Bryony Worthington

Scope 3 emissions reporting can have benefits beyond carbon reduction, according to industry respondents to DESNZ's call for evidence, helping with: 💠 Reputation 💠 Investor ratings 💠 Supplier relationships 💠 Incentivising resource efficiency & circularity This echoes some of what businesses told me & Heather Plumpton when we looked at how to scale up circular business models back in 2022. Moving from voluntary to mandatory Scope 3 reporting for larger firms could be a game changer for developing circular value chains. From the call for evidence: “One of the benefits of scope 3 reporting is the increased visibility it provides on the emissions embedded in materials and products a company uses throughout its supply chain. Emissions associated with purchased goods and services upstream in a supply chain are often the largest source of a company’s carbon footprint. This increased visibility, and target setting based on it, would reduce non-carbon environmental impacts as it encourages greater resource efficiency and circularity.” (Trade association) https://lnkd.in/eTiZqn8n? (Our 2022 Green Alliance report: https://lnkd.in/eeWj2wat)

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As voters go to the polls today, E3G's Ed Matthew explains the role of climate and net zero in the UK General Election. Despite a divisive political landscape, public opinion remains firmly in favour of strong climate action. Households are feeling the impact of the UK’s poorly insulated housing stock and over-reliance on fossil fuels, which has driven the cost-of-living crisis and undermined our energy security. The public and industry will be looking for bold policies from the incoming government to maximise the economic opportunity of #NetZero and build a strong and resilient UK economy. We'll be following along! E3G, the UK’s independent climate change think tank, is available to comment on how climate change has played into the UK election. More details here: https://lnkd.in/ex7W4TdE #UKGeneralElection2024 #UKGE24 #costofliving

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Day 3 #COP29. Yesterday, Secretary General of the ICC, John Denton, shared data from Oxera Consulting LLP that climate-related extreme weather events have already created real economic losses of c. $2 trillion over the past decade. Now that’s a call to accelerate action! I attended an event to review progress against the UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action, signed by 160 countries. One of the key points calls for government support funds to promote activities which “increase incomes, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, bolster resilience, productivity, livelihoods, nutrition, water efficiency and human, animal and ecosystem health while reducing food loss and waste, and ecosystem loss and degradation.” Many of the 7 countries reporting progress also referred to the discussion about financing. Mette Frederiksen, prime minister of Denmark, described how the Danish Government had brought together their national stakeholders for dialogue, acknowledging different interests make it hard to agree on everything. This summer the Danish Government announced there would be a livestock carbon emission tax from 2030 but also with subsidies available already. She spoke of the need to ensure no loss of jobs, affordable food, not losing control of emissions and the need to “build bridges”. Can this be done? I hope so. I noticed that reducing food loss and waste (8-10% of global emissions including a lot of methane) didn’t get much of a mention. Today WRAP will reveal the number of country plans which actually include it! I am at the Agri-Food Systems Summit on Friday hosted by Climate Action Innovation Zone, Baku Marriott. Please come with your experience and join our roundtable at Future Food System Hackathon to share or co-create solutions preventing food loss and waste. Dr Richard Swannell FRSA and Keith James are here with partners like ReFED FareShare and The Global FoodBanking Network to share best practice between countries. WRAP has been tackling organic waste for over twenty years. Last week WRAP, EY-Parthenon and IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution) published a UK food sector Net Zero Transition Plan - data-driven and ready for implementation. Not every business will agree with all of it, but every business can get behind at least one of the game-changing programmes to deliver significant impact. The plan models a 25% GHG reduction from 2021 to 2030, with new cost estimates at the national level. It emphasises the need for increased green financial incentives for UK farmers and to drive climate-positive practices in imported food supply chains. Which brings us back to the conversation here in Baku. The step up required is both in the action plans and the financing of those plans. As Andrea Porro asked yesterday “if food and agriculture is 30% of global GHGs, why is only 3% of financing targeted at farmers?” Catherine David Harriet Lamb https://lnkd.in/ewBBgRaV

