Carbon credits have become a prominent approach in combating climate change in Thailand, providing an opportunity for both the private and public sectors to participate and benefit. But will it all add up? As the world intensifies its efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions, Thailand is at the forefront, promoting the rise of the voluntary...
Category: Environment
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A thorny dilemma: Acacia plantations in Vietnam may not be all that green
The country’s embrace of acacia plantations has lifted some smallholder households out of poverty. But it comes at a cost to the environment and even lives. This is part two of a two-part series on the wood pellet industry in Vietnam. For part one, click here. The fast-growing and economical acacia has spread in Central Vietnam...
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Green scandal: How Indonesia’s pulp industry misleads the world’s fashion brands
In the era of environmental awareness, the phenomenon of greenwashing is increasingly common, where companies claim to be environmentally friendly while their actions speak otherwise. Indonesia is home to some prime examples. To watch the investigation “Skandal Hijau,” please click on the embedded video below. A description of the story follows. In the era of...
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Smoke, mirrors, wood pellets: Vietnam clears native forest to supply ‘clean’ energy to Asia
Expansive deforestation in Central Vietnam is being driven by the global demand for wood pellets—a supposedly green alternative to fossil fuels. This is part one of a two-part series on the wood pellet industry in Vietnam. For part two, please click here. Vietnam has supplied wood pellets to Japan and South Korea in their quest to...
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Chopping down trees in India, then compensating for them—but at whose cost?
India’s Jharkhand state led the country in reversing deforestation from 2022 to 2023, but cases from two districts show that these supposedly sustainable tree plantations come at a cost to forest rights. Here’s an FAQ to help you follow along with this story—especially helpful for readers who may not be as familiar with India. Walking in the...
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Clearing the air: Questioning Singapore’s carbon credits decisions
For some time now, Singapore has been relentlessly transforming itself into a global carbon trading hub. What does this entail? In Singapore, a company that directly releases 25,000 tons or more of carbon dioxide equivalents (tCO2e) per year is considered a large emitter. A carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) is a metric that converts other emitted gases, such as nitrogen...
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Carbon ambitions: Inside Cambodia’s REDD+ boom
Despite ongoing controversy in its flagship Southern Cardamom REDD+ project, Cambodia is driving forward with plans to greatly expand climate finance schemes across its officially protected areas. When Cambodia’s rainy season turns dirt roads into rutted mud, the villages tucked into rugged folds of the western Cardamom Mountains can feel far from just about everything....
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Blueprint for disaster: Singapore’s carbon hub threatens global climate targets
An ambitious plan to re-engineer the carbon market in Singapore could play havoc with net zero goals and raises questions about human rights in places like Cambodia. The wedding was just ending when the motorbike chase began. Rangers had arrested Meng Sotear, a 62-year-old rice and cashew farmer, ordered her aboard a motorbike and raced...
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The fear of a gold rush looms large along Peru’s Nanay River
The upper basin of the Nanay River in Loreto provides drinking water to the population of Iquitos. It is also rich in 24 carat gold and threatened by mining activities. It is an ordinary Sunday in the area surrounding the Nanay River in Loreto, Peru. A man named Nicolas plays a soccer match that will...
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‘Get Out of Jail Free’: How plastics offsetting is giving industry a license to pollute
Unwanted plastic is clogging seas and rivers. A ‘green’ scheme involves burning it to make cement. (Editor’s Note: This story was produced with support from Internews’ Earth Journalism Network for the “It’s a Wash” special report. SourceMaterial, a nonprofit investigative journalism organization, was a partner in the story’s production.) After a gruelling day paddling along...