Amid the global push for net-zero emissions, carbon markets are in the spotlight — and Africa has emerged as a key arena for offset projects. This is driven by the growing demand for carbon credits, coupled with the continent's natural resources, particularly its forests and other ecosystems that serve as valuable carbon sinks.
Despite the billions of dollars in green investments pouring into Africa, the carbon market remains unclear, with verification loopholes and questionable impact on local communities. For instance, the Kariba REDD+ project, launched in 2011, has generated over €100 million since its inception by selling carbon credits; however, reports have shown that only a fraction of the money generated from the project reached and benefited local communities, while the company running the project left little trace of where the money went.
Investigative journalism plays a vital role in exposing these gaps, holding stakeholders accountable, and centering the voices of those most affected. However, investigating carbon markets in Africa is difficult due to complex ownership and operations, the unavailability of project data, and difficult-to-verify claims.
“There are registries which contain information about offsets that are bought and sold, but a lot of them are missing huge amounts of data,” said Josh Gabbatiss, a climate policy correspondent at CarbonBrief, during a webinar hosted by the Pulitzer Center in April.
Here’s how journalists can effectively investigate the carbon market in Africa:
Know the terminologies
Carbon offset, like other sectors, has a specific vocabulary that journalists on the beat need to familiarize themselves with. Here are a few terms that reporters should know:
Carbon credits: Tradable tokens that represent a reduction or removal of one ton of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) from the atmosphere.
Carbon markets: Trading systems in which carbon credits are bought and sold.
Carbon offsets: Tradable permits, often called tokens, that represent a reduction or removal of one ton of CO2e from the atmosphere.
Carbon offset registries: Organizations that track carbon offset projects and issue carbon credits, confirming that a project has reduced, avoided, or removed a specific amount of CO2e. They also play a crucial role in tracking the buying, selling, and retirement of these credits.
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+): A U.N.-developed framework that incentivizes developing nations to protect their forests. It offers financial and technical support to countries that reduce deforestation and forest degradation, promote sustainable forest management, and enhance carbon storage in forests.
Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM): An independent body that sets and enforces standards for high-quality carbon offsets in the voluntary carbon market.
Research relevant data
Whether investigating a project they’re already familiar with or looking for one in a certain region or sector, journalists can use registers like Verra or Gold Standard as starting points, suggested Matteo Civillini, a Climate Home News reporter. These sites include publicly accessible databases that list all projects registered on their platform and additional information such as location, project developers, and more.
“There will likely be a long list of PDFs that were submitted by the project developers, their auditors and the registrar themselves,” he said. “Read the 'project design document' first. That will tell you what the project developers are aiming to achieve, their emission reduction, or any other co-benefits through the project.”
You can also check the project validation and verification documents, which are written by auditors and reveal whether the project aligns with the carbon market rules. Keep in mind that project developers pay auditors, so there could be a conflict of interest.
Find out what company handles the project and the methods used
Use open-source searches, corporate registers, and databases to figure out who the project developers are.
While conducting searches, journalists should ask:
- Is it a reputable company?
- Who are the owners?
- Where are they based?
- Do they run many other carbon credit projects?
- Have they had any issues or controversies?
When project developers make claims, they can be used to verify if the implementation of the project matches what they claimed originally, said Civillini.
Documents on the registers will also reveal which carbon credit methodologies are being used. Reporters should find out if a methodology used is reputable and if any expert has raised concerns about its integrity.
“Check if it is recognized by the ICVCM standard,” said Civillini. “There are rating agencies that independently evaluate projects or methodologies. You can check if the project you're interested in has been rated; good ones are BeZero Carbon or Renoster.”
Become familiar with types of offset projects and talk to experts
Carbon offsetting is a topic that is rapidly evolving, and researchers working in the field are often happy to help and share their data and insights, said Gabbatiss. He encouraged journalists to familiarize themselves with the different types of offset projects. This will help them know what to look out for and how to spot suspicious offsets.
Talking to experts such as academics and researchers will be key to this effort, as these projects are intentionally technical to make it difficult to understand what's going on. When speaking with experts, journalists should insist that they explain things in plain language, said Desné Masie, a sustainability reporter. “[Speak to] different people [and] double check their claims. Find out for yourself and don’t take anything at face value.”
Verify information in person and online
Journalists will not always be able to rely on registries or middleman companies involved in carbon offsetting for information. They may need to travel to confirm claims in person
“There is such a long chain between people on the ground involved in the project [and the companies or individuals purchasing the credits], and it can be hard knowing where the problems are arising from,” said Gabbatiss.
Online research is also vital for verifying claims.
“REDD+ projects, for instance, aim to avoid emissions by reducing deforestation,” said Civillini. “There are several tools largely based on satellite monitoring that can be used to analyze deforestation in the project area. An easy-to-use [tool] is Global Forest Watch.”
“You can upload a geographical file with the exact location of the project and Global Forest Watch will tell you how many hectares of forest were lost in the area and give an estimate of the emissions released. You can compare that against what the project developers claimed,” he said.
Here are additional resources to check out:
The University of California, Berkeley’s Berkeley Carbon Trading Project offers a downloadable database that draws together offsetting interactions from different registries and enhances transparency in the voluntary carbon market.
Allied Offsets compiles and analyzes data from various sources, offering a comprehensive view of carbon offsetting activities worldwide and permits corporates and individuals to access information on projects across various registries, in order to make the market more transparent and accessible.
The Carbon Disclosure Project collects and receives annual "climate change" reports from companies, which include details of their offsetting activities.
The Net Zero Tracker puts together public information about entities' net zero targets in a consistent and comparable way to allow the quality of targets to be compared and evaluated.
The Global Investigative Journalism Network offers a reporter's guide to investigating carbon offsets.
The Carbon Brief publishes a range of useful materials on carbon offsets, including interactive maps, in-depth analyses, and a glossary of terms.
Photo by James Wiseman on Unsplash.
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