A number of Indigenous communities in the Amazon say that “carbon pirates” have become a threat to their way of life as western companies seek to secure deals in their territories for offsetting projects.
While some leaders recognised the potential benefits from well designed carbon markets, they warn that Indigenous communities are being taken advantage of in the unregulated sector, with opaque deals for carbon rights that can last up to a century, lengthy contracts written in English, and communities being pushed out of their lands for projects.
Examples include Peru’s largest ever carbon deal involving an unnamed extractive firm, where the Kichwa community claim they have been forced from their land in Cordillera Azul national park and received nothing from the $87m agreement. The park authorities say everything has been done in “strict compliance with current legal regulations and with special respect for the rights of Indigenous peoples”.
@Others: What have your experiences from the ground been with respect to Indian Carbon Markets?
Ref the responsibility and guilt (carbon footprint, single-use plastic ban, air miles, etc) that businesses/industries/administrators pass on to consumers without themselves taking onus to do better
Not a recent read. But this is one of the articles I keep going back to, about the interconnectedness of our supply systems. This one is about fast fashion’s connection with a human rights crisis - beyond the environmental crisis it is creating.
Most consumers are not aware of the environmental impact of returns. One logistics firm put the carbon dioxide cost of returns in the US as being equivalent to the output of 3m cars. Even if the dress you sent back isn’t thrown away, selling it on is also costly for the environment. There’s the transport, of course, and often clothes are “wrapped in paper and a plastic bag that need to be replaced, and if it’s something that’s easily crinkled, it needs to be steamed”.
Why are migratory birds giving India a miss?
The loss of habitats and other threats need to be countered by data-driven policy changes and aggressive monitoring to preserve their roosting sites.
From 17:15. A long watch (1.25x ok) breaking down the challenges and constraints around net zero, and what beyond. It’s still largely from a carbon/energy lens but some interesting core thoughts and principles.
About to complete this book. The first time realised why, we can’t take any further risk of pushing/ignoring the climate problem. Loved each page, Sunita Narain is a hell of a storyteller! We should invite her to the platform.
