Carbon Credits Market's Footprint in Europe

2024-08-12

TALLINN - The lack of regulation in the voluntary carbon market, together with the influx of capital, creates a situation where ineffective solutions or even outright scams can be marketed. This cross-border investigation looks at how people in Estonia, Lithuania and Italy are exploiting 'green' opportunities for personal gain.

With European companies under pressure to reduce their carbon footprint, many are looking to the unregulated voluntary carbon market to help them achieve their net zero targets.

This investigative project examines the proliferation of dubious practices among agents, intermediaries, and brokers in the voluntary carbon offset market, and aims to uncover the conflict between societal expectations for genuine environmental impact and the exploitation of such opportunities for embezzlement or other, more legitimate means of profit.

Photo: Andras Kralla/Äripäev.

The Estonian article was nominated for the best news story of the year in the Äripäev media house.

Team members

Kristel Härma

Kristel Härma is an investigative journalist from Estonia.

Marta Frigerio

Marta Frigerio is an award-winning investigative journalist from Italy.

Miglė Krancevičiūtė

Miglė Krancevičiūtė is an investigative journalist from Lithuania

Natália Alana

Natália Alana is an experienced Brazilian freelance photographer and photoeditor based in Rome.

Serdar Vardar

Serdar Vardar is an award-winning investigative journalist based in Berlin, Germany.

Mentor

Staffan Dahllöf

Staffan Dahllöf is a freelance reporter based in Copenhagen, specialised in FOI.

Supported

€15,290 allocated on 28/08/2023

ENV1/2023/256

Grant

Environmental Journalism

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