À la poursuite de chimères carbonées : les concepts trompeurs des marchés du carbone et du « zéro émission nette »

The document critiques the concept of 'net zero' and carbon offsetting, distinguishing between 'true zero' (rapidly eliminating fossil fuel emissions) and 'false zero' (relying on offsets). It asserts that fossil carbon cannot be absorbed by natural cycles and that the demand for offsets leads to the financialization of nature and the dispossession of indigenous and local communities.

• The report distinguishes between 'true zero' and 'false zero' strategies: 'true zero' requires reducing emissions to zero as quickly as possible, whereas 'false zero' relies on offsets rather than actual emission reductions.
• Fossil carbon emissions cannot be physically offset by natural ecosystems because they are added to the active carbon cycle from geological timescales, and the capacity of natural sinks to absorb this additional CO2 is very limited.
• Carbon offsetting does not reduce global atmospheric CO2 concentrations; at best, it prevents a further increase, meaning it does not help lower the existing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere.
• The demand for carbon offsets to meet net-zero promises risks causing global land grabbing and the expropriation of indigenous peoples, peasants, and local communities.
• The report identifies a 'financialization of nature' where diverse ecosystems are reduced to tradable carbon units to benefit the financial sector and large polluters.
• Major fossil fuel companies like Shell, Eni, and Total are accused of using 'nature-based solutions' and net-zero pledges as a smoke screen to continue extracting and selling fossil fuels.
• The Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets (TSVCM) aims to standardize voluntary markets to meet a growing demand for offsets, with estimates suggesting a need for offsets up to 160 times greater by 2050 than in 2020 if companies rely on offsetting over reduction.
• Proposed geo-engineering technologies for negative emissions, such as BECCS or direct air capture, are described as 'carbon chimeras' because they are untested and cannot provide short-term solutions.

APA

Stabinsky, D., Bhatnagar, D., & Shaw, S. (2021). À la poursuite de chimères carbonées : les concepts trompeurs des marchés du carbone et du « zéro émission nette ». Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Amis-de-la-terre-international-chimeres-carbonees-francais.pdf

Chicago

Stabinsky, Doreen, Dipti Bhatnagar, and Sara Shaw. À la poursuite de chimères carbonées : les concepts trompeurs des marchés du carbone et du « zéro émission nette ». Friends of the Earth International, 2021. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Amis-de-la-terre-international-chimeres-carbonees-francais.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Stabinsky |first1=Doreen |last2=Bhatnagar |first2=Dipti |last3=Shaw |first3=Sara |title=À la poursuite de chimères carbonées : les concepts trompeurs des marchés du carbone et du « zéro émission nette » |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=February 2021 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Amis-de-la-terre-international-chimeres-carbonees-francais.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stabinsky2021poursuite, author = {Stabinsky, Doreen and Bhatnagar, Dipti and Shaw, Sara}, title = {{À la poursuite de chimères carbonées : les concepts trompeurs des marchés du carbone et du « zéro émission nette »}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Amis-de-la-terre-international-chimeres-carbonees-francais.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }