5 reasons Greenpeace is wrong about carbon credits - DGB ...

According to Greenpeace, without global vigilance around net-zero pledges and offsets, carbon credits could be used to 'greenwash' and distract ... Careers Brands en Search Search 30Mar,2022|6minread 5reasonsGreenpeaceiswrongaboutcarboncredits Carbonoffsetting Carboncredits Climatechange Carbonemissions Greenpeace OscarvanDuin ImpactConsultant-DutchGreenBusiness Sharethisarticle: Greenpeaceisconsistentlybad-mouthingcarboncredits,publishingarticlessuchas‘WhyRelyingOnOffsetswon'tStopClimateBreakdown’and‘WhyNetzeroandOffsetsWon’tSolvetheClimateCrisis.’Butaretheirargumentsactuallyvalid,orjustaformoffear-mongeringandclickbaitinordertosensationalizetheirownideas.Hereare5reasonswhyGreenpeaceiswrongaboutcarbonoffsets.  Thevoluntarycarbonmarketenablesprivateinvestors,governments,non-governmentalorganizations,andbusinessestovoluntarilypurchasecarbonoffsetstooffsettheiremissions.Companiesthatareunabletoreducetheiremissionscanpurchasecarbonoffsetsfromverifiedsupplierstooffsettheiremissions. 1.AbiasedoutlookonCarbonCredits  WhenreadinganyreportorarticlewrittenbyGreenpeacereports,oranyorganizationforthatmatter,therewillbeanunderlyingbias.Andunfortunately,thiscanheavilyinfluencetheinformationreported. InanarticlepublishedbyTheGuardian,Greenpeacereportershaveprovidedtheirideasandthoughtsoncarboncredits,withoutfullyunderstandingwhattheyareandhowcarbonoffsetsprovideessentialfinancialsupporttofundpreservationprojects.Infact,theinformationreportedwassofactuallyinaccurate,thatVerra,calledGreenpeaceandTheGuardianoutforpublishingfactuallyincorrectandbiasedarticlesonline(link). 2.GreenpeaceisgivingCarbonCreditsabadname  AccordingtoGreenpeace,withoutglobalvigilancearoundnet-zeropledgesandoffsets,carboncreditscouldbeusedto‘greenwash’anddistracttheworldfromthosecompanieswhoarenotpreparedtoloseprofitstocombattheclimatecrisis.Well,thesayingpotcallingthekettleblackcomestomindhere. Ratherthanpublishinformationandadvicetoempowercompaniestotakeaction,Greenpeaceispaintinganunnecessarynegativeanddishearteningoutlookoftheirentiresystem.AndthispessimisticopinioniscertainlynothelpingtoencouragemorebusinessestotakepartandavoidproducingCO2emissions(link). IndividualsandcorporationsaroundtheworldarerecognizingtheimportanceofreducingtheirGHGemissions.Asaresult,manyofthemarereducingtheircarbonfootprintsthroughenergyefficiencyandothermeasures.Quiteoften,however,itisnotpossiblefortheseentitiestomeettheirtargetsoreliminatetheircarbonfootprint,atleastinthenearterm,withinternalreductionsalone.Theyneedaflexiblemechanismtoachievetheseaspirationalgoalsandenterthecarbonmarkets. Byusingthecarbonmarkets,entitiescanneutralize,oroffset,theiremissionsbyretiringcarboncreditsgeneratedbyprojectsthatarereducingGHGemissionselsewhere.  3.CarbonCreditsareavalidandproactivesolution Whileit’salltooeasytocriticizecarbonoffsetting,youcan’tdenythatthisisareal-worldsolutiontotheproblem,whichisbeingwidelyacceptedonavoluntarybasis,acrossmostindustries.Whileofcourse,amoredramaticandimpactfulresponsetodeforestation,desertification,andregionalclimatechange wouldyieldbetterresults,askingforsuchasignificantresponsefromindustriesworldwideisjustnotreasonable.DoesGreenpeacewantcompaniestostopaltogether? So,ratherthanoverwhelmindustriesandfaceinstantrejectionandcauseunprecedenteddisruption,governmentsaretakingasofterapproach,whichhasbeenwelcomedbybusinessesandleadstothenecessaryworldwideecosystemrestoration.Carboncreditshavebeenoneofthemaindriversbehindpreventingdeforestationandreestablishingecosystemsworldwide. Theworldneedsarangeofmeasurestolimitcarbondioxide(CO2)emissionswhilemeetingrisingenergydemand.Theyincludetheprotectionandrestorationofnaturalecosystemssuchasforests,grasslandsandwetlands. 