Dr. Lars Schernikau: Energy Economist, Commodity Trader, Author (recent book “The Unpopular Truth… about Electricity and the Future of Energy”)
Details inc Blog at www.unpopular-truth.com
“Net-zero” has become the corporate mantra of our time. But every “green” solution from solar panels to EVs leaves a trail of negative environmental impact (and greenhouse gases, that do exist and help to keep a temperate climate on Earth) somewhere else.
Every time I hear a company announce they are going “net-zero,” I start looking for the asterisk.
And sure enough, there it is, buried in the fine print next to a “carbon offset” bought somewhere far away or a “renewable certificate” that’s already been sold three times over. We’re stacking „carbon credit“s nine layers deep and calling it progress.
This isn’t sustainability…It smells of greenwashing.
Greenwashing exists because it is being rewarded. Investors pay for the story, consumers buy the feeling, and politicians need the slogan…a collective illusion that let’s everyone look good while nothing really changes.
The truth is, ESG was meant to guide responsible investment and governance, but in practice, it’s become a tool for marketing, not measurement. Companies are claiming “green” status at every stage, from mining, to manufacturing, to financing, each one earning ESG points, each one waving the sustainability flag. Meanwhile, our planet barely notices.
Let’s get one thing straight: nothing is or can ever be “net-zero.”
Not wind turbines, not solar panels, nor hydrogen. Every “green” technology depends on fossil fuels at some stage… usually at all stages: mining, manufacturing, transport, and disposal.
We have created a trillion-dollar distraction as we are counting, offsetting, and trading emissions instead of making a truly positive environmental difference.
If everyone can claim “net-zero,” then who is actually reducing emissions?
I wrote an article on Greenwashing our Future and it coveres the lesser known facts from banks quietly shelving their „carbon credit“ operations to ESG funds being shut down by the hundreds, even major players like HSBC have abandoned „carbon credit“ trading. Seems like regulators are finally catching up, banning vague terms like “climate neutral” and demanding proof behind the promises.
It’s becoming clear that “green” finance may be built on very shaky ground…the signs are hard to ignore.
My blog is not about being anti-environment but rather about being honest and pro-environment. The only way forward is through truth, accountability, and innovation.
Greenwashing is no longer just a corporate PR problem, it has become a systemic delusion.
We want to feel good. We want simple stories. We want to be told we are solving climate related issues by checking the right ESG boxes.
But the unpopular truth is this: We cannot buy our way to sustainability with carbon credits. Real solutions require real energy, real accountability, and real trade-offs…and until we are honest about that, we are not saving the planet, we are just telling an expensive fairy tale.
Continue reading the full blog here: Greenwashing our future: Who is NOT benefiting?
Discover more from Watts Up With That?
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.