Ever played Monopoly and felt like someone was cheating? Well, imagine that game, but instead of fake money, real ecosystems and biodiversity are at stake. Last week Greenpeace Canada released a new investigation which reveals a united industry front pushing for federal offset policies that would allow them to pay-to-pollute, instead of urgently needed measures like strong nature protections and emissions reductions.
From big logging, mining, agribusiness and oil interests, our findings show just how much these industries are betting on “offset” policies to excuse their pollution and keep doing business-as-usual. It’s like a twisted game of real-life Monopoly, with offsets acting as the ultimate Get Out of Jail Free card for nature destroyers. Instead, we need new legislation to implement Canada’s international nature commitments and stronger regulation on these extractive industries causing the climate and biodiversity crisis.
What exactly are these offsets? How do they benefit big polluters?
Offsets come in two main kinds – “carbon offsets” and “biodiversity offsets”
A “carbon offset” describes an amount of greenhouse gas emissions that is sequestered, for example through tree planting, in order to compensate for emissions occurring elsewhere. A “biodiversity offset” refers to improvements made to biodiversity in one location, like wildlife habitat, in order to offset its destruction in another. This is often referred to as “pay-to-slay”.
Greenpeace and others are critical of these offset schemes. Guarantees of future nature protection are often questionable and carbon takes a long time to store in trees — when a fossil fuel is burned, the carbon is released immediately.
Perhaps worst of all, offsetting makes nature a commodity for big corporations to use for their own benefit, instead of something for us all to experience and have a say in. If the government relies on offset programs, ecosystems just further become “properties” to be exploited, traded, and profited from by extractive corporations.
Documents show industry lobbying against strong nature protections
Documents obtained by Greenpeace Canada through an Access to Information request in 2023 showed that a key group of logging, mining and oil companies met with government representatives to discuss implementing Canada’s global nature commitment under the Kunming-Montreal Agreement.
Mining industry representatives threw their weight behind offsets as a mechanism for delivering on nature protection, calling for “financial incentives” for actions they might take, including via biodiversity offsets and “habitat banking.” Similarly, the logging industry, represented by the Forest Products Association of Canada, secretive multinational Paper Excellence, and others, advocated “incentives” for measures to improve or mitigate harms to ecosystems. They warned that meeting a key nature target under Kunming-Montreal (30% of all land protected by 2030) “will be difficult to achieve” and that logging companies would rather contribute to other goals.
Huge lobbying increase by offset backers
Our investigation also uncovers a lobbying blitz by offsets proponents targeting key federal ministries. According to our research, their lobbying of these departments has increased by a stunning 222% since the Trudeau government was elected. Furthermore, at least one ECCC staffer met a carbon credit investor linked to a deal that cheated Indigenous communities in Bolivia.
So what’s the solution?
Offsets serve as a smoke-and-mirrors distraction, allowing deep-pocketed corporations to buy their way out of environmental responsibility, while they continue to emit greenhouse gasses and destroy wildlife.
Our research shows how remarkably united extractive corporations are in lobbying the federal government to turn nature into a commodity that will serve their narrow interests, which is why we are calling for an immediate independent review of federal offset programmes to transparently evaluate their benefits to the Canadian public, not big polluters. The government needs to listen to the people—not corporations and industry lobbyists—when it comes to nature protection and also finally pass new legislation.
Extractive industry companies might be trying to play a big game of corporate Monopoly in which they hold the “get out of jail free” cards, but let’s rewrite the rules. Together, we can ensure that nature isn’t just reduced to properties to be exploited, but a precious resource to be protected for generations to come. Because in the end, the true winners aren’t those who accumulate the most wealth, but those who safeguard our planet’s future.
The environment minister must pass legislation that respects Indigenous rights and safeguards biodiversity.