Abuse and incompetence in fight against global warming

Up to 20% of carbon savings in doubt as monitoring firms criticised by UN body

Nick Davies
Saturday June 2, 2007
The Guardian

A Guardian investigation has found evidence of serious irregularities at the heart of the process the world is relying on to control global warming.

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which is supposed to offset greenhouse gases emitted in the developed world by selling carbon credits from elsewhere, has been contaminated by gross incompetence, rule-breaking and possible fraud by companies in the developing world, according to UN paperwork, an unpublished expert report and alarming feedback from projects on the ground.