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Food waste contributes 8-10% of total greenhouse gas emissions (five times more than aviation) and yet features in few NDCs, the UN lingo for country targets and plans. A new WRAP survey of NDCs shows that only 12% of countries so far have plans for food loss and waste reduction in them. This is therefore a massive opportunity to increase the impact of the countries yet to include food loss and waste in their plans. Countries are missing a golden opportunity to tackle greenhouse gas emissions and increase security of food supplies to their citizens by preventing food loss and waste. There are many successful examples of how to do this from around the world that are ready to be applied, which the team at WRAP can share and advise on. And there’s still time for countries to add in a commitment, before the deadline for this round of NDCs closes in February… #foodwaste #COP29 https://lnkd.in/eqRR7-Sp

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An interesting initiative in the response to climate change - Scotland's Improvement Service has unveiled a data platform for the country's local authorities to share information on their climate action plans. It could prove to be a useful tool in supporting decision making and sharing best practice, and would surely have a use for local authorities in other parts of the UK. https://lnkd.in/ez3dJW6p #localgovernment #scotland #climatechange #netzero

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A piece I wrote recently about green investment and nature markets. https://lnkd.in/eav8GdUx There's so much potential. Crucially an expert, trusted, intermediary or broker, bringing together investment, environment & community expertise, could bundle up projects and income streams to offer attractive investment opportunities.

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Four in five Britons think it’s important that the government cares about tackling climate change - including nearly 80% of 2024 Conservative voters and two thirds of 2024 Reform voters. The cost of living was by far the biggest issue at this election, and GB Energy helped Labour win the argument. The public are three times more likely to think that renewable power will bring their bills down than to think fossil fuels will. Sunak’s reversals on climate made it easier for their more climate-concerned 2019 voters to defect to Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Explore more findings from our research with More in Common here: https://lnkd.in/d2d6gCjS

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In his latest blog, Dr Danial Sturge, Carbon Policy Practice Manager, examines the state of carbon policy in 2024, focusing on:    ⚫️ Why carbon pricing continues to favour high-carbon options.  ⚫️ Key updates on UK ETS and CBAM policies.  ⚫️ The future of industrial decarbonisation and the Seventh Carbon Budget Advice.    Click to read more: https://lnkd.in/eCuequrp

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🔊"Rigorous policymaking in this area will reap benefits not only for the #climate, but also for the UK economy, and people’s health and wellbeing up and down the country," said BRE CEO, Gillian Charlesworth. 📄 How can the newly elected Labour Government work towards global #netzero goals? BRE’s 100-day roadmap outlines why the Government should prioritise low-#carbon innovation in #construction, improve EPCs, and create a Decent Homes Standard for the Private Rented Sector. Full rundown in PBC Today & BIM Today: https://lnkd.in/ezjD4rrE #ESG #builtenvironment #zerocarbon BREEAM Official Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB)

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An extraordinarily powerful piece out today from the Green Finance Institute and collaborators. In summary, Nature degradation could cause 12% loss to UK GDP in coming years. https://lnkd.in/eBbfQX9d "Biodiversity loss and environmental degradation create demonstrably material risks for the UK economy and financial sector, in addition to their wider social impacts. These impacts are near and present; reflecting the significant decline in the functioning of critical ecosystem services in the UK and around the world. While the analysis presented in this report is preliminary, these conclusions are clear and supported by multiple lines of evidence. The top 3 takeaways: 1. The deterioration of the natural environment in the UK and around the world could slow economic growth and lead to major shocks that could result in GDP being 6% lower than it would have been otherwise by the 2030s under two scenarios and 12% lower under an AMR-pandemic scenario. 2. Gradual (chronic) year-to year environmental degradation is as detrimental or more so than climate change. Chronic changes in ecosystem health alone, for example due to local air and water pollution and global deforestation, create material impacts. 3. Environmental degradation increases the chance and impacts of an acute climate or health shock, and the combined effect would have a very material impact on the economy. Within the analysis, a new inventory charts domestic and international-related risks to the UK economy, many of which are not currently captured in national risk assessments. The inventory captures financial risks arising from the deterioration of nature and biodiversity, including: soil health decline; water shortages; global food security repercussions; zoonotic diseases that pass from animals to humans, like bird flu, swine flu, and Covid-19; and antimicrobial resistance, where bacteria and viruses no longer respond to medicines; as well as transition and litigation risks."

