Quality scores for forestry carbon credit types reveal complex landscape of integrity risks, transparency issues

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Phys.org or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: The Carbon Credit Quality Initiative (CCQI) released new quality scores for improved forest management (IFM) and commercial afforestation carbon credits, pointing out significant integrity risks and transparency issues
• These credits, majorly from the U.S., often overstate their emissions impacts and offer limited sustainable development benefits

🔭 The context: IFM and commercial afforestation credits, making up about 10% of recent issuances in the voluntary carbon market, are scrutinized for risks including overstated emissions reductions, carbon leakage, and threats to permanence from wildfires and other factors
• CCQI's findings spotlight the complexity in ensuring the credibility and environmental effectiveness of these forestry-based carbon credits

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The investigation reveals these credits' potential failure to deliver promised climate benefits, emphasizing the need for stronger methodologies and transparency in carbon crediting to genuinely support sustainable development and mitigate climate change

⏭️ What's next: CCQI's work underlines an urgent call for the carbon market to refine forestry crediting practices, enhancing the role of carbon credits in global climate action efforts
• This includes better quantifying emissions reductions, addressing non-permanence risks, and supporting sustainable development

💬 One quote: "Our findings revealed that these forestry credit types are unlikely to deliver the climate and social benefits that we expect of high-integrity carbon credits," said Lambert Schneider, Research Coordinator for International Climate Policy at Oeko-Institut

Click for more news covering the latest on carbon market