SBTi Details Possible Uses of Carbon Credits Despite Finding Little Evidence They Work

The referee on corporate net-zero targets is at the forefront of a debate over the legitimacy of offsets

By H. Claire Brown of The WSJ. Excerpts:

"a review of evidence found that many credits are largely ineffective.

The findings, released Tuesday, mark the latest development in a monthslong saga that has put the Science Based Targets initiative, or SBTi, at the forefront of a global debate over whether carbon credits have a legitimate place in voluntary corporate climate commitments. SBTi relies on scientific evidence to verify companies’ emissions reduction plans and has validated climate targets for more than 5,000 companies to date."

"various studies have questioned whether the credits work as expected, and several news reports have uncovered allegations of fraud around them."

"In a report on Tuesday, the SBTi said it found the best evidence suggested “various types of carbon credits are ineffective in delivering their intended mitigation outcomes.”"

"A separate independent review of academic literature found there wasn’t enough material to come to a definitive conclusion"