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Clean Energy by 2030 ⚡️ A national mission. But locally delivered. So, where do councils start? Here 👇 https://lnkd.in/eJu4wnUt

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In this week's Newsletter: Dissolving Consensus: UKERC Director Robert Gross’s insights on energy policy priorities in today’s election Today, the UK goes to the polls. Environment and climate change rank fifth among voter concerns. Most major parties support the UK's 2050 net zero target, but their strategies differ. Regardless of the election outcome, significant energy challenges will persist, making evidence-based policy crucial. Confronting ‘Mobesity’ is Vital for the Global Electrification of #Transport    Christian Brand   The proliferation of large electric vehicles risks undermining the environmental and economic benefits of the green transport transition. Read Christian Brand’s blog on how ‘mobesity’ poses significant challenges to electrification. Video: UKERC at 20 Looking Back - Energy Policy & UKERC Through the Years This video series highlights the UKERC @ 20 celebratory conference that reviewed significant policy shifts and UKERC's own contributions over the years. In the first video, energy experts Jim Watson, Peter Taylor, Paul Ekins and Joan MacNaughton CB share their insights and discuss UKERC's lasting impact. Plus, as always, a selection of jobs, several funding opportunities and some fantastic energy events for your diary, including our post-election webinar with the British Institute of Energy Economics 🗳 ⚡🚙🎉 bit.ly/4bx0lBW

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And the UK's largest emitters are... Ember's latest annual review of sources of emissions lists Drax as the largest single source of CO2 in the UK. Ember's analysis says that by "Emitting 11.5 million tonnes (Mt) of CO2 in 2023, Drax is by far the largest single CO2 emitter in the UK, responsible for the equivalent of 2.9% of total UK territorial emissions." Ember adds that "Although it is the recipient of public funding earmarked for low-carbon projects, Drax remains the largest single source of CO2 in the country." Drax is followed by various heavy industrial plants, refineries and works plus airlines - see graph and list below. On Drax’s claims that its burning of imported wood pellets is sustainable and carbon neutral, Ember states: “Carbon savings not guaranteed from burning biomass” and that: “Serious concerns remain about the overall emissions of using biomass for power generation. The EU and UK emissions trading schemes (ETS) do not require wood-burning power plants to report their emissions, assuming the emissions are offset by forest regrowth. However, direct emissions are reported by Drax itself. This assumption provides biomass power plants in the UK with a sustainability classification meaning that they are eligible for public subsidies, even though the carbon savings are in doubt. From 2002 to 2023, Drax has received £6.5 billion in public funding. “Unfortunately, the assumed carbon savings from biomass is far from guaranteed. There is a mounting body of evidence and expert opinion that this assumption is critically flawed and must be overturned. The European Academies Sciences Advisory Council states that using woody biomass for power “is not effective in mitigating climate change and may even increase the risk of dangerous climate change”. Furthermore, BBC investigations have shown examples of rare old growth forests being cut down and turned into wood pellets, increasing the potential ecological harm inflicted. It is therefore likely that burning biomass to generate power is failing to deliver any carbon savings and is in fact a contributor to climate change. Continuing to subsidise this practice is a very risky gamble that comes at a high cost to consumers.” Port Talbot Steelworks, Pembroke Gas, Scunthorpe Iron and Steel, Ratcliffe Coal, Staythorpe, Esso Petroleum, Pembroke Refinery, West Burton B, Stanlow Refinery, Immingham, Humber Refinery, Ryanair, Grain, Saltend, Didcot B, Easy Jet UK, EP SHB, Seabank, Keady, Spalding, Lindsey Oil Refinery, Carrington, Marchwood, Hope Cement, British Airways, Little Barford, Enfield, Cottam Centre, Connahs Quay. https://lnkd.in/epw63dMw

