World’s largest carbon projects unlikely to deliver emissions cuts despite reforms
So far, carbon markets have not led to a promised decrease in planet-heating emissions – and efforts to tighten standards have yet to prove their worth
Carbon markets
See all
Pará’s Amazon forest carbon deal in doubt as prosecutors move to block it
The Brazilian state’s contract with foreign governments and companies has run into trouble over concerns it was premature and agreed without consulting Indigenous communities
EU Commission proposes allowing carbon offsets to help meet 2040 climate goal
Campaigners accuse the European Commission of adding “loopholes” and “distractions” to the 90% emissions reduction target
A credible UN carbon market needs rules that count – we’ve just set them
The broad standards for a more ambitious market are now in place. But without a steady flow of investment, this progress will remain largely on paper
Indigenous land disputes cloud Kenya’s carbon market ambitions
Two of Kenya’s biggest carbon credit projects are mired in controversy, clouding the country’s hopes of raising climate finance from the offset market
First carbon credit scheme for early coal plant closures unveiled
Proponents hope carbon markets can offer new funding for costly transition from coal to renewables. But concerns have been raised over the risk of low-integrity credits
Carbon credit auditors suspended for failures in sham rice-farming offsets
Verra has taken unprecedented action against four certification bodies that overlooked integrity problems with the projects. But the worthless credits still need to be compensated
Consultants close to industry shaped Australia’s controversial carbon credit policy
The government commissioned advice from expensive consultants from EY, a company that had also worked with carbon offsetters and the fossil fuel industry.
Carbon credit rule-makers must engage Indigenous People
Indigenous people protect the forests but the organisation writing up a rule-book for high-quality carbon offsets has not adequately consulted them
Revealed: How Shell cashed in on dubious carbon offsets from Chinese rice paddies
Shell’s rice farming offset projects are under review. Climate Home found them riddled with accounting loopholes and questionable integrity claims.
Corporations push “insetting” as new offsetting but report claims it is even worse
More companies claim that supply-chain carbon removal is the way forward. But a new report raises concern over the credibility and transparency of insetting.
Greenwash alert as Cop27 draft allows double claiming of carbon credits
Companies and countries could take credit for the same tonne of CO2 cut under rules being negotiated in Sharm el-Sheikh
Cop27 bulletin: Could polluter taxes fund loss and damage?
Sign up to get our weekly newsletter straight to your inbox, plus breaking news, investigations and extra bulletins from key events
John Kerry’s offsets plan sets early test for UN net zero standards
The US special envoy wants to use carbon credits to speed up the clean energy transition – but experts are sceptical the scheme can meet best practice.
World Bank backs carbon credit blockchain registry to attract crypto investors
The World Bank wants to direct the NFT craze towards projects that cut emissions and improve the transparency of carbon offset markets
Chinese companies seek global carbon market for green hydrogen
A project that supplied green hydrogen for buses at the Winter Olympics could be the first of its kind to sell carbon credits through the Clean Development Mechanism
Make polluters pay for climate adaptation, voluntary carbon market body proposes
An adaptation levy on carbon credits could raise up to $2.5bn a year by 2030, providing more predictable support for climate vulnerable countries
Data exclusive: The ‘junk’ carbon offsets revived by the Glasgow Pact
Analysis for Climate Home identifies hundreds of problematic projects that could be used to greenwash national and corporate climate plans
Australian carbon traders defend troubled offset market against whistleblower claims
Policy upheaval and stark criticism of the quality of carbon offsets from a former official have thrown Australia’s ability to deliver on carbon targets into doubt
Carney, Kyte oversee carbon offset rules to address greenwashing concerns
Two initiatives will release standards for the voluntary carbon market this year, while campaigners denounce offsetting as a “scam” that delays real climate action
‘Misleading’ Polish billboards blame EU climate policy for electricity costs
State-owned utilities are using rising energy costs to attack the EU emissions trading system, stoking tensions between Warsaw and Brussels
Crypto bubble: The hype machine behind a $70,000 carbon credit
UK-based cryptocurrency venture Save Planet Earth has convinced investors it can make them rich and fix the climate, but its tree-planting vision is a long way from reality
Big business must not be allowed to set the carbon trading agenda at Cop26
Delicate negotiations on carbon market rules in Glasgow could be thrown off course by the big banks’ push to “scale up” voluntary carbon trading
‘Chess game’ as negotiators seek elusive carbon market deal at Cop26
Agreeing on rules for a global carbon market has become a high-level political focus of the Glasgow summit but experts warn getting it wrong will undermine 1.5C ambition
We don’t have time to dismiss carbon markets as a climate solution
Concerns carbon markets could become a new form of colonialism are not unfounded – but with robust safeguards, they can deliver much-needed climate finance
Japan eyes international carbon offsets to deliver 2030 emission cuts
Campaigners accused Japan of failing to take responsibility for cutting its own emissions and relying on developing nations to do so
Why I refuse to collude with polluters in the carbon offsetting lie
The industry-led Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets is pitching carbon offsets as a win for the Global South. This is greenwashing at its most patronising
‘Hot air’ carbon offset scheme undermines Colombia’s climate goal, experts warn
Colombia stands to lose $62m in carbon tax revenue and underperform its emissions targets due to flawed forest carbon credit projects, investigators claim
Shell’s net zero plan will be judged on science, not spin
Shell’s net zero plan is better seen as a defence of its core oil and gas business, which it is planning to expand, than a genuine energy transition
Carbon markets are proving resilient to the coronavirus pandemic
In contrast with the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash, carbon prices have not taken a big hit from Covid-19, reflecting improvements in market design
Scientists push to add “huge” fish trawling emissions to national inventories
Bottom-trawling for fish releases more carbon dioxide each year than Germany, a study has revealed, yet this is not included in national carbon accounts