IIn Malaysia, carbon credit trading sounds simple on the surface.
More companies are talking about ESG., asking about offsets and wondering how to turn carbon work into real value.
But once sellers step into the process, many quietly realise something uncomfortable: deals don’t fail loudly — they stall quietly.
This article looks at where most sellers get stuck, why it keeps happening, and why the problem is usually not the market, not the price, and not a lack of interest.
Many sellers start with pricing, but buyers don’t
A common pain point shows up very early. Sellers spend a lot of time thinking about how to price carbon credits for sale. They look at market ranges, online quotes, or what others claim to be selling at. But when talking to corporates, pricing is rarely the first real conversation.
Companies usually start with:
- What exactly is this credit?
- Where does it come from?
- How will we explain this internally?
- What happens if we are questioned later?
If those answers are not clear, price discussions simply don’t move forward.
Selling to companies is not like selling to individuals
Many first-time sellers assume that if someone wants to sell carbon credits to companies, it’s similar to a normal B2B sale. In reality, selling to corporates feels very different.
When you sell carbon offsets to corporates, you are entering:
- Internal review processes
- Compliance discussions
- Reputation considerations
Even interested buyers move slowly because they must protect themselves. That hesitation is not rejection, It’s risk management.
Resale rules are often misunderstood
Another common pain point appears around carbon credit resale rules.
Some sellers are unclear about:
- Whether credits were already used
- Whether they were partially retired
- Whether they can be resold or transferred again
Buyers usually ask these questions very early.
If answers are vague, inconsistent, or keep changing, trust drops fast — even if the project itself is legitimate.
Documentation sounds boring, but it stops deals
Many sellers underestimate carbon credit seller documentation.
They assume:
- “We can explain later”
- “This is standard”
- “Buyers won’t go into detail”
In reality, documentation is where most deals slow down.
Not because buyers want to be difficult, but because they need:
- Clear records
- Consistent explanations
- Something that can survive internal questioning
When documents feel incomplete, deals pause.
Verification helps, but it doesn’t solve everything
Some sellers believe that carbon credit verification for selling will automatically unlock deals. Verification does help, but it does not remove all concerns. Buyers still look closely at the context of the project, how the credits are transferred, and whether the overall story can hold together over the long term. Being verified does not mean a project will go unquestioned.
Retirement vs selling creates confusion
A surprisingly common issue is confusion between carbon credit retirement and selling. Some sellers mix these two concepts when explaining their project, which quickly creates uncertainty on the buyer’s side. Buyers begin to question whether the credit has already been used, whether it is still tradable, and what exactly they are being asked to purchase. When these points cannot be explained clearly and consistently, discussions tend to slow down or stop altogether.
Monetisation is not a single action
Many people ask how to monetize carbon credits, expecting a clear final step.
But monetisation is a process, not a button.
It involves:
- Positioning the project clearly
- Explaining its role in a buyer’s strategy
- Aligning expectations on timing and use
Without that clarity, monetisation remains theoretical.
Sales agreements come late, not early
Some sellers worry early about the carbon credit sales agreement.
In reality, agreements come much later.
Before contracts, buyers need confidence:
- In the project logic
- In the documentation
- In the ability to explain the purchase internally
No agreement fixes uncertainty.
Due diligence is where many deals pause
The carbon credit due diligence checklist is not a formality.
It is the moment where buyers ask:
- “Are we comfortable with this?”
- “Can we defend this decision later?”
If answers feel rushed or unclear, momentum slows.
Again, this is not hostility.
It is caution.
Why sellers often feel stuck
From the seller’s side, the process often feels frustrating. There are meetings, there is interest, and there are follow-up questions, yet progress still feels slow. The reality is that most sellers are not stuck because their projects have been rejected. More often, they are stalled because buyers are still in the process of getting comfortable and building confidence before moving forward.
Where neutral support sometimes comes in
As projects become more complex, some sellers begin to realise that they are spending more time explaining than actually selling. In these situations, units like Carbon Core (carboncore.io) often take on a neutral, administrative role. Their focus is on helping organise documentation, structure explanations, and align processes, rather than pushing prices or forcing transactions. The objective is clarity, not promotion.
The real pain point in carbon credit trading
For many Malaysian sellers, the biggest pain point in carbon credit trading comes down to one issue. The work is real, and the interest from buyers is real, but the explanation is not yet strong enough to carry the deal forward. Once explanations improve, confidence begins to follow. And when confidence builds, deals—slowly but steadily—start to move. This is a reality that most sellers only discover halfway through the journey.
Official Website: Carboncore.io
If Demand Exists, Why Is Carbon Credit Trading Still Cautious?
Practical answers based on real buyer concerns and stalled transactions