https://news.mongabay.com/list/carbon-offsets/ Environmental science and conservation news Sun, 05 Jul 2026 15:47:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/05/16160320/cropped-mongabay_icon-32x32.png https://news.mongabay.com/list/carbon-offsets/ 32 32 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/liberias-carbon-market-policy-nears-completion-amid-pushback/ https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/liberias-carbon-market-policy-nears-completion-amid-pushback/#respond 13 May 2026 20:53:43 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&p=319380 Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/liberias-carbon-market-policy-nears-completion-amid-pushback/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-319380 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/from-land-acquisitions-to-local-ownership-alternatives-for-carbon-offsetting-commentary/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/from-land-acquisitions-to-local-ownership-alternatives-for-carbon-offsetting-commentary/#respond 13 Feb 2026 15:32:42 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=314246 - Given these developments, the Land Matrix provides critical, evidence-based scrutiny by documenting the scale and diversity of carbon-related land deals and advancing harm-reduction measures such as transparency, land governance, and accountability.
- Among the recommendations, prioritizing community-based projects — while not risk-free — may offer a conditional alternative, provided there is genuine ownership, free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), and strong safeguards, with communities ultimately deciding whether and how to engage.
- This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/from-land-acquisitions-to-local-ownership-alternatives-for-carbon-offsetting-commentary/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-314246 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/world-bank-carbon-program-risks-further-infringing-upon-rights-of-indonesian-indigenous-community-commentary/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/world-bank-carbon-program-risks-further-infringing-upon-rights-of-indonesian-indigenous-community-commentary/#respond 28 Jan 2026 00:22:04 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=313404 - The bank did not create the conflict, but by moving forward with a carbon offset project on this land that is still contested, it would risk reinforcing the status quo that enabled logging companies to operate on their territory without genuine consent.
- “A genuine response from the World Bank could set an important precedent: resolving customary land disputes before launching carbon projects,” a new op-ed argues.
- This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/world-bank-carbon-program-risks-further-infringing-upon-rights-of-indonesian-indigenous-community-commentary/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-313404 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/in-brazil-planting-forests-for-carbon-credits-could-help-ecosystem-restoration/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/in-brazil-planting-forests-for-carbon-credits-could-help-ecosystem-restoration/#respond 23 Jan 2026 11:12:52 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=313254 - Founded in 2021, Brazilian firm re.green commercially restores forests by selling carbon credits and has projects spanning 34,000 hectares (84,000 acres) in the Amazon and Atlantic Forest.
- The company aims to restore 1 million hectares (2.5 million acres) of tropical forests across Brazil. Its work so far has been recognized through an EarthShot Prize in 2025.
- As well as restoring ecosystems to sell high-integrity carbon credits, the company also works with the community and produces data and knowledge on forest restoration.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/in-brazil-planting-forests-for-carbon-credits-could-help-ecosystem-restoration/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-313254 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/huge-blue-carbon-offsetting-project-takes-root-in-the-mangroves-of-sierra-leone/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/huge-blue-carbon-offsetting-project-takes-root-in-the-mangroves-of-sierra-leone/#respond 23 Dec 2025 20:15:00 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=311956 - The agreement will reward the communities financially for conserving and restoring their mangroves, which act as a carbon sink.
- The funds will be generated by selling offsets on the voluntary carbon credit market, with revenues shared between West Africa Blue, the communities and the government of Sierra Leone.
- Though carbon offsetting projects have been subject to criticism in the past, community members on Sherbro say they’re optimistic about the improvements to their livelihoods that the project could bring.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/huge-blue-carbon-offsetting-project-takes-root-in-the-mangroves-of-sierra-leone/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-311956 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/carbon-and-charisma-how-climate-network-cc35-tricked-its-way-to-the-limelight/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/carbon-and-charisma-how-climate-network-cc35-tricked-its-way-to-the-limelight/#respond 22 Dec 2025 22:32:40 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=311902 - His plan included persuading a provincial government in Argentina to sign a multimillion-dollar carbon contract with an associate facing fraud allegations in a parallel carbon business. According to a recent Mongabay investigation, the associate had pressured Indigenous communities in Brazil and Bolivia to sign abusive carbon deals, conceding rights for an area larger than Ireland.
