A UN group formed to quell the so-called “greenwash” of zero carbon emissions promises by companies and governments calling for “red lines” to stop support for carbon exploitation at the ongoing COP27 in Egypt, using carbon dioxide, new fossil fuels and excessive carbon offset use .
The top expert group, created in March by UN Secretary-General António Guterres to advise on rules to improve integrity and transparency in companies, regions and cities’ “net zero” commitments, said climate plans should include deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. emissions should not delay action before 2030 and until 2050.
Group members stressed that serious commitments should prioritize immediate cuts in absolute emissions, along with the use of carbon offsets – an often controversial practice that allows companies and governments to pay for cuts elsewhere rather than reducing their own pollution – to be used with caution.
Greenwashing on the COP27 agenda
The group said the rules are necessary to ensure that offsets are of high quality and come from a reliable and verifiable source.
The expert group was formed after widespread concerns over “greenwashing”, including allegations that major fossil fuel companies are aiming to achieve zero emissions by 2050 and are promoting new developments in coal, oil and gas that rely heavily on compensation.
A study this year by the UK’s Guardian newspaper revealed that oil and gas companies are planning new projects that will take the world far beyond the targets of the historic 2015 Paris agreement, including several with zero emissions promises.
In Australia, Woodside is among these companies, which has taken over BHP’s global oil holdings and plans to open new fields on the country’s northwest coast.
The ‘net zero’ plans already adopted have come under criticism for being vague, delaying action until it’s too late, and relying too heavily on discounts claimed from unrelated nature-based compensation projects, such as support for tree planting and forest regeneration.
While offsets have received broad support from governments and industry as a cheaper way to reduce pollution than direct cuts, experts said they should only be used after a company or regional or local government has achieved short-term goals.
The chair of the expert group, former Canadian climate minister Catherine McKenna, announcing the report at the COP27 climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, said zero-emissions commitments should be “about reducing emissions, not measures.”
“At this time the planet cannot afford delays, excuses or any more greenwashing,” he said.
Also Read | Study shows people in politically polarized countries know less about climate
One of the panelists, climate scientist and CEO of Climate Analytics, Bill Hare, said no one can ignore the need to “cut emissions immediately and massively.”
“If the industry, financial institutions, cities and regions express what they say in their net zero commitments, they will adopt those recommendations,” he said.
“If fossil fuel companies think they can increase production under the net zero target, they need to think again.”
To avoid dishonest climate accounting, private organizations should make their case public annually, backing their claims with verifiable information, experts said.
They called for replacing voluntary zero-emissions commitments for major corporate issuers with regulatory requirements.
And they said the industry needs to address direct pollution as well as “scope 3” emissions released through the use of their products.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said:
“An increasing number of governments and [empresas] promises to be carbon-neutral – and that’s good news.
The problem is that the criteria and benchmarks for these net zero commitments are broad enough to drive a diesel truck and have varying levels of rigor and gaps.
We must have zero tolerance for carbon emissions to pollute the environment.”
The Secretary-General also used strong words to address the fossil fuel companies:
So-called ‘net zero commitments’ that exclude core products [carvão, petróleo, gás] poisoning our planet.
Using false promises of zero emissions to cover up the massive expansion of fossil fuels is reprehensible. This toxic cover-up could push our world over the climate abyss.”
The report was supported by Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation, and is considered one of the architects of the Paris agreement as the French environment minister.
During COP27, he said that fulfilling this deal requires drawing a clear line to “true net zero – what it really means and entails, and simply what a greenwash is.”
“We can’t afford creative accounting,” he said.
“I urge everyone involved, including cities, regions, companies, investors, alliances, countries and regulators, to take these proposals seriously and urgently include them.”
This story was originally published in the British newspaper The Guardian and is reproduced by members of the international environmental journalism network Covering Climate Now.
Also Read | Climate change: The pain of the woman affected by the fires in Greece named Photo of the Year at the Siena Awards
source: Noticias
