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 full week has passed, and we haven’t discussed additionality yet. Today, we need to catch up. A project can only earn carbon credits if considered “additional.” This means…
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8. Ambitions Paradox
Today’s 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
Today’s 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
Today, 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. Visibility Paradox
(Formerly known as the 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…
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14. Science Paradox
Today’s 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. Standards Paradox
Yesterday, we discussed a paradox around methodologies and science. Today’s paradox deals with the Standards. Everyone agrees: Quality and integrity are key for carbon credits. Not surprisingly, there is…
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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
Today’s 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
We are approaching Christmas, which marks the end of this paradoxes series. But before lighting the candles, we must tackle several particularly twisted and intriguing paradoxes. Today, we explore…
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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
Still looking for last Christmas presents? If so, you might follow the classic idea: the higher the price, the better the quality. But when it comes to carbon credits,…
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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…
