Preserving nature, restoring soils and safeguarding biodiversity are urgent and necessary activities. However, branding them as carbon removals is harmful. We need other solutions
The UN-backed ‘Carbon Removal Pioneers’ stoke the development dreams of African countries but crash against the reality of climate science.
Alarm bells for the climate were set off last week by a leak of the European Commission’s proposal for a Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF). The draft leaves many important questions unanswered and vital issues unaddressed, and could usher in an era of greenwashed and money-wasting carbon removals. On 30 November, the European Commission is …
Read more “EU’s Carbon Removals Certification Framework is certifiably problematic”
Voluntary carbon market standards promising tonne-for-tonne compensation and exact measurement of impact are attempting to square the circle, argues Gilles Dufrasne. One solution is to drop offsetting claims and offer credits as financial contributions to climate action. Last week marked the closing of the public consultation on quality criteria for carbon credits by a new …
National governments in the European Union are botching their planning of carbon removals. This lack of strategic thinking and focus on false solutions threatens the climate and biodiversity, a new study reveals. To avoid this, they must develop a clear vision of what carbon removals can achieve and focus primarily on lowering emissions. While carbon …
The EU’s recent failure to rise to the unprecedented challenge presented by the climate emergency should not lead us down the path to cynicism but must prod us to redouble our efforts to bring about meaningful change, writes Sabine Frank. “So, how do you know Y (the host)?” I asked at a recent party. “We …
Read more “July newsletter editorial: Keeping hope alive for 1.5”
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 …
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 …
Carbon removals will become a vital tool for reducing carbon concentrations in the atmosphere but only massive cuts in emissions will give humanity a fighting chance of keeping global heating to 1.5°C or below, says the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The latest IPCC report, which was released in April, outlines various pathways …
Read more “Carbon removals are no substitute for deep emissions reductions, warns IPCC”
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 …
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