Carbon camouflaging: How corporations are misusing carbon removals to mask their climate inaction

Carbon removals are not meant as a tool for corporate greenwashing or climate inaction. They should only be used to reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The 2023 edition of the Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor (CCRM) ​assesses the transparency and quality of the climate strategies of 24 major global corporations. Only one …

Not zero: New report exposes greenwashing in climate plans of top global corporations

Despite claiming to be champions of climate action, two dozen of the world’s largest and richest corporations are hiding their climate inaction behind the fig leaf of green-sounding ‘net zero’ plans, concludes the 2023 edition of the Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor. For that reason, governments must stop their dithering and regulate robustly what green claims companies are permitted to make.

Lacklustre COP27 fails to bring clarity to carbon markets

The Sharm el-Sheikh climate conference’s final deal on Article 6 opens the door to secret carbon market deals between countries with little oversight. On a positive note, a new type of carbon credit could help spell the end of offsetting, but the agreement falls far short of what is needed.

European airlines misleading customers with claims of “carbon-neutral” flights – study

A new study commissioned by Carbon Market Watch has revealed gaping holes in the effectiveness of voluntary climate action taken by eight major European airlines. Misleading claims of “carbon neutral” flying, a dependence on poor quality carbon offsets and the low cost of a tonne of CO2 that customers can pay to offset are just …

June newsletter editorial: Dramatic week in climate politics shows undercutting ambition is unacceptable

Events followed by more than one member of the CMW team at a time are rare. On the occasion of the European Parliament’s vote on the reform of the EU Emissions Trading System on 8 June, several of us were glued to our screens following the parliamentary proceedings and sharing reactions in an online chat. …

FIFA 2022 World Cup’s “carbon neutral” claim is far-fetched and spurious

The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar has advertised itself as a carbon-neutral tournament. However, a thorough Carbon Market Watch analysis reveals that this claim lacks credibility due to the apparent large-scale underestimation of the event’s emissions and the low quality of the carbon credits currently purchased to offset the climate impact. FIFA, football’s international …

FIFA World Cup in Qatar scores own goal with misleading carbon neutrality claim, new report

The FIFA World Cup in Qatar advertises itself as the first carbon-neutral tournament of its kind. Our latest research casts serious doubt on this claim, suggesting that this goal will be achieved through creative accounting rather than actually reaching a carbon footprint of (net) zero. Host country Qatar and football’s governing body FIFA are touting …