The main goal for the creation of carbon credits is the reduction of emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from industrial activities to reduce the effects of global warming.

Carbon credits are market mechanisms for the minimization of greenhouse gases emission. Governments or regulatory authorities set the caps on greenhouse gas emissions. For some companies, the immediate reduction of the emission is not economically viable. Therefore, they can purchase carbon credits to comply with the emission cap. Companies that achieve the carbon offsets (reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases) are usually rewarded with additional carbon credits. The sale of credit surpluses may be used to subsidize future projects for the reduction of emissions.

The introduction of such credits was ratified in the Kyoto Protocol. The Paris Agreement validates the application of carbon credits and sets the provisions for the further facilitation of the carbon credits markets.