The episode details several high-profile examples of carbon offset failures:
: Oliver points to instances where "protected" forests used for offsets burned down in wildfires, releasing the stored carbon back into the atmosphere and rendering the previous "offset" moot. The "Greenwashing" Trap [S9E21] Carbon Offsets
: If a project doesn't provide additional benefits, the company buying the credit is technically still polluting without actually helping the environment, leading to a net increase in global emissions. Case Studies in "Phantom Credits" The episode details several high-profile examples of carbon
Oliver centers the story on the concept of —the requirement that an offset project must only happen because of the carbon credit funding. [S9E21] Carbon Offsets