Tropical forest carbon credit schemes are ineffective, report finds

A new survey of UC Berkeley Carbon Trading Project – which analyzes carbon credits from tropical forests certified by Will see (manager of the world’s leading voluntary carbon markets program) – found the system not fit for purpose.

According to the report, carbon credit schemes generate major environmental impacts and, some projects, do not provide safeguards for vulnerable communities that inhabit forests. Therefore, they are unsuitable for use by companies in carbon offset claims, as they are not equivalent to fossil fuel emissions.

The team of 14 UC Berkeley researchers found that most credits did not represent a positive impact on the climate, that projects underestimate the risk of displacing deforestation elsewhere, and that auditors often fail to enforce rules on generation. of credits. Furthermore, the report states that some projects have caused the displacement or dispossession of vulnerable communities, despite safeguards designed to prevent harm.

In response to the survey, Verra said that many of the issues highlighted in the report would be addressed in the new methodology for generating carbon credits, which will be published in the next few weeks. The entity published a technical answer to the study.

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