Wednesday, November 09, 2022

Greenwashing at the COP

 "A growing number of governments and nonstate actors are pledging to be carbon-free—and obviously that's good news," Guterres said while introducing a report, entitled Integrity Matters: Net-Zero Commitments by Businesses, Financial Institutions, Cities, and Regions, "The problem is that the criteria and benchmarks for these net-zero commitments have varying levels of rigor and loopholes wide enough to drive a diesel truck through."

"We must have zero tolerance for net-zero greenwashing," he continued. "Today's expert group report is a how-to guide to ensure credible, accountable net-zero pledges. Let's tell it like it is. Using bogus 'net-zero' pledges to cover up massive fossil fuel expansion is reprehensible. It is rank deception. This toxic cover-up could push our world over the climate cliff. The sham must end. "

"We urgently need every business, investor, city, state, and region to walk the talk on their net-zero promises," Guterres added. "We cannot afford slow movers, fake movers, or any form of greenwashing."

"This analysis only scratches the surface of how deeply conflicted these 'net-zero' initiatives are," Sara Shaw, climate justice and energy international program coordinator for Friends of the Earth International, said in a statement. "It paints a picture of how this isn't just about polluters trying to build 'green credibility,' but of how they position themselves to shape and obstruct policy progress."

Climate Defenders Urge 'Zero Tolerance for Net-Zero Greenwashing' as UN Publishes New Report (commondreams.org)

No comments: