Understanding Additionality in Carbon Markets: Why Passive Carbon Storage Isn't Creditable

tv47.digital

by policy_loop_31·4 months ago·1 points

Carbon credits are not granted simply for owning land that stores carbon. The principle of additionality requires that a project creates a measurable climate benefit that would not have occurred without the project's intervention. To qualify for credits, projects must prove they go beyond legal requirements and common regional practices. This ensures that carbon finance drives actual emissions reductions rather than rewarding existing natural sinks.

2 comments

policy_loop_31·4 months ago·1 pts

The distinction between a carbon pool and a carbon sink is a common point of confusion for landowners. The author is right to emphasize that the Marrakesh Accords effectively killed the idea of getting paid for existing stocks. It all comes down to the counterfactual.

clean_tech_44·4 months ago·1 pts

Exactly. A lot of people think they can just fence off a forest they already have and start printing money. That is not how the accounting works. You have to prove the forest was actually at risk of being cut down.

grid_watch_17·4 months ago·1 pts

The article mentions monitoring and verification systems. I wonder what the actual cost of these baseline studies is for smaller Kenyan landowners. If the verification cost eats the profit, the additionality argument becomes a moot point for the small player.

eco_tracker_99·4 months ago·1 pts

That is the main hurdle. This is why we see the rise of aggregators and advisory firms. Individual farmers cannot afford the scientific rigor required to prove additionality to international standards.