September 20, 2023
(press release)
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The Guardian is a publication that has had a profound impact over the decades. We are writing because we believe it has gone dangerously off track when it comes to reporting on the voluntary carbon market (VCM) in general and our organization, Verra, in particular. At Verra, we welcome thoughtful and balanced critiques and are committed to continuous improvement, as evidenced by the regular updating of our landmark Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program. We always challenge our methods, are happy to engage with the data, reconsider assumptions, and consider future improvements based on sound feedback and expert input. But we will stand up for ourselves. After attempting to engage faithfully with the Guardian over the past nine months, late on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, we received an inquiry from the publication informing us of a forthcoming broadside against several projects on the Verra Registry, based on little or no detailed analysis that they were willing to share with us, and giving us 36 hours to respond. It was clear, finally, that our extensive technical rebuttals and factual engagement with the publication were not being heard despite our best efforts. For the first time, therefore, we pursued outreach to the Guardian through legal counsel, requesting additional time and data backing the analysis for a reasonable review. While we were granted a few extra days (over the weekend) to respond, we were not granted access to the requested data. We believe that, today, the Guardian leaves its readers ill-informed and unprepared to help stop the worst impacts of climate change. Here is what, thanks to extensive one-sided reporting, a Guardian reader doesn’t know: We have shared these points with the Guardian via our legal counsel and are awaiting a response. At Verra, we are driven by an understanding of what happens if we don’t act. We cannot wait for government-mandated climate action to materialize. Social and environmental markets are critical to the success of global and local climate action. To tackle the existential crisis of climate change, carbon markets must thrive.
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