ESG & Investing

Offset Market Hit by Fresh Allegations of False CO2 Claims

  • Study has implications for green claims by Shell, Eni, Delta
  • Traders of offsets are now treating them as stranded assets

A popular category of carbon offsets held by a number of major publicly traded companies, including Delta airlines, failed to offset emissions, according to a new investigation.

Photographer: Angus Mordant/Bloomberg
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A popular category of carbon offsets held by a number of major publicly traded companies is significantly more prone to greenwashing than previously feared, according to a new investigation of the financial instruments.

The conclusion is based on work done by a team of 14 researchers in association with the University of California, Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy. The study looked at so-called REDD+ credits, which represent roughly a quarter of carbon offsets issued globally.