- The head of CC35, Argentinian Sebastián Navarro, also failed to fulfill CC35’s commitment to cover all costs associated with Ecuador’s pavilion at COP28, after making false claims to the government and creating debts for the country.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/carbon-and-charisma-how-climate-network-cc35-tricked-its-way-to-the-limelight/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-311902 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/assessments-argue-carbon-offsets-are-a-false-unjust-climate-solution-commentary/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/assessments-argue-carbon-offsets-are-a-false-unjust-climate-solution-commentary/#respond 05 Dec 2025 19:45:00 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=310678 - The Land Matrix data does not include what it calls “community- or farmer-based projects” as it claims that these do not contribute to land concentration and inequality — but a similar analysis sees it very differently.
- “The takeaway is that we all have to build stronger analyses of what is going on with these carbon land grabs, and put an end to offsetting as a false solution to the climate crisis,” the authors of a new op-ed argue.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/assessments-argue-carbon-offsets-are-a-false-unjust-climate-solution-commentary/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-310678 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/se-asia-forest-carbon-projects-sidelining-social-biodiversity-benefits-study-finds/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/se-asia-forest-carbon-projects-sidelining-social-biodiversity-benefits-study-finds/#respond 01 Dec 2025 17:18:03 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=310403 - The study identifies weak governance, land tenure conflicts, corruption and fragmented policies as contributing to the shortcomings.
- Well-managed forest carbon initiatives have an important role to play in global efforts to reduce emissions, the researchers say, but they must center the rights of traditional custodians of forests.
- Against the backdrop of global democratic backsliding, experts urge greater scrutiny of project accountability to uphold social and environmental standards within the carbon sector.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/se-asia-forest-carbon-projects-sidelining-social-biodiversity-benefits-study-finds/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-310403 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/its-time-to-end-the-carbon-offset-era-cop30-scientists-communities-say-commentary/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/its-time-to-end-the-carbon-offset-era-cop30-scientists-communities-say-commentary/#respond 21 Nov 2025 12:43:30 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=309962 - Carbon offsetting programs have been under intense scrutiny for years, and a broad coalition of COP30 attendees and advisors say that this is the moment to move forward on climate finance with greater effectiveness and equity.
- “This is the Amazon COP. If it ends with a decision that ignores Indigenous rights and props up offset markets that science says cannot work, it will squander the moral clarity of this moment,” a new op-ed argues.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/its-time-to-end-the-carbon-offset-era-cop30-scientists-communities-say-commentary/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-309962 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/indonesia-labeled-fossil-of-the-day-for-echoing-industry-talking-points-at-cop30/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/indonesia-labeled-fossil-of-the-day-for-echoing-industry-talking-points-at-cop30/#respond 18 Nov 2025 12:54:31 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=309742 - Observers say Indonesia’s position closely mirrors the talking points in an industry-backed letter calling for weaker safeguards under Article 6.4 — a move critics warn could undermine the integrity of global carbon markets and benefit groups with financial stakes in nature-based carbon projects.
- Indonesia denies being influenced by lobbyists, even though at least 46 representatives from fossil fuel and heavy-industry companies are accredited under its delegation — raising broader concerns about corporate access to negotiations amid a COP already flooded with a record proportion of fossil fuel lobbyists.
- Experts warn Indonesia’s push to loosen Article 6.4 rules risks weakening international oversight, aligning the mechanism with the far less transparent Article 6.2, and potentially undermining both Indonesia’s climate credibility and the robustness of the Paris Agreement’s carbon market safeguards.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/indonesia-labeled-fossil-of-the-day-for-echoing-industry-talking-points-at-cop30/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-309742 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/as-indonesia-turns-cop30-into-carbon-market-showcase-critics-warn-of-hot-air/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/as-indonesia-turns-cop30-into-carbon-market-showcase-critics-warn-of-hot-air/#respond 14 Nov 2025 13:34:56 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=309579 - Experts warn Indonesia’s credits risk being “hot air,” since its climate targets are rated “critically insufficient,” meaning many claimed reductions may not be real, additional or permanent — especially in forest-based projects.
