Menu Close

Articles on Carbon offsets

Displaying 21 - 40 of 78 articles

Carbon markets can protect forests but increasing the economic value of these lands can also create incentives for land-grabbing. (Boudewijn Huysmans/Unsplash)

Carbon markets could protect nature and the planet, but only if the rights of those who live there are recognized too

Many see carbon markets as key to channelling billions of dollars into reducing carbon emissions and protecting forests, but they also put the well-being of communities at risk.
Companies’ net-zero pledges count on vast expanses of forest to hold carbon so they can continue emitting. AFP via Getty Images

Forests can’t handle all the net-zero emissions plans – companies and countries expect nature to offset too much carbon

Yes, trees and soils can absorb and store carbon, but the carbon doesn’t stay stored forever. That’s one of the problems with how net-zero plans for the climate are being designed.
Soybeans sprout on an Illinois farm through corn stubble left on an unplowed field from the previous season – an example of no-till farming. Paige Buck, USDA/Flickr

To make agriculture more climate-friendly, carbon farming needs clear rules

Policymakers want to pay farmers for storing carbon in soil, but there are no uniform rules yet for measuring, reporting or verifying the results. Four scholars offer some ground rules.

Top contributors

More