[s9e21] Carbon Offsets -

: An investigation highlighted in the show revealed that up to 90% of rainforest carbon offsets approved by major certifiers like Verra were likely "worthless" or "junk" credits.

The story of refers to the main segment of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver , which aired on August 21, 2022 . The episode dives into the "Wild West" of the voluntary carbon market, exploring why these popular tools for achieving "net-zero" goals are often deeply flawed. The Premise: The "Net-Zero" Illusion

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?

The episode details several high-profile examples of carbon offset failures:

: Credits are often sold for protecting forests that weren't actually in danger of being cut down. Oliver mocks this as "paying someone not to do something they weren't going to do anyway."

Oliver centers the story on the concept of —the requirement that an offset project must only happen because of the carbon credit funding.

: Oliver points to instances where "protected" forests used for offsets burned down in wildfires, releasing the stored carbon back into the atmosphere and rendering the previous "offset" moot. The "Greenwashing" Trap