Why the heat is on carbon offsets claiming to protect forest
- Media Manager
- May 8, 2023
- 1 min read
Stuff - Environment
Written By: Olivia Wannan
Published: May 9th, 2023
Some carbon offsets promise to reduce deforestation. There’s growing evidence these claims may not always stack up.
When ticking an airline's carbon offset box, you’re probably picturing your dollars creating green action: someone planting a seedling that will grow into a tree.
But fairly often, you’ll be paying someone not to take action: to not chop down or burn existing trees.
The offset industry says it has checks and balances, including certification schemes putting projects through their paces.
But internationally, academics and investigators have questioned whether these so-called ‘avoided deforestation’ offsets stack up.
It has become an issue for the Government, which plans to buy billions of dollars worth of credits from other countries to meet its climate pledges. Officials have warned that some forest-protection schemes “do not meet expectations of environmental integrity”, according to briefings released to Stuff under the Official Information Act.
But with these offsets often selling cheaper than other kinds, it’s a conundrum.
