CO2-Zertifikate: Umweltbundesamt stuft Exxon-Klimaschutzprojekt als ungültig ein
Das Umweltbundesamt hat 30 chinesische CO₂-Projekte als gefälscht oder aufgebläht eingestuft und ihre Zertifikate gestrichen. Eines davon wurde durch den US-Konzern Exxon Mobil finanziert.
Germany's Federal Environment Agency has invalidated CO2 certificates from 30 Chinese projects, deeming them "suspect" due to either overstated climate impact or non-existent projects. Bloomberg News obtained a report from January detailing the decision. Among the affected projects is one funded by a Belgian subsidiary of US oil giant ExxonMobil, which promised to save nearly 96,000 tonnes of CO2.
At an estimated price of €44 per tonne, the certificates would have cost around €4.2 million. ExxonMobil spokesperson stated that the company complies with all legal requirements and will not comment on ongoing investigations. The 30 invalidated projects claimed 2.1 million tonnes of CO2 savings, equivalent to the emissions of about 500,000 cars annually.
Companies that purchased the invalid certificates to offset their emissions now must find alternative ways to close the gap. These certificates, known as EUTR (European Union Emissions Trading Regulation) certificates, represent savings from fossil fuel extraction projects. The market was once considered a model for well-conceived CO2 markets, managed by European governments and audited by independent German testing companies.
Dozens of energy companies bought certificates in this system, which is now being phased out. The scandal first came to light in 2024, with Germany being one of at least nine European countries that bought certificates from projects with conspicuous features. Six of the 30 invalidated projects have names revealed in the agency's report, with investigations still ongoing.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
