Climate Change C.E.O. Says There is a Process for Sale of Carbon Credits
On Tuesday night, we told you about the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management issuing a warning to companies that are purporting to sell carbon credits without approval from the Government of Belize. The ministry said that private entities selling carbon credits can affect the country’s carbon budget and quota. C.E.O. Doctor Kenrick Williams in an interview this morning said that the ministry became aware of an offer being made on social media.
Dr. Kenrick Williams
Dr. Kenrick Williams, C.E.O., Ministry of Climate Change
“There was a notification we saw on social media in which companies were purporting to have some mechanism through which they can afford the sale of credits and I think that was either for restoration of land or existing properties and I think it was largely for the forest sector really. And so the response and there are other instances where we have been informed that whether it is private sector or NGOs have been trying to set up a mechanism for the sale of carbon credits. And so we wanted to notify the public that in general you require approval from the government in order to engage in any type of sales of this nature because that process really affects the broader framework as it relates to our national commitments under UNFCCC, under the convention on climate change as well as other international and national commitments. So there is a framework through which we review those applications and then give approval. There are opportunities for carbon credits within the voluntary market for example or even within blue carbon. So there are opportunities within the various sectors; not just with respect to trees and not just with respect to the forest sector. We want to incentivize those mechanisms and so the intent of the press release was just to say hey, be very careful of carbon washing. If it is within the forest sector or any other sector really, we suggest that you come through the National Climate Change Office to review that project.”
