OPEN LETTER: Protect the integrity of the EU ETS; Abstain from using offset credits from HFC-23 and adipic acid projects

Carbon Market Watch and a coalition of NGOs call on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to avoid using industrial gas offset credits, specifically HFC-23 and N2O from adipic acid projects, to meet its 2012 emission reduction targets. The letter argues that these credits lack environmental integrity, do not represent real emissions reductions, and undermine both the Montreal Protocol and EU climate objectives.

• The EU Member States decided in January 2011 to ban offset credits from HFC-23 and N2O from adipic acid abatement projects from the EU ETS, with the ban taking effect on 1 May 2013.
• Industrial gas credits are criticized for undermining the Montreal Protocol and EU international climate goals, lacking sustainable development benefits, and being concentrated in emerging economies rather than least developed nations.
• Data analysis indicates that many offsets from HFC-23 and N2O adipic acid projects do not provide real emissions reductions, which directly undermines the EU's emissions reduction target.
• The authors argue that airline operators do not require the concession of a postponed ban on these credits because the aviation sector only joined the EU ETS in 2012 and the environmental issues of these projects have been known for years.

APA

Carbon Market Watch (2013). OPEN LETTER: Protect the integrity of the EU ETS; Abstain from using offset credits from HFC-23 and adipic acid projects. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Open_Letters-to-arilines_Industrial-Gases_FINAL-KLM.pdf

Chicago

Carbon Market Watch. OPEN LETTER: Protect the integrity of the EU ETS; Abstain from using offset credits from HFC-23 and adipic acid projects. 2013. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Open_Letters-to-arilines_Industrial-Gases_FINAL-KLM.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Carbon Market Watch |title=OPEN LETTER: Protect the integrity of the EU ETS; Abstain from using offset credits from HFC-23 and adipic acid projects |date=12 April 2013 |url=https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Open_Letters-to-arilines_Industrial-Gases_FINAL-KLM.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{carbonmarketwatch2013open, author = {{Carbon Market Watch}}, title = {{OPEN LETTER: Protect the integrity of the EU ETS; Abstain from using offset credits from HFC-23 and adipic acid projects}}, publisher = {Carbon Market Watch}, year = {2013}, month = apr, url = {https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Open_Letters-to-arilines_Industrial-Gases_FINAL-KLM.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }