NATURE: Most carbon offsets are junk

[Tom Goreau]

Most carbon offsets are ‘junk’ Most carbon offsets, which allow polluters to meet their emissions reductions targets by financing climate projects elsewhere, have “intractable” problems and are too easy to game, says a new review. “We have assessed 25 years of evidence and almost everything up until this point has failed,” says environmental governance and development researcher Stephen Lezak, who co-authored the review. Despite a few redeemable efforts, such as subsidizing cleaner cookstoves, the authors call for the phasing out of most carbon credits except those generated by permanent carbon dioxide removal. The Guardian | 5 min read Reference: Annual Review of Environment and Resources review