Off-kilter Offsets

The UC Berkeley Carbon Trading Project looked at schemes, largely in the Amazon and the Congo, certificated by Verra. Their report confirms, that these rainforest carbon credit schemes, are both misleading and ineffective (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/15/rainforest-carbon-credit-schemes-misleading-and-ineffective-finds-report). The project found that the claimed environmental impacts of rainforest carbon credit schemes were highly inflated. It also noted that some projects, provided no safeguards for vulnerable, indigenous communities. Those communities are often the real custodians of the rainforest. The overall conclusion was that rainforest carbon credit schemes are unsuitable for companies to use in carbon offsetting claims. This has been suspected for ages. These schemes, however, will continue to be used by some companies, until their role in 'greenwashing' becomes more widely appreciated. Commerce has a tendency to 'dance around' its environmental challenges.