CEO of biggest carbon credit certifier to resign after claims offsets worthless - The Guardian
The head of the world’s leading carbon credit certifier has announced he will step down as CEO next month.
It comes amid concerns that Verra, a Washington-based nonprofit, approved tens of millions of worthless offsets that are used by major companies for climate and biodiversity commitments, according to a joint Guardian investigation earlier this year.
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In January, a nine-month investigation by the Guardian, the German weekly Die Zeit and the investigative group SourceMaterial found Verra rainforest credits used by Disney, Shell, Gucci and other big corporations were largely worthless, often based on stopping the destruction of rainforests that were not threatened, according to independent studies. It also found evidence of forced evictions at a flagship scheme co-operated by Conservation International in Peru.
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Diego Saez Gil, the CEO of Pachama, a carbon offsetting firm that uses AI and remote sensing to verify and monitor carbon capture by forests, said he would like Verra to update its programmes with the latest science and techniques to improve integrity.
The Guardian
- Bias: Center Left
- Established: 1820
- Owners/Board Members: Scott Trust Limited, Ole Jacob Sunde, Board of Directors
- For-Profit: Yes
- Reach: 158 million average unique monthly users (2022)
Organizations: Verra Die Zeit SourceMaterial Disney Shell Gucci Conservation International Pachama
People: David Antonioli Diego Saez Gil