- Forest and land-use credits, Indonesia’s biggest selling point, are among the riskiest, with high risks of overcrediting, leakage and nonpermanence; ongoing fires and deforestation further undermine credibility.
- Environmental groups say the carbon push distracts Indonesia from securing real climate finance, enabling wealthy nations to offset rather than cut emissions, while leaving Indonesia vulnerable to climate impacts and dependent on a fragile market.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/as-indonesia-turns-cop30-into-carbon-market-showcase-critics-warn-of-hot-air/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-309579 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/how-a-green-gold-rush-in-the-amazon-led-to-dubious-carbon-deals-on-indigenous-lands/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/how-a-green-gold-rush-in-the-amazon-led-to-dubious-carbon-deals-on-indigenous-lands/#respond 11 Nov 2025 19:06:47 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=309280 - Many of the communities involved say they were rushed into signing, never had the chance to give consent, and didn’t understand what they were signing up to or even who with.
- Brazil’s Indigenous affairs agency has warned of legal insecurity and lack of standards in carbon credit initiatives, and an inquiry is underway — even as the businessmen involved target more than 1.7 million hectares in the tri-border area between Brazil, Bolivia and Peru.
- Two and a half years since the deals were made, Brazil’s Public Ministry has called for them to be annulled, following Mongabay’s repeated requests to the ministry for updates.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/how-a-green-gold-rush-in-the-amazon-led-to-dubious-carbon-deals-on-indigenous-lands/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-309280 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/what-fuel-will-ships-burn-as-they-move-toward-net-zero/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/what-fuel-will-ships-burn-as-they-move-toward-net-zero/#respond 08 Oct 2025 16:56:32 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=307225 - There are “bridge fuels” that could be used during a transition period or in a limited way for the long term, such as biofuels, and then there are options that are more sustainable at scale, such as green methanol and green ammonia.
- Experts continue to debate the pros and cons of green methanol and green ammonia, which are generally seen as the best options in the medium to long term.
- A net-zero framework for shipping that would drive the adoption of alternative fuels is coming up for a vote in mid-October at a meeting of the International Maritime Organization in London.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/what-fuel-will-ships-burn-as-they-move-toward-net-zero/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-307225 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/with-global-rules-pending-can-the-shipping-industry-get-more-carbon-efficient/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/with-global-rules-pending-can-the-shipping-industry-get-more-carbon-efficient/#respond 17 Sep 2025 18:30:07 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=306131 - The push could lead to increased use of efficiency measures that reduce how much fuel vessels need in the first place.
- Such measures include everything from adding sails to ships to lubricating or redesigning hulls and optimizing routes or arrival times. These are cheaper and more immediately available than alternative fuels.
- Many associations and companies, particularly in Europe, are working to make efficiency gains as fast as possible.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/with-global-rules-pending-can-the-shipping-industry-get-more-carbon-efficient/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-306131 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/the-carbon-market-paradox-steve-zwick-on-why-financing-forests-is-harder-than-it-looks/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/the-carbon-market-paradox-steve-zwick-on-why-financing-forests-is-harder-than-it-looks/#respond 15 Sep 2025 03:02:01 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=305870 - He emphasizes that carbon markets are built on probabilities, not certainties, and criticizes both media and advocacy for flattening nuance into oversimplified verdicts. For him, methods evolve through revision, guardrails, and conservative accounting, with avoidance of deforestation often delivering the greatest climate impact.
- Zwick frames forest carbon as payment for services protecting a global commons, not charity, and insists that best practice must be community-led. He warns that skewed scrutiny and polarized narratives risk sidelining a tool that, while imperfect, can mobilize resources quickly until deeper emissions cuts take hold.
- Zwick was interview by Mongabay Founder and CEO Rhett Ayers Butler in September 2025.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/the-carbon-market-paradox-steve-zwick-on-why-financing-forests-is-harder-than-it-looks/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-305870 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/independent-auditors-overvalue-credits-of-carbon-projects-study-finds/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/independent-auditors-overvalue-credits-of-carbon-projects-study-finds/#respond 08 Sep 2025 20:06:54 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=305597 - These issues suggest that carbon credits often fail to accurately represent actual emission reductions, thereby undermining global climate mitigation efforts.
