If you’re unfamiliar with carbon markets, let’s be very clear from the start: they’re not good. In fact, they allow polluters to continue trashing the climate. They’re a false solution and a scam.

Trading ‘carbon offset credits’ doesn’t stop emissions from entering the atmosphere and warming our world – they just provide a smokescreen to stop those emissions from appearing on the ledgers of polluters.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan started badly when insufficient rules for carbon markets were pushed through on the first day, breaking a yearslong deadlock over this contentious issue. But what is actually needed at COP29, and beyond, is a focus on real solutions for climate finance and mitigation  – governments must make polluters pay and must reduce emissions in all sectors now.

The impacts of the climate crisis have never been more apparent, as extreme weather and other climate disasters threaten lives and livelihoods around the world. But at COP29, governments’ assignment of stopping the worst of climate change simply took a back seat to another agenda: finding ways to let polluters keep on doing business as usual despite the bleak reality.

Azerbaijan, the COP29 host and a major fossil fuel exporter, pushed these carbon trading schemes rules through for an early win at the climate summit. But there is still a critical lack of evidence that carbon offsetting even works, a thorough risk and impact assessment of carbon market developments is still missing to date. 

The last few years have seen scandal after scandal in the schemes of false solutions, from ineffective projects to exploitations against Indigenous Peoples. The last two COP climate conferences alone have negotiated rules to implement carbon markets, yet governments rejected them both times because of serious flaws in the definition of removal activities and proposed methodologies. 

But now, before world leaders had a real chance to put forward real solutions, and despite civil society and activists speaking up alongside certain opposing countries, the COP29 Presidency pushed through texts on carbon markets rules without further consultation. Governments are under increasing pressure to show progress on serious finance contributions and strong emissions cuts. 

However, let’s not forget why governments are under pressure. Because we need climate action. Cutting quick side deals on a false solution won’t meet the mark in climate negotiations. Allowing petrostates – countries whose wealth comes largely from the production and sale of oil and gas – to workshop and sell these dishonest carbon market schemes as solution to the massive climate finance gap and the lack of action is an outrage at any time but especially in a year on track to the warmest on record, when floods have destroyed homes in countries across the world this year, and typhoons and hurricanes are striking communities with unprecedented intensity.

What we actually need is to tax polluters and the ultra-rich to respond to the widespread, deadly consequences of their endless pursuit of profit during a global crisis that they caused. Governments need to deliver ambitious and just climate finance. Governments must stop the financial sector’s continued investment in destructive high-emissions industries, further resulting in heavy impacts on society and nature. Governments need to end environmentally harmful subsidies and secure the physical safety and economic livelihood of their citizens. Compensation payments for continued emissions is not climate finance! 

The nature and climate crises are closely linked. To invest in real solutions we must recognise not only the close connection between loss of biodiversity in nature and climate change, but also the fact that solutions to protecting nature and stopping climate change are intertwined, not trade-offs. 

Read more about the connection between climate change and nature loss:
Why we should pull down the UN’s artificial divide between biodiversity and climate 

Iqbal Damanik is a Forest Campaigner at Greenpeace Indonesia and Jannes Stoppel is a Policy Advisor Biodiversity and Climate Policy at Greenpeace International.

Amsterdam, Netherlands – Deep sea miners’ efforts to limit the right to protest at sea were rejected today by an appeals court in the Netherlands. The Amsterdam Court of Appeal dismissed a legal appeal from Nauru Ocean Resources Inc (NORI) against Greenpeace International.

After unsuccessful attempts to lobby governments to limit protests against deep sea mining vessels at the International Seabed Authority earlier this year, NORI pursued an appeal at the Amsterdam Court of Appeal to try and secure immunity against any future Greenpeace protests at sea. NORI were seeking a 500-metre zone excluding protest around a vessel the company has been using to lay the groundwork for deep sea mining. 

In response to today’s ruling, Greenpeace International Legal Counsel Michel Uiterwaal said: 

“Today’s judgment represents an important victory for peaceful protest in times where legal cases are increasingly used by the powerful to discourage dissent and drain the time and resources of organisations like Greenpeace International that don’t take money from governments or corporations.”

On November 30, 2023, NORI, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Metals Company (TMC), failed to get an injunction against Greenpeace International to try and halt a peaceful protest of two kayaks, small boats, and five climbers disrupting a deep sea mining exploration expedition in the at-risk region of the Pacific Ocean.[1] The Amsterdam District Court largely rejected a request by the deep sea mining company to issue an injunction, stating that it is “understandable” that Greenpeace International has resorted to peaceful direct action in the face of the “potentially very serious consequences” of the company’s plans.

In the appeal hearing on 23 October 2024, the deep sea mining company argued that the right to protest under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) does not apply on the high seas. Today, the Court confirmed the right to protest on the high seas and that the ECHR applies on vessels that fly the flag of a State Party to the ECHR, but found it unnecessary to delve into the details given NORI’s lack of legal interest in the appeal. NORI failed to point to any concrete plans of its own that might be put in jeopardy by any plans of Greenpeace International.

Greenpeace International campaigner Louisa Casson said: 

“This is yet a further blow for deep sea miners in a year where the number of governments calling for a halt to the industry has topped 30, and major businesses and insurers have committed to steer clear of getting involved with deep sea mining. Public opposition to deep sea mining continues to grow worldwide, including on the high seas, and governments can respond by seizing a historic opportunity to stop this industry before it can cause harm to the oceans.” 

ENDS

Notes:

[1] The Metals Company threatens Greenpeace with injunction but activists continue protest and scale their ship in the Pacific

Contacts: 

Sol Gosetti, Stop Deep Sea Mining campaign media coordinator, Greenpeace International, +44 (0) 07807352020 / +44 (0) 7380845754, sol.gosetti@greenpeace.org

Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org

Follow @greenpeacepress on X/Twitter for our latest international press releases

The Hague, Netherlands – The Court of Appeal in The Hague today did not uphold the verdict of the district court, which ruled in 2021 that Shell must reduce its CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030. Shell has a responsibility for reducing its CO2-emission, according to the court. The judges also state that Shell’s investments in new oil and gas fields may be at odds with the Paris agreement. The climate case Shell was brought by Milieudefensie, together with Greenpeace Netherlands, other civil society organisations and 17,379 individual co-plaintiffs.

Andy Palmen, director of Greenpeace Netherlands said: “This is a setback for the climate and all those people impacted by the climate crisis. We are disappointed that Shell is being allowed to continue polluting. We will not give up the fight and this only motivates us more to take action against major polluters. It really gives hope that the court finds that Shell must respect human rights and has a duty to reduce its CO2 emissions.

“People all over the world are demanding climate justice. Later today, Greenpeace UK will face Shell and Equinor in court to stop new oil and gas drilling in the Jackdaw and Rosebank fields. Today’s ruling underscores the importance of world leaders now negotiating at the UN Climate Summit in Baku taking responsibility. The summit in Dubai last year marked the end of coal, oil and gas, now governments must come up with concrete plans to move away from fossil fuels.

In a few weeks time the International Court of Justice in The Hague will hold hearings on the obligations of states in the climate emergency. These hearings underscore the urgent need for global action to mitigate climate change and protect the rights and well-being of impacted communities.”

ENDS

Notes:

The Carbon Majors Database shows that Shell has been and continues to be one of the 10 most climate-polluting companies worldwide.

Contacts:

Laura Polderman, Press Officer, Greenpeace Netherlands, +31 6 29001140, laura.polderman@greenpeace.org

Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org

Follow @greenpeacepress on X/Twitter for our latest international press releases