[s9e21] Carbon Offsets -

: Many projects, particularly large-scale renewable energy farms or forests that were never under threat, would have existed anyway.

: An investigation highlighted in the show revealed that up to 90% of rainforest carbon offsets approved by major certifiers like Verra were likely "worthless" or "junk" credits.

The story of refers to the main segment of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver , which aired on August 21, 2022 . The episode dives into the "Wild West" of the voluntary carbon market, exploring why these popular tools for achieving "net-zero" goals are often deeply flawed. The Premise: The "Net-Zero" Illusion [S9E21] Carbon Offsets

Mapped: The impacts of carbon-offset projects around the world

: Oliver points to instances where "protected" forests used for offsets burned down in wildfires, releasing the stored carbon back into the atmosphere and rendering the previous "offset" moot. The "Greenwashing" Trap The episode dives into the "Wild West" of

The story concludes that while offsets could theoretically help, they are currently used as a tool for . They allow companies to avoid the more difficult task of actually cutting their own emissions at the source by simply throwing money at questionable projects.

Oliver centers the story on the concept of —the requirement that an offset project must only happen because of the carbon credit funding. They allow companies to avoid the more difficult

: If a project doesn't provide additional benefits, the company buying the credit is technically still polluting without actually helping the environment, leading to a net increase in global emissions. Case Studies in "Phantom Credits"