The Great Green Lie of Carbon Credits
A fraudulent scheme in the age of collapse.
As the world barrels toward the worst effects of the polycrisis — the web of interconnected global emergencies including climate change, biodiversity collapse, and severe resource overshoot — one so-called “solution” stands out in its glaring inadequacy: carbon credits. Presented as a panacea to compensate for emissions, carbon credits have been embraced by corporations and governments alike, with the promise of offsetting pollution.
Yet, the truth is far darker. Far from being an effective tool, carbon credits have become a convenient smokescreen that allows polluters to continue their damaging practices unchecked. As a result, they’re hastening our descent into environmental and societal breakdown.
The entire framework of carbon credits is based on a single, fatal assumption: that “offsets” can substitute for actual emissions reductions. But instead of cutting emissions, companies and countries are using carbon credits as a cheap alternative to meaningful action. This lack of accountability is pushing us closer to catastrophic climate tipping points, with the far-reaching impacts of climate change and resource depletion threatening the lives of everyone on this planet.
