Real Talk: Carbon Credits

By OGT GenZ Advisor and Climate & Democracy Leadership Intensive member Vheneka Njovana, an Environment and Sustainability major from Catawba College in North Carolina.

One thing that does not sit well with me is the idea of Carbon Credit. It is said to be a mechanism that addresses climate change. Companies and governments buy these credits to offset their emissions, investing in projects that reduce or remove greenhouse gases, like renewable energy or reforestation (“Torfason ,Carbon Credits”). While that sounds like a global movement to tackle climate change and reduce greenhouse gases, there is a downside that is often overlooked.

These carbon credits are balanced out in developing countries. Meaning governments or businesses in developed countries buy land or fund projects outside their economies. This does not sound like a solution to me. Rather it is promoting avoidance.For example, the Ogiek people in Kenya, were chased out of the Mau Forest by the government for carbon credit schemes (“Marshall, evicted for credit”). In these schemes, some people make money at the expense of others. These credits are not helping environmental initiatives. Instead, they are allowing developed countries to continue harming the environment instead of coming up with better sustainable solutions in their economies. In addition to that, a lot of communities in developing countries are dismantled, loss of culture and identity and a lot of displacement occurs (Dunne et al, “impact of carbon-offset”). No amount of compensation can help any individual leave their home and start a new life elsewhere.

So what is Climate Justice when our fellow brothers and sisters are chased away from their homes.  An important factor that we must keep in mind is that Climate Justice recognizes inequalities. Unfortunately, what is deemed a “solution” in the developed world is a “problem” in the developing side of the world. My issue is, we are coming up with short term solutions that will create generational problems. But no one is ready to hear that yet.

Some of the “renewable” energy solutions in question are also at the expense of developing countries. To make electric cars we need lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite for the batteries. But these minerals are extracted through mining, which circles us back to air pollution, water contamination, displacement of people, loss of culture, loss of biodiversity, and most importantly it raises human rights concerns(Domonoske). In the end, all the carbon credits are useless because the production of batteries for renewable energy in developing countries adds more carbon into the atmosphere. 

In light of recent events in the United States, of the funding cuts for environmental protection and climate change initiatives, there are two things that I am hoping for. The first one being; I hope the effects of these budget cuts are so evident that those who were not aware of climate change get climatized! Secondly, I hope this minor setback gets everyone on the same path and hopefully starts a movement to bring back funding. I am very optimistic about it!

One thing to recognize though is that despite the budget cuts, environmentalists have done a good job in terms of mobilizing people and raising issues on climate injustice. A lot of protests are taking place lately and these are not limited to climate change. It goes beyond. But it has given people the chance to understand the importance of equity. Equity allows people to be helped or seen where they are and brings them up to the same level as everyone else. A long time coming! Some people may see what is happening as negative but this is positive! We must get uncomfortable first so we can get comfortable! 

This brings me to my last point. We need better and rigid environmental policies. There seems to be a lot of loopholes that governments and businesses are bypassing to get profit with unjust acts and unequal distribution. For example, Artificial Intelligence has very few operational policies. And as a result, Black and Brown communities are suffering because of it. Artificial Intelligence already knows the typical  stereotypes of Black people being associated with crime and violence. This shows that AI is not anything new and in fact adds to climate injustice (“Your computer might be Racist”). Data centers that keep Artificial Intelligence running are constructed in low-income areas which are often Black and Brown communities. These centers require large sums of water to cool down the machinery. And this all brings us back to the same environmental issues, the same low-income communities suffering and the same conversation all over again. Policies need to be revisited and rewritten to accommodate everyone in society.

Works Cited 

Tofason Olafur Pall “What are Carbon Credits” carbonregistry.com 6 January 2024 https://www.carbonregistry.com/blog/what-are-carbon-credits

Marshall Claire “Kenya’s Ogiek people being evicted for carbon credits-lawyers”, bbc.com 9 November 2023 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-67352067

Dunne Daisy et al “The impacts of carbon-offset projects around the world”, carbongrief.org 25 September 2023. https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/carbon-offsets-2023/mapped.html

Domonoske Camila, “Does mining for batteries erase the climate benefits for EVs? No, and heres why”, opb.org 9 May 2024.  https://www.opb.org/article/2024/05/09/does-mining-for-batteries-erase-the-climate-benefits-of-evs-no-and-here-s-why/

 https://magazine.howard.edu/stories/your-computer-might-be-racist