Reducing or Removing CO2 Emissions: Can Offsets Make the Difference?

Summary:

Achieving many decarbonisation targets requires ‘offsets’ – that is, rather than reducing their own emissions, firms take steps to either permanently remove existing emissions from the atmosphere or reduce future emissions. It is still not clear whether all the figures behind corporate pledges are verifiable, and in the European Parliament many MEPs are trying to limit the use of offsets. The European Commission is right to take a more balanced approach: offsetting will be an essential element of achieving net zero emissions, and the EU must insist on more rigorous offsetting if it is to be credible.

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