ZDF research shows that oil companies such as Shell, Rosneft and TotalEnergies may be using fraudulent climate protection projects in China to meet their statutory climate protection targets. These so-called Upstream Emission Reduction (UER) projects, which are intended to reduce CO2 emissions during oil production, often only exist on paper.
The Federal Environment Agency has filed criminal charges. Many projects that claim to reduce CO2 emissions have not been approved correctly and could be fraudulent. These could significantly affect Germany's carbon footprint.
Shell emphasizes that its projects have been independently reviewed, but wants to reinvestigate the allegations. Experts are calling for comprehensive reviews of all UER projects and consequences for fraudulent practices.
Climate footprint of the transport sector
The transport sector in Germany has emitted around 57% more greenhouse gases since 1990. The main culprit is car traffic. In view of the poor climate balance, a turnaround in transportation is considered urgently necessary. Measures include expanding public transport, promoting cycling and switching to electric drives.
For more information, see the full ZDF article and on the transport sector at the Federal Environment Agency.
Contribution on this in the ZDF program frontal from May 28, 2024.
