The episode details several high-profile examples of carbon offset failures:
The episode begins by highlighting how major corporations—from airlines to oil giants—heavily promote their "carbon-neutral" status. They do this by purchasing , certificates representing the removal or prevention of one metric ton of CO2cap C cap O sub 2 elsewhere in the world to "cancel out" their own emissions. The Core Problem: Additionality [S9E21] Carbon Offsets
: Many projects, particularly large-scale renewable energy farms or forests that were never under threat, would have existed anyway. The episode details several high-profile examples of carbon
: 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" : If a project doesn't provide additional benefits,
Oliver's final take is a warning: the current system is essentially a "get out of jail free card" that prioritizes corporate PR over actual climate action. org/">Verra have responded to these criticisms?