Was COP27 the beginning of the end for corporate offsetting?

A new type of carbon credit created at the Sharm el-Sheikh climate conference provides an overdue alternative to the offset claim. This signals a path towards more honest climate accounting and fewer loopholes for potential greenwashing. The outcome on carbon markets at COP27 was generally poor. Negotiators failed to set basic oversight and transparency checks …

COP27 FAQ: Article 6 of the Paris Agreement explained

The rules governing carbon markets agreed at the COP26 in Glasgow need to be translated into functioning and effective mechanisms at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh. This handy Carbon Market Watch guide explains Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, how it works and main the issues at stake.

New UN global carbon market must involve civil society to serve the climate and local communities

The new body tasked with designing and supervising the global carbon market under the Paris Agreement must put in place environmental safeguards and protect the interests of local and indigenous communities. At the end of July, the UN body in charge of overseeing the new global carbon market agreed at last year’s COP26 Glasgow, under …

Inching forward on UN carbon market rules: our takeaways from the Bonn climate conference

Two weeks of negotiations show governments are keen to get global carbon market mechanisms up and running, but much work lies ahead to ensure transparency, environmental integrity and respect for human rights.  The most recent UN climate change conference wrapped on Thursday, concluding two weeks of negotiations on a number of subjects including the implementation …

UN carbon market negotiations in Bonn must pave way to effective COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh

Negotiators must prioritise human rights, transparency and environmental integrity as they hammer out the framework for carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The intersession of the UN climate change conference, where Carbon Market Watch will be present throughout, kicked off in Bonn, today, Monday 6 June, and will last through Thursday 16 …

The eastern highlands of Papua New Guinea

Huge proposed project to prevent deforestation in Papua New Guinea may sell hot air credits and have misled locals

A proposed carbon offsetting project in Papua New Guinea, which has been labelled a “scam” by a local politician, appears to be of questionable environmental benefit and has seemingly failed to consult with local communities sufficiently and transparently, a Carbon Market Watch analysis concludes. This project must not receive certification. Carbon Market Watch’s analysis of …

Net-zero illusions: The rise of ‘carbon-neutral’ fossil fuels

Like dry water and hot snow, carbon-neutral fossil fuels are pipe dreams and marketing gimmicks that do nothing to protect the climate, a new Carbon Market Watch investigation reveals. Jonathan Crook investigates. In case you haven’t heard, there’s a new greenwashing trend spreading like wildfire. It consists of oil and gas giants, like Shell, Total, …