Quality offsets? A commentary on the voluntary carbon markets

ABSTRACT From Big Tech to Oil Majors, companies are increasingly resorting to the voluntary purchase of carbon credits to offset their greenhouse gas emissions and make claims about their carbon neutrality. Yet, the credibility of offsetting as a solution to climate change remains contested. From the outset, that is, since the mid-2000s, the voluntary carbon markets have been criticised, as we discuss in this commentary, which stems from our long-standing interest in the social study of carbon markets. Drawing on interviews conducted with offset suppliers and buyers, we examine some of the ways in which the issue of quality (or the lack of) has come to be a central concern in the voluntary offsetting markets.