Demystifying the Romanticized Narratives About Carbon Credits From Voluntary Forest Conservation

Thales A.P. West; Kelsey Alford-Jones; Philippe Delacote; Philip M. Fearnside; Ben Filewod; Ben Groom; Clemens Kaupa; Andreas Kontoleon; Tara L'Horty; Benedict S. Probst; Federico Riva; Claudia Romero; Erin O. Sills; Britaldo Soares-Filho; Da Zhang; Sven Wunder; Francis E. Putz

doi:10.1111/gcb.70527

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Demystifying the Romanticized Narratives About Carbon Credits From Voluntary Forest Conservation

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Demystifying the Romanticized Narratives About Carbon Credits From Voluntary Forest Conservation

Thales A.P. West, Kelsey Alford-Jones, Philippe Delacote, Philip M. Fearnside, Ben Filewod, Ben Groom, Clemens Kaupa, Andreas Kontoleon, Tara L'Horty, Benedict S. Probst, …

Global Change Biology, Vol.31(10), pp.1-11

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70527

PMID: 41078114

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Abstract

carbon offset

deforestation

forest degradation

greenwashing

REDD

voluntary carbon market

Carbon offset projects aimed at avoiding deforestation and forest degradation, generally labeled “REDD+,” are frequently pro-moted as a pivotal tool to mitigate climate change, promising to offer additional co-benefits for biodiversity and local communities. Despite this optimism, most positive impacts claimed by these initiatives in the voluntary carbon market (VCM) lack empirical support and are instead based on the hopeful narratives of stakeholders with clear conflicts of interest. We critically examine the scientific theories, concepts, and evidence regarding VCM's REDD+ projects, highlighting limitations on the quantification of their purported benefits that are inherent to the current design of carbon markets. Independent studies consistently point to shortcomings in the rigor and credibility of crediting methodologies and other procedures, which market players have been slow or reluctant to address. There is accumulating evidence that projects' climate and social impacts are often exaggerated due to a range of technical and practical shortcomings. We hope this work clarifies widespread misconceptions associated with REDD+ projects in the VCM and assists organizations and policymakers in their efforts to meaningfully mitigate climate change

Details

Title: Demystifying the Romanticized Narratives About Carbon Credits From Voluntary Forest Conservation
Authors: Thales A.P. West (Corresponding Author) - University of Cambridge
Kelsey Alford-Jones - University of California, Berkeley
Philippe Delacote - AgroParisTech
Philip M. Fearnside - Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia
Ben Filewod - Canadian Forest Service
Ben Groom - University of Exeter
Clemens Kaupa - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Andreas Kontoleon - University of Cambridge
Tara L'Horty - Climate Economics Chair, Paris, France
Benedict S. Probst - ETH Zurich
Federico Riva - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Claudia Romero - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Tropical Forests and People Research Centre
Erin O. Sills - North Carolina State University
Britaldo Soares-Filho - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Da Zhang - Tsinghua University
Sven Wunder - European Forest Institute
Francis E. Putz - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Tropical Forests and People Research Centre
Publication details: Global Change Biology, Vol.31(10), pp.1-11
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Date published: 2025
DOI: 10.1111/gcb.70527
ISSN: 1365-2486
PMID: 41078114
Organisation Unit: Tropical Forests and People Research Centre
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991185245202621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Biodiversity Conservation; Ecology; Environmental Sciences

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