Kariba: A Deep Transparency Report — May 2023
Renoster’s core goal is to bring deep transparency to the world’s carbon projects. By exposing the realities of these projects, we aim to counteract the greenwashing and profiteering that plague the sector.
By sharing information about projects publicly, Renoster allows the free market to self-correct for bad actors and encourage high-quality offset initiatives that reward the restoration and preservation of nature. In doing so, we aim to shift the carbon market towards a more genuine and effective role in combating climate change. Simply put, Renoster stands for truth, integrity, and genuine progress in our global efforts towards a sustainable future.
Thanks to the diligence and commitment to transparency of the Renoster science team, the shortcomings of the Kariba Forestry Project were exposed in October of 2022. Kariba is one of the oldest and largest REDD+ projects in Africa, protecting 784,987 hectares of land in Zimbabwe since 2011.
Renoster took the lead in examining Kariba, providing a comprehensive assessment that brought attention to its shortcomings. Renoster’s review revealed the project’s flaws and raised serious questions about its credibility — with an overall estimate that the project was over-crediting by 30x due to an extremely aggressive baseline. By making his findings public, Elias Ayrey initiated a crucial dialogue and stimulated widespread awareness about the project’s issues.
Renoster’s findings gained further credibility through rigorous journalistic investigations and subsequent news articles. These independent verifications underscored the seriousness of the concerns raised and lent additional weight to Elias’ analysis. Journalists played a vital role in amplifying the message and ensuring that the information reached a wider audience, thereby increasing public awareness about Kariba’s problems. Despite this, though, Kariba continued to trade and continued to be rated highly by some organizations.
Eventually these revelations led to a temporary freeze on Kariba credits. This action was a direct result of Renoster’s dilligence in exposing the project’s deficiencies and highlighting the need for immediate scrutiny. By bringing attention to the questionable nature of these credits, Renoster effectively prevented their continued use until further investigations could be conducted.
This week, the Zimbabwean government moved to implement new rules and standards to address the project’s deficiencies and prevent further environmental harm. This response demonstrates the importance of Renoster’s role in ensuring accountability and advocating for stricter guidelines in the pursuit of sustainable practices. And while Renoster does take issue with practices of the Zimbabwean government given its history of corruption, the fact remains that this is a necessary step in ensuring that the communities at the heart of these projects, not just Kariba but world-wide, benefit from the projects. Renoster strongly condemns any project developer that hides behind “climate” in order to steal resources for profit.
A key component of carbon projects integrity should include financial transparency and baseline payments to communities. The value of these projects should not be extractively siphoned off by project developers or a corrupt government. Rather, the revenues should be directly going to the people doing the work on the ground, the communities at the heart of any projects.
Renoster’s role in highlighting Kariba’s issues extends beyond mere critique. By shedding light on the project’s shortcomings, we’ve begun to advocate for a more robust and accountable approach to environmental initiatives. Our work has sparked discussions and fostered a growing awareness of the need for deep transparency, integrity, and ecological responsibility in all projects, not just Kariba.
Zimbabwe’s example can spur demand for similar concessions around the developing world. Countries with a significant carbon resource, particularly in the Global South, should try to accurately assess the resource value when going to the negotiation table with Verra about building a carbon market.
Renoster has played a critical role in exposing the problems associated with Kariba. Through our diligent research and public disclosure, Renoster has championed deep transparency, accountability, and the pursuit of sustainable practices. By shining a light on the flaws of Kariba, Renoster has set a precedent for heightened scrutiny and has contributed to a more informed and vigilant environmental community. Moving forward, we hope that our efforts will continue to drive positive change and foster a greater sense of responsibility in environmental initiatives worldwide.
Criticism today, progress tomorrow.
