Netflix and Meta’s carbon credits snared in dispute with Maasai herders

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🗞️ Driving the news: A Kenyan court has suspended the approval process for the world’s largest soil carbon project — potentially jeopardising carbon credits purchased by major companies like Netflix and Meta (see sustainability performance)
• The decision comes after Maasai herders challenged the Northern Kenya Rangelands Carbon Project, arguing it restricts their access to ancestral grasslands critical for grazing

🔭 The context: Launched in 2012, the project spans 4.7 million acres and aims to sequester carbon through better land and livestock management in territories shared by Maasai, Borana and other Indigenous pastoralist communities
• While the project has received widespread backing from conservation groups and corporate buyers eager to offset emissions, local herders argue it prioritises commercial carbon revenue over their traditional livelihoods

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: This dispute highlights the growing tensions around land use and Indigenous rights in large-scale carbon offset projects
• As demand for nature-based offsets rises, especially from corporate actors under pressure to decarbonise, questions of equity, consent, and local benefit-sharing are becoming more urgent
• The case underscores the need for robust, community-inclusive governance in carbon markets to avoid greenwashing and exploitation

⏭️ What's next: The court ruling temporarily halts the project’s verification and crediting process, casting uncertainty over carbon credits already sold or planned for sale
• If the challenge leads to long-term suspension or redesign, companies relying on these offsets may face scrutiny over the credibility of their climate claims
• Legal reviews and stakeholder consultations are likely to intensify in coming months, potentially setting new standards for consent and community rights in carbon markets

💬 One quote: “This case shows how global climate finance can ignore the voices of those most affected by it,” — Local Maasai advocate (paraphrased from coverage)

📈 One stat: The Northern Kenya Rangelands Carbon Project covers 4.7 million acres — an area larger than Switzerland

See on illuminem's Data Hub™ the sustainability performance of Netflix, Meta, and their peers Alphabet and Amazon

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