Consolidation begins to hit the carbon credit market


Carbon management startup Carbon Direct is buying another carbon credit startup, Pachama, the companies announced today.

Pachama laid off around 20 employees this summer as voluntary carbon markets softened. The company had attracted investments from a range of prominent names, including Amazon’s Climate Pledge, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, and several celebrity angel investors, including Ellen DeGeneres, Laura Dern, and Serena Williams.

“The current uncertain and volatile financial, economic, and geopolitical climate, added to the anti-ESG agenda in the U.S., is indeed having an effect on corporate sustainability budgets,” Diego Saez Gil, CEO of Pachama, told Trellis when the layoffs happened. “The impact is especially acute in the voluntary carbon market, which was already in a moment of correction.”

Pachama had raised $88 million, while Carbon Direct had raised $60.8 million, according to PitchBook. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Pachama was focused on nature-based carbon credits, which typically result when forests are either restored or preserved. Carbon Direct, on the other hand, is more of a carbon market advisory and accounting firm, helping companies track and report their carbon footprints and then vet carbon credits to offset them.

The carbon markets have been roiled by uncertainty in the last few years, and not all of it has been the result of political whiplash in the U.S. and elsewhere. Voluntary carbon markets have come under fire for falling short of their promises.

For example, a major investigation by The Guardian found that more than 90% of one verifier’s credits did not actually result in any carbon reductions. One of the biggest challenges facing nature-based carbon credits is the question of whether forests protected by the purchases were threatened with destruction in the first place.

And while large companies have been dialing back their publicity around ESG measures, many are still interested in sticking to their net-zero promises. Carbon Direct customers include Microsoft, Shopify, American Express, JP Morgan, Alaska Airlines, and BlackRock.



Source link

  • Related Posts

    TikTok’s infinite scroll is too addictive, say EU regulators

    EU regulators have declared that TikTok’s “addictive design” may put it in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA), in the preliminary results of an ongoing investigation into the social…

    Why Darren Aronofsky thought an AI-generated historical docudrama was a good idea

    Not all AI It’s important to note that On This Day… 1776 is not fully crafted by AI. The script, for instance, was written by a team of writers overseen by…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    Rivalry or not, Team USA (and Snoop Dogg) strike first against Canada in Olympic mixed doubles showdown

    Savannah Guthrie’s Family Releases New Video Message

    Savannah Guthrie’s Family Releases New Video Message

    What Boeing & Airbus Aircraft Could It Buy?

    What Boeing & Airbus Aircraft Could It Buy?

    More baby formula products recalled over toxin fears

    More baby formula products recalled over toxin fears

    Making HBO’s Baldur’s Gate 3 TV Series Without Larian’s Help Would Be a Big Mistake

    Making HBO’s Baldur’s Gate 3 TV Series Without Larian’s Help Would Be a Big Mistake

    Canada and France open Greenland consulates in show of Denmark support | Greenland

    Canada and France open Greenland consulates in show of Denmark support | Greenland