Carbon market glossary
Glossary term
Permanence
The duration that removed CO₂ remains stored and unavailable to return to the atmosphere. Ranges from decades to millennia depending on the storage method and technology used.
Why permanence matters for carbon credit buyers
A tonne of CO₂ only counts as removed while it stays out of the atmosphere. Geological storage and mineralisation hold carbon for millennia; forests can release it in a single fire season. Buyers with long-term net-zero commitments typically blend high-permanence engineered removals with lower-cost nature-based credits, and check what buffer mechanisms cover reversal risk.