27th January 2021 – Today a taskforce set up by former governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney published a Roadmap for Implementation on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets.
Environmental organizations are concerned that, coupled with meaningless net-zero commitments in the distant future, a large-scale adoption of voluntary carbon markets as designed by Carney’s taskforce would be a get-out-of-jail-free card for big polluters.
The taskforce’s membership includes oil majors, banks and airlines.
Anna Vickerstaff, UK campaigner at 350.org, said:
“Inviting the world’s most polluting companies to advise on Scaling Up Voluntary Carbon Markets is like asking tobacco companies to advise on the smoking ban.”
“Far from signifying climate ambition, the phrase “net zero” is being used by a majority of governments and corporations to evade responsibility, shift burdens, disguise climate inaction, and in some cases even to scale up fossil fuel extraction, burning, and emissions.”
“Net zero emissions” does not mean “zero emissions”, and should not be accepted as such. The climate crisis demands the world reach ‘real’ zero emissions as soon as possible. That means reducing emissions now by keeping fossil fuels in the ground and transitioning to clean, renewable energy sources.”