Climate Home News

The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), enacted in June 2023, was initially praised for its strong stance against illegal forest clearing by requiring companies to prove their products are deforestation-free. As its implementation date of December 30, 2024, approaches, the positivity has been supplanted by a barrage of negative stories. How did a law designed to tackle one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time become so divisive? And what is the true picture on the ground as industries prepare to implement the law? Two things are abundantly clear, writes Nicole Polsterer. The first is that agricultural deforestation is a deep-seated, complex problem, and eliminating it presents real challenges. Second, powerful vested interests within affected industries and EU member states intend to sabotage it. Read her full comment piece here 👇

The cancellation of Shell's carbon offsetting schemes linked to Chinese rice farming is raising questions about the process used to verify the emissions reductions from such projects. The activities were meant to slash climate-heating emissions of methane – a potent greenhouse gas – caused by the decomposition of plants in rice fields by changing irrigation methods. But, in a 17-month review, leading certifier Verra found a string of failures in the projects’ practices, resulting in the production of credits in excess of actual emission reductions. In March 2023, Climate Home revealed Shell’s role in the rice farming schemes and their risk of generating worthless offsets due to integrity problems such as over-counting emissions reductions and accounting tricks used in their development. The fossil fuel giant is directly involved in ten such projects and counted over a million credits from them towards its climate targets earlier this year, which are intended to reduce the “carbon intensity” of its fossil fuel products. Shell used those offsets while Verra was conducting its investigation, drawing condemnation from campaigners and carbon market experts. A Shell spokesperson said the company was "disappointed to learn of the issues Verra identified" and it would "work closely with Verra to understand the impact of their findings".

After joining Climate Home News, one of my first major stories revealed the involvement of Shell in dodgy carbon credits linked to rice cultivation in China. One and a half years later, carbon standard Verra has now revoked the projects and imposed sanctions after identifying "serious quality issues". Verra says its "strong" actions demonstrate its commitment to integrity, transparency, and quality. But this case still raises many questions about the functioning of the voluntary carbon market. 🔴 How could such poor projects be approved in the first place? Verra says it became aware of issues at a later stage as COVID travel restrictions made it impossible to travel and perform on-site investigations. The reality is that, as Gilles Dufrasne told me, the system of checks and balances is broken. The power of making sure projects do what they claim rests in the hands of auditors, which are picked and paid by project developers raising a clear conflict of interest. In the case of the Chinese rice projects, like many others, the auditors failed to spot any issues. 🔴 Do big players in the market like Shell have any credibility? Big polluters like Shell use carbon credits to offset, on paper, real emissions from their operations. When the credits turned out to be of dubious quality, users usually pass the buck onto project developers and certifiers. But this case is different. Shell was deeply involved in projects, acting as their official agent and offering credits for sale to others. Shell didn't exercise much caution when the projects were first questioned and then suspended. Despite a pending investigation, it used over a million of those offsets in one fell swoop earlier this year. Now that the projects have been conclusively slammed as worthless, Shell offers a paltry response. It is "disappointed to learn of the issues" and will "work closely with Verra to understand the impact of their findings". If you want to check out the series of articles about these projects: 👉 Revealed: How Shell cashed in on dubious carbon offsets from Chinese rice paddies: (https://lnkd.in/dtCkKwXk) 👉 “Shameful”: Shell uses carbon credits under investigation to meet climate targets: (https://lnkd.in/d8djV6-A) 👉 Verra axing of Shell’s rice-farming carbon credits in China fuels integrity fears: https://lnkd.in/d5Mbk5kG

Climate disasters, such as floods, storms, and wildfires, displaced 26.4 million people worldwide in 2023, according to the IDMC. Fiji, a Pacific island nation, faces significant economic damage from these events, with annual losses expected to rise to $85 million due to cyclones and earthquakes. Many of the affected people live in vulnerable informal urban settlements. A recent project by UN-Habitat aimed to improve resilience by reinforcing housing in four urban areas of Fiji to withstand extreme weather and prevent water and sanitation infrastructure damage. Adaptation Fund

Environmental campaigners are suing the EU for including fossil fuel-powered planes and ships in its green investment guidelines. The coalition argues that the EU's sustainable finance criteria for aviation and shipping sectors are flawed and allow for "loose" rules, giving a green label to inefficient fossil-fuel vehicles. The case has been filed at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. 

The Philippines now finds itself in a position to once more shape the global direction of addressing loss and damage (L&D). Over a decade after Typhoon Haiyan, the Philippines will host the board of the Fund for Loss and Damage, giving it a key role in shaping how the Fund supports those affected by climate impacts. This leadership position challenges the national government to align its international climate justice advocacy with effective domestic policies and solutions. Read the full comment piece from John Leo Algo

🌍 Job Alert: Energy Transition Reporter 🌍 Climate Home News is hiring a full-time energy transition reporter based in Africa! Join our team to cover international climate diplomacy and energy transition developments across the continent. 📝 Role: Reporting on energy transition in Africa 💻 Location: Remote (some travel may be required) 📅 Contract: 12 months, full-time freelance with a possibility of renewal 💰 Salary: USD 25,000-30,000/year depending on experience and location 📆 Deadline: Apply by September 1, 2024 Apply now to be a part of our global newsroom! 🌍

Climate disasters displace millions of people each year. In 2023, the figure reached 26.4 million worldwide as a result of floods, storms, wildfires and other disasters, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). Climate change is not solely responsible, but the frequency and intensity of extreme weather is increasing as global temperatures continue to rise. As a result we can expect that more and more people will face losing their homes and their livelihoods. Adaptation Fund

We're looking for a full-time energy transition reporter based in Africa with remote working, who will contribute to expanding our coverage of international climate diplomacy. We seek applications from well-connected journalists with a few years’ experience, capable of proposing story ideas, cultivating sources, analysing data, and delivering accurate copy in English. Our reporters are also expected to align with our rigorous and ethical journalistic standards. #JournoJobs #AfricanJournalists

Two lakes in Nepal burst last Friday, destroying dozens of homes in a village known for its Everest sherpas, raising fears that global warming will likely cause more such disasters as glaciers melt in high mountain ranges. A senior Nepalese official says that China has not provided the necessary information. Collaboration between China, Nepal, and India is essential to mitigate these risks. “If a lake in China bursts, the impact on Nepal could be unimaginable,” he said. “This information is essential for us to prepare and reduce the impact of floods.”