REDDisms: November 2025
An occasional series of the things people say about carbon trading, the climate crisis, and REDD.
This is the second in REDD-Monitor’s occasional series of REDDisms posts. Each post consists of ten quotations, nine of which are recent and one of which comes from my collection of REDDisms dating back to 2009.
“There are now already in development derivatives of CO₂ prices that are so complicated that I do not understand it any more. If you get a reservoir of derivatives which becomes so big that it becomes an industry in itself that is very dangerous because you can get the tail wagging the dog.”
Feike Sijbesma, CEO of chemicals group DSM, January 2010
“With global energy demand and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions increasing, high-quality verified carbon credits (VCCs) offer a pragmatic, scalable and cost-effective way to complement, and not replace, global efforts to reduce emissions in line with global climate goals.”
Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, November 2025
“Integrity is at the core of how we operate as Verra. That is a non-negotiable. So when things fall short, when we identify problems, whether with methodologies or auditors, we act. And that’s why we’ve introduced multiple reforms on how to strengthen the system itself so that we have integrity across the board.”
Mandy Rambharos, CEO Verra, October 2025
“The reason why companies want to buy carbon credits are two-fold. The first one is that they want to offset their carbon emissions. Secondly, they want to trade the carbon credits — that is in fact the main reason.”
Ryo Harada, Global Sourcing Manager at Green Carbon, November 2024
“Carbon avoidance credits are coming to an end globally I reckon — it might take a few years, but carbon removal is far better. And through this we’ll create more impact and do it right here in Britain. Rather than fund international projects with a questionable outcome.”
Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity, November 2025
“Here, in our engagement with all parts of the ecosystem, that would be banks, governments, developers, NGOs, it’s definitely implementation is the theme. It’s definitely the theme from COP, given last year’s progress at Baku, finalising the rules for Article 6. Now the focus is just getting things running. Definitely thus far the biggest success point has been Singapore announcing their intended purchase of over 2 million tonnes of credits under Article 6, all from nature-based projects. And they’ve really been leading by example. In particular, choosing to only buy the highest quality credits that are available.”
Allister Furey, CEO Sylvera, November 2025
“Week one saw countries parroting industry talking points on carbon markets, arguing that strict rules would make too many poor quality offset projects off limits. But that’s the point: carbon credits that aren’t up to scratch as defined by best available science or aligned with ambition should not be used. The problem is not just poor implementation – offsets are inherently flawed and should not be used, full stop. This is especially true when they allow polluters to use credits from dodgy removal technologies instead of cutting emissions at source. Parties must hold the line and not enable weaker rules which would double down on making an already flawed system even worse.”
Erika Lennon, Senior Attorney, Center for International Environmental Law, November 2025
“There are some projects now, like REDD+ which I can say are destroying us Indigenous people. We are the traditional owners and original villagers. We are the ones who protect the forest. Yet instead we are seen as the ones doing something wrong.”
Pluk Phirom, Indigenous Bunong, Cambodia, July 2024
“What’s happening in Belém is not a climate conference but a hostage negotiation over the future of the planet where those holding the detonators – the soy barons, the beef cartels, the pesticide peddlers – are seated at the table as honest brokers. These food lobbyists are purchasing access and legitimacy through politicians willing to accept their checks while the planet burns.”
Raj Patel, activist and writer, November 2025
“We, young people around the world, the Global South, small island developing states, have been left with this path, this burden, and this debt. This continuous game of promises, pledges, hopes, and opportunities, dashed at the very last minute, begin to paint a concerning picture of our global climate architecture. The premise of carbon markets was that they would be a supplement, not a substitute, to mitigation; yet there is a combination of weak language and weak enforcement of a phase out of fossil fuels, combined with a deflection from public climate finance (as a debt to be repaid) towards carbon markets that remain unclear and open to misuse.”
Natalie Mangondo, former Zimbabwean climate negotiator, November 2025