (147.3 thousand) compares with 1,045,512 credits (1.05 million) in the period from 2 to 8 October 2026. The change is -85.9%. Each of the three registries recorded a lower volume than in the week before.
The figures are totals of the retirement records that each registry publishes, as read by CarbonMeld. Registries publish with delays, so the latest days can still grow. That caveat applies to every number below.
Registry by Registry
Verra (VCS) accounted for 127,569 credits (127.6 thousand) in 46 retirement records. The previous period showed 647,773 credits in 291 records, so Verra’s volume fell 80.3%. Records were read up to 10 October 2026.
The Climate Action Reserve recorded 12,402 credits (12.4 thousand) in 4 retirement records, against 112,250 credits in 7 records a week earlier. That is a fall of 89.0%. Its records were read up to 9 October 2026.
The American Carbon Registry recorded 7,315 credits (7.3 thousand) in 3 retirement records. The previous period showed 258,965 credits in 26 records, a fall of 97.2%. ACR records were also read up to 9 October 2026.
The Largest Retirements by Project
Five projects led the period. Three are Verra projects, one is a Climate Action Reserve project and one is an ACR project:
- Escuela de Minas Hydroelectric Project (VCS-1723, Colombia): 68,000 credits (68.0 thousand).
- Pavagada Solar Renewable Power Project by Greenko Group (VCS-1791, India): 30,000 credits (30.0 thousand).
- DelAgua Clean Cooking Grouped Project in Rwanda (VCS-4150, Rwanda): 25,247 credits (25.2 thousand).
- Phlogiston Phase I (CAR-1480, US): 5,981 credits (6.0 thousand).
- A-Gas ODS-VER4 (ACR-1116, Ohio, US): 5,352 credits (5.4 thousand).
The three largest retirements are all Verra projects, in Colombia, India and Rwanda. The two smaller entries come from US registries and are far below the Verra volumes.
What the Records Do Not Show
The registry records do not name buyers or beneficiaries. They show that credits were retired, not the purpose of the retirement or whether the same buyer acted more than once. Any reading of motive or demand would go beyond what the data contain.
The record counts also differ by registry. Verra’s 46 records in the latest period compare with 291 in the previous one, so the fall appears in the number of records as well as in volume. For the Climate Action Reserve and ACR, the counts are small, which means a single large record can move a weekly total.
What to Watch
Three points will matter in the coming reports. First, whether the latest days grow as registries publish late records, which would change the size of the drop. Second, whether the weekly total stays near 147,286 credits or returns toward the earlier level of 1,045,512. Third, whether Verra’s record count stays near 46 or moves back toward 291.
Whether the fall continues is not yet visible in the records. One week is a narrow base, and publication delays mean the comparison is provisional. Buyers and developers following retirement data should read the figure as a measurement of published records for a single seven-day window, and compare it with later updates for the same dates.
