Civil society urges UN to halt use of sacred animals in carbon credit schemes

During the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in Yerevan, Armenia, Indigenous Peoples and civil society groups urged the United Nations to stop incorporating sacred animals and habitats into carbon and biodiversity credit schemes. They warned that this practice could accelerate biodiversity loss and allow polluting industries to portray themselves as environmentally responsible.

The groups expressed concern that animals such as buffalo, jaguars, and whales were being converted into offsets, which they argued enables oil and mining companies to continue damaging the environment. This challenges the integrity of natural capital markets used for environmental offsetting.