EU’s Reliance on Carbon Credits Risks Making a "Paper Tiger" of Europe’s Climate Efforts - CleanTechnica

The European Commission’s commitment to a 90% emissions reduction target by 2040 aims to provide certainty for key industries such as carmakers, airlines, shipping, and fuel producers, supporting Europe’s green transition. However, the Commission’s allowance for countries to use carbon credits (offsets) to meet this target has drawn criticism from Transport & Environment (T&E). T&E warns that relying on offsets undermines the integrity of Europe’s climate efforts, contradicts previous commitments, and risks weakening climate regulations. They highlight that over 90% of rainforest carbon offsets certified by the largest certifier have been found worthless, and offsets reduce incentives to invest in proven green technologies. T&E emphasizes that a robust 2040 target is vital not only for climate goals but also for Europe’s energy security, potentially saving billions of euros annually on fossil fuel imports. Achieving the target will require resisting pressures to weaken related policies, such as the 2035 zero-emission car mandate and the ETS2 carbon