ECO listened intently today as the UN’s High Level Expert Group (HLEG) called the bluff of fossil greenwashers from across the world and their financial backers. The HLEG outlined the must-haves of credible climate plans, and guess what: they say flashy brochures with no substance, plans to build more volatile fossil fuel infrastructure, buying offsets that put human rights – including Indigenous Peoples’ rights – at risk won’t cut it.
Instead, the HLEG report says clearly that net-zero plans with integrity must exclude fossil fuel expansion; not count offsets as interim reductions; count all scopes of emissions; and align lobbying with climate action. They reaffirmed the red lines laid out by the UN Race to Zero body, which the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) recently distanced itself from, saying that anything outside these firm lines from the HLEG is “greenwashing”… oops. Embarrassing. Are Marc Carney and GFANZ paying attention?