The voluntary carbon market (VCM) has had a rough year. A hotly contested but eye-popping critique of the efficacy of allegedly up to 90% of carbon credits captured attention in early 2023, followed by line of scandals alleging management malfeasance and staff abuse in some particularly marquee projects. This turbulence has opened the door for advocates who oppose market-based climate responses to start pushing a more categorical agenda, including a “rush” to gather support for a moratorium on carbon market projects ahead of COP29. Advocates have put Indigeneity at the forefront of this agenda, suggesting that market-based approaches are inherently contrary to Indigenous worldviews. The decision to engage markets is framed as a “moral dilemma” for Indigenous peoples. The UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous People recently indicated potential support for a moratorium—despite having issued a comprehensive report just last year insisting that that it was important “not to condemn or deter the financing of green projects and green market strategies but to ensure that [projects] do not perpetuate the violations and abuses currently plaguing extractive and other fossil fuel-related projects.” We respect our fellow advocates and acknowledge the gravity and novelty of risks raised by carbon markets, but we worry about the narrowing space of options, nuance, and attention to context. We question whether a categorical, one-size-fits-all approach such as a moratorium aligns with the fundamental Indigenous right to self-determination. Javan lutung by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay. A recent interview with noted Indigenous leaders Alondra Cerdes Morales and…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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South Africa Today – Environment
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