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Honoured to sponsor and speak at an insightful panel event in Parliament on greening the UK gas grid through biomethane. With Rachael Burford from the Evening Standard leading the discussion, we explored practical approaches to decarbonising gas usage and reducing harmful methane emissions. Future Biogas' Carbon Harvest project demonstrated how unsubsidised biomethane is already supporting industries in reaching Net Zero while providing a practical alternative to fossil fuels. It's clear that demand for gas will persist beyond 2050, as renewable electricity alone can't meet the needs of all industrial practices. We heard how AstraZeneca has reduced its gas usage, introducing biomethane to fulfil essential requirements for sterilisation and steam in the pharmaceutical sector. With methane having 80 times the warming impact of CO2, using biomethane derived from agricultural and food waste not only harnesses a valuable energy source but also helps reduce the climate impact of waste. Biomethane can play a key role in our clean energy transition, particularly in sectors where electrification isn’t feasible, like brick and glass manufacturing, in heating historic buildings such as Parliament and in hospitals requiring energy intensive processes for sterilisation. A smart, flexible, low carbon energy mix will need green gases like biomethane, hydrogen, and synthetic gases—not fossil fuels. This was a fascinating discussion about a technology and industry already making a positive impact on our economy and climate. Huge thanks to Philipp Lukas of Future Biogas, Howard Forster of Cadent Gas Limited , and Lord Rupert Redesdale for their insights into the role of biomethane on our journey to net zero. Let’s keep advancing green gas initiatives! #biomethane #cleanenergy #netzero

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Asking whether your ESG/responsible/ethical/ sustainable whatever you call it fund invests in Drax is a clear way to establish if the manager really understands what the clean, green, economically fair and sensible energy system we need looks like. Or if they know what that looks like but opts for a quick, taxpayer subsidised buck anyway. Unclean, unfair energy that we will pay for three times - in subsidies, in energy bills and in economic damage and its impact on our finances. Another kind of triple lock.

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Only a third of the emission reductions required for the UK to achieve #netzero by 2030 are covered by credible plans, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) has warned in their latest progress published last week. The Committee applauds the efforts of successive governments to get to where we are, however the new Government will have to act fast to hit the country’s commitments. Rapid progress is needed to make up lost ground and 2030 targets can only be met with urgent and decisive action. The Committee set out ten priority actions for the remainder of this year. 1 - Make electricity cheaper. 2 - Reverse recent policy rollbacks. 3 - Remove planning barriers for heat pumps, electric vehicle charge points and onshore wind. 4 - Introduce a comprehensive programme for decarbonisation of public sector buildings.  5 - Effectively design and implement the upcoming renewable energy. Contracts for Difference auctions. Ensure funding and auction design for the Sixth and Seventh Allocation Rounds are appropriate to deliver at least 50 GW of offshore wind by 2030. 6 - Accelerate electrification of industrial heat. 7 - Ramp up tree planting and peatland restoration.  8 - Finalise business models for large-scale deployment of engineered removals.  9 - Publish a strategy to support skills 10 - Strengthen National Adaptation Programme 3 - YouTube Link https://lnkd.in/eEpvyaU4 - Full report link https://lnkd.in/e6-CXnqQ #climatechange #carbonreduction #needsystemsthinking

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𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐔𝐊 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐚𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 - RenewableUK Media Release   RenewableUK has published a new report outlining five simple, evolutionary reforms to the current allocation process for the Government’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, to achieve a revolutionary step-change in the country’s renewable energy deployment: ➡ https://lnkd.in/eGrvBmCg   The report identifies the need for the parameters of the auction to reflect the realities of the market more accurately, including realistic reference prices and load factors. It also urges the Government to provide long-term certainty to developers and the supply chain by setting specific targets for each technology in future auctions, and increasing the length of CfD contracts from 15 to 20 years to reflect the longer lifecycle of modern projects 🗓     Alongside this, the report suggests lowering risks by offering more flexibility on which year developers can deliver their projects, as well as continuing to progress ongoing CfD reforms outlined in the Government’s AR7 & Future Allocation Rounds consultation 📊 RenewableUK CEO Dan McGrail comments in our latest press release 👇   https://lnkd.in/eNQcXq2H “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘎𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺, 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘹𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥, 𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘗𝘝. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘎𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨-𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳’𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴. “𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘫𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘢𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 2025, 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 2030 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳.” #renewableenergy #report #AR6 #energymarkets #cfd #auction

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A fascinating misstep, at least on the communication front, from the Science Based Targets initiative. As an SBTi founder, WWF says that offsets “cannot be a substitute for reducing emissions from company operations, products, and value chains”, and updated guidance "should also address the very real concerns regarding the poor track record of #CarbonOffsets in delivering real emissions reductions and driving market transformation”. What do you think?

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