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March 20, 2024 – Washington, DC
Today, a letter sent by over 100 environmental and frontline organizations (and below) urges Biden’s new Special Envoy, John Podesta, to oppose the carbon markets being built in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, and to instead call for policies that will effectively address climate change. The groups argue that carbon market schemes do not reduce fossil fuel extraction and combustion or deforestation. Rather, carbon markets and offsets allow polluting industries to increase greenhouse gas emissions, while falsely claiming they have reduced emissions, as well as embrace technologies and practices that can increase greenhouse emissions and undermine the rights of Indigenous Peoples and human rights.
Earlier this year, Special Envoy John Kerry stepped down from his position representing the United States at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Kerry stated that he would refocus on promoting renewable energy throughout the country. His replacement, John Podesta, will remain in the White House as the Special Envoy.
With time running out to address the climate crisis, organizations point out the desperate need to bring the ongoing scam of carbon markets to light. By defining carbon dioxide removals (CDR) through the lenses of biological and engineered offsets, and expanding offsets into the farm sector, the organizations and frontline groups outline the folly of false solutions like carbon capture and storage, forest and soil offsets in both Federal policies and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
QUOTES
“Carbon markets have failed to reduce emissions for over 20 years. Moreover, they have increased conflicts that threaten the rights and sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples,” stated Tom Goldtooth, Executive Director of the Indigenous Environmental Network. “Article 6 of the Paris Agreement will enshrine the impacts of climate change by increasing carbon markets and offsets, which do nothing to reduce emissions at source, and cause violence to Indigenous Peoples where the offsets projects are implemented. We need strong negotiation at the UNFCCC to end Article 6 before it is too late.”
“Unworkable and fraud-ridden carbon markets have long distracted global climate talks from more immediate and effective climate action,” said Ben Lilliston of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. “The U.S. could play a leadership role internationally by supporting a better system of climate finance that supports immediate climate action to reduce emissions and build resilience, while respecting human rights.”
“Carbon offsets don’t benefit family farmers, on the contrary they are a risk factor that contribute to additional consolidation and land grabbing,” said Antonio Tovar of the National Family Farm Coalition. “This false solution would incentivize financial investment that trades short term carbon capture, for long term carbon production, at the cost of farmer land access and parity prices.”
“Carbon offsets schemes are little more than a ruse dreamed up by the fossil fuel industry and big agricultural interests to hide the harms they pose to public health, the environment and our climate. The Biden Administration must show real climate and environmental justice leadership by opposing these schemes and moving forward strong policies that will get to the root of the problem by rapidly phasing out fossil fuels and factory farming,“ said Jim Walsh, Policy Director, Food & Water Watch.
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