- The findings further erode trust in the carbon market, with specialists warning that its entire credibility relies on independent verifiers; “The voluntary carbon market is broken,” an expert said.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/independent-auditors-overvalue-credits-of-carbon-projects-study-finds/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-305597 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/08/carbon-offset-markets-are-unfair-to-indigenous-communities-in-borneo-beyond-commentary/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/08/carbon-offset-markets-are-unfair-to-indigenous-communities-in-borneo-beyond-commentary/#respond 29 Aug 2025 19:14:30 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=305206 - In tropical forest regions like Malaysian Borneo, only 1% of climate finance reaches Indigenous communities, despite the latter’s proven role in preventing deforestation: in many cases these communities’ stewardship is what makes carbon offset programs possible.
- “The communities who have fought tooth and nail to keep these forests standing are not being rewarded with handsome sums for their efforts. The carbon credits (and the cash) flow primarily to the license holders, not to the Indigenous people who protect these lands,” a new op-ed states.
- This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/08/carbon-offset-markets-are-unfair-to-indigenous-communities-in-borneo-beyond-commentary/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-305206 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/08/worlds-first-industry-wide-climate-mandate-could-be-launched-with-shipping-vote/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/08/worlds-first-industry-wide-climate-mandate-could-be-launched-with-shipping-vote/#respond 07 Aug 2025 15:47:43 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=303925 - In October, more than 100 nations will gather at a meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London to potentially adopt a “net-zero framework” for the industry.
- In 2023, the IMO, a United Nations body that regulates shipping, developed a nonbinding strategy to decarbonize “by or around” 2050; the new framework would make that vision concrete and binding. Critics from small island developing states and environmental groups say the framework falls short of fulfilling the original vision.
- Some oil-exporting countries opposed the deal, arguing that alternative fuels are costly and unproven.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/08/worlds-first-industry-wide-climate-mandate-could-be-launched-with-shipping-vote/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-303925 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/bitcoin-boom-comes-with-huge-intensifying-environmental-footprint/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/bitcoin-boom-comes-with-huge-intensifying-environmental-footprint/#respond 25 Jun 2025 16:36:18 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=301253 - Bitcoin mining demands huge amounts of computing power and is an energy hog. It monopolizes entire data centers that are currently multiplying globally. Most of the energy needed to mint bitcoin comes from the burning of fossil fuels, which produces significant carbon emissions, worsening climate destabilization.
- Bitcoin data centers need huge amounts of water for cooling. The semiconductors required for mining are made in a process using toxic PFAS (forever chemicals). Bitcoin equipment and processing chips at the end of life also add to global e-waste. Despite these harms, bitcoin is poised for explosive growth
- Prominent influencers, including U.S. President Donald Trump, cheerlead loudly for bitcoin. Trump has said that “America will become the world’s undisputed bitcoin mining powerhouse.” His son, Eric Trump, has debuted American Bitcoin, a bitcoin mining firm. Neither Trump has addressed bitcoin’s global environmental costs.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/bitcoin-boom-comes-with-huge-intensifying-environmental-footprint/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-301253 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/climate-futures-world-leaders-failure-to-act-is-pushing-earth-past-1-5c/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/climate-futures-world-leaders-failure-to-act-is-pushing-earth-past-1-5c/#respond 11 Jun 2025 18:07:49 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=300614 - The unprecedented warming that began in 2023, continued through 2024 and extended into 2025 has caused surprise and alarm. Scientists still don’t fully understand the cause, but some fear it signals the global climate is transitioning into a new state of accelerated warming.
- 2024 was the first full calendar year to exceed 1.5°C above preindustrial levels. A recent projection finds it likely Earth will see a 20-year average warming of 1.5°C by as early as 2029, exceeding a key Paris accord goal and which could trigger self-perpetuating changes pushing Earth’s climate into a less habitable state.
