Why not use a large consultancy?

A fair question. Here is an honest answer — including where traditional consultancies are stronger, where we are, and why it matters for your decision.

Where traditional consultancies are stronger

We should be honest about this. A large, established environmental consultancy has advantages that we do not:

Institutional name recognition — a McKinsey or EY report carries a reputational weight that an independent assessment service does not.

Breadth of geographic coverage — major consultancies have offices in more countries and can draw on local expertise more readily for less common geographies.

Full-service scope — large consultancies can bundle feasibility work with regulatory advisory, government engagement, and multi-disciplinary services that fall outside carbon assessment.

ESIA and social impact assessment — some project types require Environmental and Social Impact Assessments that are beyond the scope of carbon-specific feasibility.

Traditional consultancy

Feasibility.Earth

Methodology depth

Variable. Large firms apply rigorous methodology. Mid-size firms may use standardised templates with limited project-specific adaptation.

Built on the methodology we apply to our own certified projects. Additionality, baseline, and risk analysis based on project-specific evidence, not standard assumptions.

Field experience in your geography

Large consultancies have broad geographic coverage but may not have direct development experience in the specific region.

We have developed and certified projects in Nigeria, Uganda, Kazakhstan, and Cameroon. Our assessors have been on the ground in the geographies we assess.

Timeline

3–6 months for a full feasibility study. Driven by internal review processes and capacity constraints, not the complexity of the work.

5 business days for a full feasibility study. 2–3 business days for eligibility assessment.

Cost

$25,000–$75,000+ for a full feasibility study from a major consultancy.

$7,500 for a full feasibility study. $500 for an eligibility assessment.

What happens after the study

A consultancy produces a document and invoices. If you proceed to development, you engage a separate developer.

For projects that clear our assessment, we offer to co-develop and co-invest. The study is the filter for a potential development partnership.

Post-study accountability

A consultancy has no stake in whether the project succeeds after delivery of the report.

Where we take a development stake, our methodology accuracy is directly tied to our own financial returns.

The question that matters

The relevant question for a carbon project buyer or developer is not which provider has a more recognisable name. It is: which provider's assessment will identify the specific failure modes that are costing developers $150,000–$500,000 in wasted capital — and will their conclusions survive independent review?

Our answer: we assess projects the same way we develop them — using current project-specific data, applying current methodology standards, and documenting the evidence behind every conclusion. That is what our certified projects have been validated against. It is what your feasibility assessment will be based on.

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