Carbon Paradoxes
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1. Baseline Paradox
This paradox has puzzled forest advocates from the start: You can only earn carbon credits from forestry projects if you restore degraded trees or protect threatened ones. This means…
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2. Polluters Paradox
Who should be the biggest buyer of carbon credits? At first glance, the answer seems obvious: the biggest polluters! After all, they’re at the heart of the climate crisis…
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3. Ethics Paradox
This paradox touches on ethics. Is it morally right to put a price on nature? Is it ethically correct to use capitalism, which caused much of the climate crisis,…
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4. Speed Paradox
This paradox is short, as we talk about speed. When it comes to funding a forestry project – in fact, any impactful project – timing is everything. Here is…
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5. Communities Paradox
Here, we focus on one of the most sensitive topics around carbon credits. Local and Indigenous communities play a crucial role as guardians of the landscape and the forests.…
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6. Offset Paradox
It’s a familiar debate: Is carbon offsetting a vital component of a holistic climate strategy that incentivises emission reductions—or is it merely a distraction, potentially substituting real, on-the-ground reductions…
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7. Additionality Paradox
A project can only earn carbon credits if considered “additional.” This means that carbon finance made the project possible (although that doesn’t necessarily mean it paid for every element…
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8. Ambitions Paradox
This paradox is for climate policy fans. It concerns the role of carbon credits within the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement mandates governments to increase their emission reduction ambitions…
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9. Perfection Paradox
Here’s a paradox so prominent it’s become a cliche: the perfect is the enemy of the good. Few decisions we make are based on certainty. They’re all based on…
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10. Claims Paradox
This paradox deals with “climate claims”. When companies set bold climate goals but fall short, “greenwashing” accusations are almost inevitable—even if the intentions are genuine. One way to navigate…
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11. Leakage Paradox
Here, we talk about unintended consequences of well-intended investments – the “spillover effect”. Imagine you buy a forest or a logging concession to protect the trees instead of cutting…
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12. Voluntary Paradox
Imagine you donate $100 to a charity. Instead of sending a “thank you” card, the charity replies: “Why didn’t you give $200?” This is the essence of the voluntary…
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13. Avoidance Paradox
There are two main ways to tackle greenhouse gasses. One is to remove them from the atmosphere—by, say, planting new trees—and the other is to prevent them from getting…
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14. Science Paradox
This paradox focuses on a question that has haunted carbon markets since their inception: We all want “scientifically proven” results. The problem is, science evolves. Science isn’t about absolutes.…
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15. Quality Paradox
(Formerly called Standards Paradox) Everyone agrees: Quality and integrity are key for carbon credits. Not surprisingly, there is an increasing demand for enhanced scrutiny, quality ratings, and additional levels…
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16. Control Paradox
This is one of the shortest but most tricky paradoxes. Yes or no, should you fully control how the money is spent on the ground when you buy carbon…
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17. Novelty Paradox
This paradox investigates why we tend to be more enthusiastic about unproven climate solutions rather than proven ones. Many innovative climate technologies are still in early development and far…
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18. Crowds Paradox
The power of large groups to influence society is typically impressive: whether in music, sports, protests, or celebrations, crowds often amplify impact. Have you ever participated in a “critical…
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19. Ideologies Paradox
How is it possible that climate campaigners and fossil fuels lobbyists sometimes form alliances to bring down pragmatic climate action? This is the paradox we explore today. Climate action…
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20. Nature Paradox
Here we explore the Nature Paradox, a riddle wrapped in bark and rooted in the soil of the mid-1970s, when scientists first asked if we could use trees to…
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21. Transparency Paradox
Everyone agrees that transparency is a cornerstone of any carbon credit project. In fact, “transparency and integrity” has emerged as the battle cry of anybody active in the carbon…
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22. Price Paradox
Are you looking for a birthday, wedding or Christmas present? If so, you might follow the classic idea: the higher the price, the better the quality. But when it…
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23. Size Paradox
Every year, we spend a lot of money on electronic gadgets, meat, clothes, and much more. The voluntary carbon market has a total size of less than two billion…
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24. Expectations Paradox
This paradox deals with (overblown) expectations. Carbon credits were created for two purposes. First and foremost, they are here to finance greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Second, they shall promote…
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25. Intentions Paradox
Carbon credits attract a diverse range of stakeholders, all driven by good intentions and a shared goal of making a positive impact. Some champion carbon credits as an effective…
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26. Profits Paradox
From smartphones to electric vehicles to new social media platforms, success is measured by profitability. Once a product or service becomes commercially viable, it scales. At every sustainability conference,…
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27. Entropy Paradox
Have you ever tried to un-scramble an egg? Ever noticed how your house gets messy on its own, but never seems to clean itself? Or how your beer warms…
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28. The Competition Paradox
Healthy competition is a powerful driver of market growth. When multiple players compete for market share, they are incentivized to innovate, improve product quality, lower prices, and enhance customer…