4:Greenpeacehasnoappreciationofpossibleimplications  Talkingofdisruption,shouldgovernmentslistentoGreenpeaceandfollowtheiradvice,wouldwebeinabetterpositionthanwhatwearenow?TheonlywaytodecarbonizeasfastasGreenpeacewouldlikewouldbetorapidlyreduceproductionandconsumptioninthedairyandmeatproductionsectors. Supposethesesectorsslowdown,andpeoplestopeatingmeatandconsumingasmuchdairy.Thiswouldmeanfewer profits,whichwouldmeanjoblossesacrosstheboard.Nottomentiontheimpactonruralcommunitiesthatrelyonthesesectors.ButGreenpeacedoesnotseemtotakethisintoaccountwhenrallyingagainstcarboncredits.Thecurecannotbemoreharmfulthanthedisease,right? 5:Greenpeace-Hypocriticalbehavior  GreenpeacewasquicktocriticizeEasyJetforclaimingitcanoperatenet-zerocarbonflights.Theirargumentwasaskingcustomerstopayextratoflyinordertoplanttreeswasnotthesameasrunningacarbon-neutral flight. But,doesGreenpeaceexpectustogiveupflyingaltogether?With2.4%ofglobalCO2emissionscomingfromtheaviationindustry,itisresponsibleforaround5%ofglobalwarming(link). But,oneofGreenpeace’smostseniorexecutivescommutes250milestoworkbyplane.PascalHusting,GreenpeaceInternational’sprogramdirectorsaidhebegancommutingbetweenLuxembourgandAmsterdamwhenhestartedtherolein2012.Hemadethiscommutetwiceamonth(link). DoesGreenpeacewantCarbonCreditstofail? Carbonoffsettingonavoluntarybasiscouldbeagame-changer,providingfundingtoprojectsthatavoidandremovecarbonfromtheatmosphere.Yetthereisscopetoimprovethetransparencyofvariouscarboncreditingmechanismsandaneedforstandardizationofcreditingandaccounting.Thiswouldenhancecustomertrustintheoffsetsoffered,resultinginhighermarketvolumesandareal,functioningmarket. TheTaskforceonScalingVoluntaryCarbonMarkets(link)isaprivatesector-ledinitiativeworkingtoscaleaneffectiveandefficientvoluntarycarbonmarkettohelpmeetthegoalsoftheParisAgreement.TheTaskforcewasinitiatedbyMarkCarney,UNSpecialEnvoyforClimateActionandFinance;ischairedbyBillWinters,GroupChiefExecutive,StandardChartered;andissponsoredbytheInstituteofInternationalFinance(IIF)undertheleadershipofIIFPresidentandCEO,TimAdams.AnnetteNazareth,seniorcounselatDavisPolkandformerCommissioneroftheUSSecuritiesandExchangeCommission,servesastheOperatingLeadfortheTaskforce.McKinsey&Companyprovidesknowledgeandadvisorysupport(link). TheTSVCM’sover250memberinstitutions,representbuyersandsellersofcarboncredits,standardsetters,thefinancialsector,marketinfrastructureproviders,civilsociety,internationalorganizations,andacademics.Anadvisoryboardof20environmentalNGOs,investoralliances,academics,andinternationalorganizationsprovidesguidanceonTSVCMrecommendations.Allpartiesinvolvedrecognizetheimportanceofthecarbonmarkets. Soatatimewhencompanies,governments,andNGOsallaroundtheworldaregatheringbehindcarboncreditsandcarbon offsets,Greenpeaceisspreadingdistrust.Whichmakesyouthink.Whatistheirrealmotiveandwhyaretheywastingenergyontryingtodismantlegovernmenteffortstoreducecarbonemissions?      References:  https://verra.org/verra-response-to-guardian-article-on-carbon-offsets-used-by-major-airlines/ https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/09/greenpeace-international-carbon-offsetting-net-zero-pledges-climate-change-action/ https://carboncredits.com/the-greenpeace-revolt/ https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/airlines-carbon-offsets-solution-climate-change-wrong/ https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200218-climate-change-how-to-cut-your-carbon-emissions-when-flying https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2014/06/25/green-hypocrisy/ Beforeyougo... 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