- In January, President Trump withdrew from the Paris Agreement, signaling that the U.S. will not lead on climate action. To date, nearly all the world’s nations have fallen far short of what is needed to stay within 1.5°C. As countries submit new U.N. carbon commitments, some fear the U.S. reversal will ripple around the world.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/climate-futures-world-leaders-failure-to-act-is-pushing-earth-past-1-5c/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-300614 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/06/is-rising-co2-really-bad-for-the-worlds-drylands-mongabay-podcast-probes/ https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/06/is-rising-co2-really-bad-for-the-worlds-drylands-mongabay-podcast-probes/#respond 04 Jun 2025 23:12:46 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&p=300201 Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/06/is-rising-co2-really-bad-for-the-worlds-drylands-mongabay-podcast-probes/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-300201 https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2025/05/deforestation-in-redd-protected-congo-rainforests-is-beyond-words/ https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2025/05/deforestation-in-redd-protected-congo-rainforests-is-beyond-words/#respond 20 May 2025 19:33:54 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=podcasts&p=299367 Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2025/05/deforestation-in-redd-protected-congo-rainforests-is-beyond-words/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-299367 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/bolivia-expels-members-of-fake-nation-kailasa-over-indigenous-land-lease-scandal/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/bolivia-expels-members-of-fake-nation-kailasa-over-indigenous-land-lease-scandal/#respond 16 May 2025 17:11:39 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=299218 - The self-proclaimed nation, the United States of Kailasa, operates from different parts of the world and offered high sums of money to Indigenous leaders in exchange for lands to exploit or conserve for carbon credit projects, say legal experts.
- One contract was a lease for 1,000 years, to be renewed perpetually, allowing the self-proclaimed nation to exploit the natural resources in the leased territory.
- Authorities announced the beginning of an investigation into land trafficking and criminal organization against the people involved in the contracts of the perpetual leasing of Bolivian land in favor of the self-proclaimed nation of Kailasa.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/bolivia-expels-members-of-fake-nation-kailasa-over-indigenous-land-lease-scandal/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-299218 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/science-lays-out-framework-to-assess-climate-liability-of-fossil-fuel-majors/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/science-lays-out-framework-to-assess-climate-liability-of-fossil-fuel-majors/#respond 09 May 2025 06:12:14 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=298750 - But those efforts often come up against challenging legal arguments made by the companies saying that their actions and emissions cannot be scientifically linked to specific climate change-driven extreme weather events.
- Now, fast-advancing attribution science is offering answers to those legal arguments. A new study has created a framework that connects the emissions over time of the world’s largest fossil fuel companies — BP, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Saudi Aramco and Gazprom — to rising temperatures and specific heat-related climate disasters.
- Researchers say that, in time, this framework for assigning attribution and financial damages could be extended to specific fossil fuel companies and a range of climate change-intensified extreme events such as hurricanes, flooding, sea-level rise and wildfires. The framework has yet to be tested in court.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/science-lays-out-framework-to-assess-climate-liability-of-fossil-fuel-majors/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-298750 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/report-shows-policy-gaps-in-safeguarding-the-carbon-rights-of-forest-communities/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/report-shows-policy-gaps-in-safeguarding-the-carbon-rights-of-forest-communities/#respond 08 May 2025 13:49:41 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=298802 - More than half of the reviewed countries don’t have carbon trading regulations, and nearly half have no legal provision to recognize the communities’ right to free, prior and informed consent, the report found.
- It emphasizes safeguarding carbon rights to ensure the communities’ consent and rights over decision-making as countries prepare to comply with the Paris Agreement’s market mechanism for trading high-quality carbon credits.
- Although the voluntary carbon market is faring comparatively better in ensuring these rights, researchers say there still remains much to do in terms of addressing grievances and making sure people stay informed.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/report-shows-policy-gaps-in-safeguarding-the-carbon-rights-of-forest-communities/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-298802 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/new-report-reinforces-critical-role-of-amazonian-protected-areas-in-climate-fight/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/new-report-reinforces-critical-role-of-amazonian-protected-areas-in-climate-fight/#respond 01 May 2025 17:19:44 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=298408 - Protected areas and Indigenous territories were also found to serve as significant carbon sinks between 2013 and 2022, absorbing 257 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.
- Protected areas in Colombia, Brazil, Suriname and French Guiana were found to be significant carbon sinks.
