Carbon markets
Data exclusive: The ‘junk’ carbon offsets revived by the Glasgow Pact
Analysis for Climate Home identifies hundreds of problematic projects that could be used to greenwash national and corporate climate plans
Australian carbon traders defend troubled offset market against whistleblower claims
Policy upheaval and stark criticism of the quality of carbon offsets from a former official have thrown Australia’s ability to deliver on carbon targets into doubt
Carney, Kyte oversee carbon offset rules to address greenwashing concerns
Two initiatives will release standards for the voluntary carbon market this year, while campaigners denounce offsetting as a “scam” that delays real climate action
‘Misleading’ Polish billboards blame EU climate policy for electricity costs
State-owned utilities are using rising energy costs to attack the EU emissions trading system, stoking tensions between Warsaw and Brussels
Crypto bubble: The hype machine behind a $70,000 carbon credit
UK-based cryptocurrency venture Save Planet Earth has convinced investors it can make them rich and fix the climate, but its tree-planting vision is a long way from reality
Big business must not be allowed to set the carbon trading agenda at Cop26
Delicate negotiations on carbon market rules in Glasgow could be thrown off course by the big banks’ push to “scale up” voluntary carbon trading
‘Chess game’ as negotiators seek elusive carbon market deal at Cop26
Agreeing on rules for a global carbon market has become a high-level political focus of the Glasgow summit but experts warn getting it wrong will undermine 1.5C ambition
We don’t have time to dismiss carbon markets as a climate solution
Concerns carbon markets could become a new form of colonialism are not unfounded – but with robust safeguards, they can deliver much-needed climate finance
Japan eyes international carbon offsets to deliver 2030 emission cuts
Campaigners accused Japan of failing to take responsibility for cutting its own emissions and relying on developing nations to do so
Why I refuse to collude with polluters in the carbon offsetting lie
The industry-led Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets is pitching carbon offsets as a win for the Global South. This is greenwashing at its most patronising
‘Hot air’ carbon offset scheme undermines Colombia’s climate goal, experts warn
Colombia stands to lose $62m in carbon tax revenue and underperform its emissions targets due to flawed forest carbon credit projects, investigators claim
Shell’s net zero plan will be judged on science, not spin
Shell’s net zero plan is better seen as a defence of its core oil and gas business, which it is planning to expand, than a genuine energy transition
Carbon markets are proving resilient to the coronavirus pandemic
In contrast with the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash, carbon prices have not taken a big hit from Covid-19, reflecting improvements in market design
Scientists push to add “huge” fish trawling emissions to national inventories
Bottom-trawling for fish releases more carbon dioxide each year than Germany, a study has revealed, yet this is not included in national carbon accounts
DR Congo campaigners take minister to court over illegal logging rights claims
Environment minister Claude Nyamugabo is accused of violating a moratorium on logging in the Congo rainforest, by awarding concessions the size of Wales
Carney’s carbon offset taskforce ducks environmental integrity questions
As the UN special envoy for climate action and finance unveils plans to scale up the voluntary carbon market, campaigners warn big gaps remain on quality standards
China launches world’s largest carbon market for power sector
China’s national emissions trading scheme could become a significant lever for climate action, but experts warn that it will do little to curb emissions in the short term
UN-led carbon market suspends formal project registration after 2020
Countries are under mounting pressure to resolve carbon trading rules at Cop26, as the future of the Clean Development Mechanism hangs in the balance
Brazil sets ‘indicative’ goal of carbon neutrality by 2060
Brazil is seeking to join the net zero club, but campaigners denounced its pledge as meaningless while deforestation rises under President Bolsonaro
Mark Carney oversees blueprint for scaling up carbon market as offset demand soars
With more and more businesses setting net zero emissions targets, the voluntary carbon market needs stronger quality control to scale up, says UN special envoy