There is research to show that climate washing is on the uptick along with a growing trend by companies worldwide to utilise carbon credits to offset greenhouse gas emissions. The trend (carbon offsetting) is driven largely by companies making net-zero pledges. However in the absence of standardised frameworks and regulations claims of greenwashing can undermine the credibility of carbon mitigation efforts examples: overstating the impact, under reporting harm to communities or environment

To understand the ecosystem better I spoke with Shreya Garg, a seasoned climate professional and auditor to share her expertise on the dynamics of the carbon markets. Independent auditors are key to building trust in carbon markets by provide objective assessment of projects, prevent misrepresentation of data. In our wide-ranging conversation we spoke about additionality, permeance, community impact…...

👉🏾 The evolution of the Indian carbon market from niche, compliance driven model to a more dynamic and voluntary environment

👉🏾   The burgeoning international interest in Indian carbon credits and what is fuelling the demand

👉🏾 Howglobal net-zero commitments and increased scrutiny around climate disclosures are major factors driving the evolution of voluntary carbon markets

👉🏾 The difference between compliance and voluntary carbon markets and how they can shape corporate reputation and sustainable practices

👉🏾 Why greenwashing remains a huge challenge

👉🏾 The need transparency, integrity and community engagement and technology in the evolving landscape of carbon markets.

In our conversation Shreya highlighted the necessity for equitable benefit sharing and community engagement to restore trust in climate initiatives. We also spoke about the need for more women in the climate space, emphasizing the unique perspectives they bring to community engagement and project sustainability.

To know more about carbon markets and climate washing head to the podcast 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾

Episode Transcript:

Sudha: Good morning, Shreya, Thank you for being a guest on The Elephant in the Room podcast today.

Shreya: Morning Sudha. it's totally a pleasure.

Sudha: Brilliant. So let's get started with a quick introduction to who you are and what you do.

Shreya: So I'm Shreya, I'm a climate professional for about 14 years and I've been working in the carbon markets. Right now I'm associated with different organisations, gold Standard there’s FCF, India and Isometric. And my main work is guidance around the carbon credit quality strategies and market synergies. Prior to this, I was vice president operations at Earthood where I led a team of auditors who were working on validation and verification of climate projects.

Sudha: Brilliant. How has the carbon credit market transformed over recent years and what are the main factors contributing to this change? Especially when we consider a diverse country like India. I read a recent report that the carbon credit market in India is booming.

Shreya: Definitely. I think the carbon markets have evolved to a great degree. They've evolved from a niche compliance driven market to a broader, more dynamic voluntary markets. We have seen that there are no commitments per se, that are being made by the countries,...