- The report underscores the need to protect these areas that aren’t currently threatened by deforestation as they play a critical role in offsetting emissions from other parts of the forest.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/new-report-reinforces-critical-role-of-amazonian-protected-areas-in-climate-fight/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-298408 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/eucalyptus-for-brazils-steelmaking-dries-out-communities-in-minas-gerais/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/eucalyptus-for-brazils-steelmaking-dries-out-communities-in-minas-gerais/#respond 29 Apr 2025 15:01:01 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=298327 - Despite years of complaints by a local NGO, Aperam, the steelmaking company that owns the plantations, continues to hold FSC certification for sustainable forestry. A recent audit, however, has flagged problems in its most recent assessment for certification.
- Studies show that eucalyptus plantations in the region have lowered groundwater levels by 4.5 meters (nearly 15 feet) since the mid-1970s, jeopardizing the water supply for local communities and their livelihood.
- Aperam also profits from its plantations by producing biochar from eucalyptus waste, which it uses to boost soil carbon sequestration, and selling the concept as a form of carbon removal to companies looking to offset their own emissions.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/eucalyptus-for-brazils-steelmaking-dries-out-communities-in-minas-gerais/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-298327 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/refocusing-conservation-funding-on-trust-community-leadership-after-usaid-freeze-commentary/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/refocusing-conservation-funding-on-trust-community-leadership-after-usaid-freeze-commentary/#respond 28 Apr 2025 20:48:06 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=298294 - A new op-ed calls for a shift toward trust-based philanthropy, participatory grant-making, and diversified funding models centered on local leadership and long-term ecological impact.
- “Conservation must not exist on the periphery of philanthropy or politics. It must be integrated into the core of how we structure societies, economies, and futures. Only then can it thrive, and not just because it is funded, but because it is fundamental,” the author argues.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/refocusing-conservation-funding-on-trust-community-leadership-after-usaid-freeze-commentary/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-298294 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/paying-to-prevent-deforestation-is-positive-not-nothing-commentary/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/paying-to-prevent-deforestation-is-positive-not-nothing-commentary/#respond 24 Apr 2025 23:01:41 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=298160 - There is something inherently uncomfortable about paying someone to do ‘nothing’ like not cut down their rainforest, but in reality, the value of these places’ ecosystem services and climate regulation is not much different from dividends shareholders earn by owning stocks.
- “By compensating landholders for the services their forests provide, we recognize their true value and offer a pragmatic response to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and climate change,” the author argues.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/paying-to-prevent-deforestation-is-positive-not-nothing-commentary/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-298160 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/building-environmental-laws-across-amazon-countries/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/building-environmental-laws-across-amazon-countries/#respond 23 Apr 2025 12:02:19 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=298242 - Environmental Impact Assessments have played an increasingly important role in governments’ approving development projects, especially with regard to respecting Indigenous communities’ rights.
- In line with their Paris Agreement commitments, countries in the Amazon Basin still need to develop legislation that regulates carbon markets and offsets.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/building-environmental-laws-across-amazon-countries/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-298242 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/new-dams-call-into-question-cambodias-commitment-to-redd-projects/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/new-dams-call-into-question-cambodias-commitment-to-redd-projects/#respond 19 Mar 2025 06:53:04 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=296024 - The new developments join five hydropower projects that are already eating into these same forests.
- Communities in the affected area have described the onslaught of dam projects, from which they say they haven’t benefited, as “a war against the forest.”
- Experts say the approval throws into question the Cambodian government’s commitment to carbon credits as a viable climate tool.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/new-dams-call-into-question-cambodias-commitment-to-redd-projects/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-296024 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/agroforestry-stores-less-carbon-than-reforestation-but-has-many-other-benefits-study-finds/ https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/agroforestry-stores-less-carbon-than-reforestation-but-has-many-other-benefits-study-finds/#respond 04 Mar 2025 17:00:24 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=295241 - The study found that tree planting had higher carbon storage, but agroforestry brought benefits to the local community in terms of extra income and food security.
- Fire was the biggest reason why the carbon goal was missed, which is an increasingly common challenge for carbon projects worldwide due to climate change.
- Researchers say project funders need to work closely with local communities to align goals around carbon storage and livelihoods.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/agroforestry-stores-less-carbon-than-reforestation-but-has-many-other-benefits-study-finds/feed/ 0 https://doi.org/10.66709/news-295241