Ambiente
"Patently Unreliable": Verra addresses criticism of rainforest offset credits with detailed technical analysis
They found that the Guardian article makes sensational claims about the value of carbon credits issued by Verra for rainforest offset projects, also known as REDD projects. These claims have been echoed by other media, such as Die Zeit.
The Technical Review has found that the Guardian article and two of the three studies, each led by the same scientist from the University of Amsterdam , Dr Thales West, are "patently unreliable" because they contain multiple serious deficiencies.
The experts found that the Guardian article relies on an arbitrary and unpublished methodology using results from the Thales West et al. studies, and grossly misrepresents the findings of the third study by scientists from the University of Cambridge (Guizar-Coutiño et al.).
The University of Cambridge study concluded: The Guardian failed to mention this conclusion in its reporting. Instead, the study was presented as critical of REDD projects.
The article's claims about the value of carbon credits, the experts found, were based only on the Thales West et al. studies. The Review found these studies used datasets known to be unsuitable, relied on inappropriate geographic areas, and ignored key factors known to cause deforestation.
It also showed that the article was misleading because it failed to acknowledge inconsistencies between the three studies that it draws on, presenting instead a distorted picture of consensus. Verra's experts found, for example, that of the 12 projects in Brazil assessed by both groups, one Thales West study concluded that deforestation or degradation was reduced in 33% of projects, while the Cambridge study found that deforestation was lower in 92% and forest degradation in 75% of projects.
Robin Rix , Chief Legal, Policy, and Markets Officer, Verra, said:
Verra invites stakeholders including the media to read the Technical Review and to reach out if they have concerns about reports in the media.
Verra is a nonprofit organization that operates the world's leading carbon crediting program, the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program, as well as other standards programs in environmental and social markets. Verra is committed to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve livelihoods, and protect natural resources by working with the private and public sectors. We support climate action and sustainable development with standards, tools, and programs that credibly, transparently, and robustly assess environmental and social impacts and enable funding for sustaining and scaling up projects that verifiably deliver these benefits.
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/patently-unreliable-verra-addresses-criticism-of-rainforest-offset-credits-with-detailed-technical-analysis-301734453.html