NET ZERO
Google
Sustainability Our most ambitious decade yet
WATCH NOW
“ Consumers want more clarity , better explanations , clearer claims and more evidence . We have looked at best practices around the world to help our customers make sure they are ready for future regulations . That ’ s the driver behind dropping the carbon neutral labelling ,” says John Newton , Carbon Trust Director , in discussion with the Guardian .
In the same month , the Guardian released an investigation undertaken alongside transnational corporate watchdog Corporate Accountability . They found that 78 % of the top 50 emission offset projects were categorised as ‘ likely junk ’. Since then , multiple reporters on climate change have spoken out about the controversial or even ‘ useless ’ nature of carbon credit projects .
Climate journalism specialist Carbon Brief recently condemned the harmful social effects of carbon offsetting , referring to cases where Indigenous peoples in the Republic of the Congo and the Brazilian , Colombian and Peruvian Amazon have been forcibly removed from their homelands due to forestation projects . They suggest that the distance between companies and the projects they are funding allows for a dangerous sense of detachment from the reality of carbon offsetting practices . Consequently , huge companies like Shell , Nestlé and Gucci have pulled out of investments into offsetting projects . When criticised for ‘ watering down ’ their climate ambitions , these major firms simply pointed to Carbon Trust ’ s statement that carbon credits are not actually an effective way to reduce global heating .
Newton adds : “ Generally , companies are quite cautious and nervous about the impacts of offsets . But they were certainly
sustainabilitymag . com 125