Sweden criticized by scientific community for buying carbon credits from Ghana

If Sweden has set a goal of carbon neutrality within its borders in 2045. In this country, a right-wing government was elected in autumn 2022. One of the first measures was to lower taxes on diesel and thus encourage polluting industries. The direct consequence has been an unprecedented increase in greenhouse gases emitted by Sweden.

When these new compensation projects were announced, scientists denounced a form of cynicism, believing that Sweden is transferring its climate responsibilities to poor countries. This is the case of Kristine Christensson, researcher at the University of Copenhagen and specialist in issues related to the carbon market. “One of the reasons that lead countries to invest in these countries is because it is often cheaper to finance a project in the south than to do it here. Replanting a forest, for example, one can ask the question: ‘Is it fair that these countries “clean up” our carbon emissions for a small fee, when we have earned a lot of money thanks to the polluting industries that generated all that CO2?'”

The project in Ghana is one of the most successful

The scientist continues: “Before, with the Kyoto Protocol, only developed countries had emission reduction targets. But today, all have this kind of obligation except that, when Sweden buys carbon credits from Ghana, for example, investing in projects there does not count against Ghana’s balance sheet for its own purposes.” Poor countries will therefore have to eventually offset their own emissions by buying carbon credits abroad which will ultimately be more expensive than those they sold at home. The purchase of carbon credits abroad is one of the tools that are encouraged in particular by article 6 of the Paris Climate Agreement.

The Swedish Energy Agency has claimed that with this planned renewable energy project in Ghana, the most successful yet, Sweden will offset a number of these emissions, but only for a few years. Then, it is expected that Ghana will recover the carbon credits on its own account. The negotiations are secret, but this kind of deal is done on a case-by-case basis, and Sweden defends in all cases the fact that these investments in green energies ultimately serve to accelerate the transition of the countries where they are established. An argument that has not been proven according to scientists, since it is not said that this energy replaces fossil fuels.