Why Net Zero and Offsets won't solve the climate crisis

Within the climate debate, the biggest deception comes down to a single word: net. Greenpeace Luxembourg activists use human size yellow slipper ... SkiptoNavigation SkiptoContent SkiptoFooter Closenavigationmobilemenu Home Act Explore Makeadonation Thisisahistoricmoment–acrisisthatrequiresgovernmentstoacttogetherinanunprecedentedwaytoensureafutureforalllifeonEarth.Itcanallbedone,ifweonlychoosetodoso.  Instead,whatweareseeingfromgovernmentsisaplethoraofexcuses,greenwashing,andinaction.Withintheclimatedebate,thebiggestdeceptioncomesdowntoasingleword:net.  GreenpeaceLuxembourgactivistsprotestcontinuedfossilfuelinvestmentinLuxembourg.©SaraPozaAlvarez/Greenpeace Theproblemwith‘net’ Countingthingsinanetwaycanbeveryhelpfulbutitcanalsobetotallymisleading,likewhenthedeclineofourforestsiscountedasnetforestloss,suggestingthatclearingoldgrowthforestscanbecompensatedforbyplantingmonoculturetreeplantations.  Thissamedeceptiveapproachispromotedincountlessclimatepledgesofgovernmentsandcorporationsas‘NetZero’or‘CarbonNeutrality’.Whiletheambitioninalltheseplansvarieswidely,theyhaveonemajorflawincommon:theassumptionthatcarbonsafelystoredinfossilfuelsisequaltothecarbonintheatmosphere,livingorganisms,topsoils,andtheoceans.Itisnot. Sohowdocarbonstoreswork? Carboninfossilfuelsispermanentlylockedawayandonlycontributestoclimatechangewhenhumansextractandburnit.Oncereleasedfromthesestores,itconstantlymovesaroundcirclingbetweenair,water,soils,andlivingbeings,largelyoutofourcontrol.Onceintheatmosphereitheatsupourclimatesowemuststopburningthesefuelsinthefirstplace.Inaddition,weneedtomovecarbonfromtheatmospheretootherplaces,forexampletreesandsoils,ifwearetostaywithinmoderateclimateheatingscenarios.  Asmuchasweneedtoinvestinprotectingandrestoring,weshouldalsonotassumethatthesecarbonstoresarepermanent.Inaheatingclimate,forestsincreasinglydiebecauseofdroughts,pests,andfires,whiledecayacceleratesinsoilsreleasingpreviouslystoredcarbon.Newforestsalsogrowtooslowlytohelpusstretchthecarbonbudgetwehaveleft.  Technologicalfixes,likeCarbonCaptureStorage(CCS),havenotbeenproventoworkatalargescaleandareextremelycostly.Othertechnologieslikeclimateengineeringandmarinegeoengineeringschemesareevenmorerisky.PlansthatrelyonCCS delayrealclimateactionandhavenoguaranteeofsuccess.Thereisnootherwaytosolvetheclimateemergencythanimmediateandmassivereductioninfossilfuelemissions. Inthelongterm,we’llneednature’shelptoremovecarbonfromtheatmosphere,astoday’slevelofatmosphericcarbonalreadytriggersprocessesthatmustnotbeallowedtoreachapointofnoreturn–theirtippingpoint.Processeslikethethawingofthepermafrost,thediebackoftheAmazon,orthedisintegrationofmajoriceshieldsinplacesliketheArctic.  What’swrongwith“NetZero”? NetZeropledgesarebeingreleasednowonanearlydailybasis.Theyassumethatemissionsfromburningcoalcanbecompensated(or‘offset’) inrealtimebyprotectingaforestorplantingtrees,ignoringthefactthatplantsneedtimetogrow,whilstcuttingfossilfuelemissionshasimmediateresults.  NetZeropledgesalsoassumethattherearenolimitstocompensateone’sownemissionswithreductionsorincreasedcarbonremovalelsewhere.TheyassumethataddingupallNetZeropledgeswouldgetustothe2050visionofgloballynotemittingmorecarbonthancanbereabsorbed.Butitwon’t.  Allthesepledgescompeteforlimitedwaysinwhichcarbonuptakecanbeincreased,likelandforforestrestoration.Forexample,ifcountrieslikeRussia,withmassiveopportunitiesforreforestation,decidetogoforNetZeroemissionsonly–relyingontherestorationofforestsinsteadofcuttingfossilfuelemissions–thiswillnotbeenoughtosolvetheclimatecrisis.Inmanyplaceswewillneedtogofarbeyond‘netzero’tobalanceoutthelandrestrictionsinotherplacesthatlimitopportunitiesforcarbonremoval. TheNetZeroapproachispopularforonesimplereason:it’scheaper.Voluntary‘carboncredits’ fromschemesinvestinginforestprotectionorrestorationcanbeboughtforlessthan$10/tCO2.WhenaEuropeanpowerplantfailstocomplywithitsmandatoryemissionsreductionstargets,itneedstopaymorethan5timesasmuch.Inparticularforcorporations,carboncreditscostthem apitifulamountofmoneywhilsttheycancontinuetheiremissionintensivebusinessasusual,andstillmarketthemselvesasa‘climatechampion’.Thisisnotonlybadforourclimate,it’sunjust,asitoftenputsamassiveburdenonthosemarginalizedcommunitiesmostaffectedbytheclimatecrisis.  Whatneedstohappentosolvetheclimatecrisis? Actorsmustkeeptheirplanssimpleandtransparent,withseparatetargetsfor: Rapidreductionsinemissionsfromtheburningoffossilfuelsandotherindustrialactivities.Rapidreductionsinemissionsfromlanduseimpact,mainlyfromdeforestationandviaareductionofmeat&dairyproduction.Increasedcommitmentsandcontributionstorights-basednatureprotectionandrestoration.  Weneedallsectorsofsociety,fromgovernmenttobusinesstolocalcommunitiesandIndigenousPeoples,mustworktogetherinjustandequitablewaystourgentlysolvethiscrisis.Wearepartofnature–ifweprotectnatureweprotectourselves. MaikMarahrensisaSeniorCampaignStrategistForestswithGreenpeaceInternational. #Forests #Climate Comments LeaveyourreplyCancelreply Comment* Name* Email* Iagreeonprovidingmyname,emailandcontentsothatmycommentcanbestoredanddisplayedinthewebsite. Postcomment Δ Discussion Ihaveagas-burningstove.Fourpilotsgoingon24-7.ShouldIfindawaytostopthis?Willithelp? Manageyourcookiespreferences Pleaseselectwhichcookiesyouarewillingtostore. 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