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The Silent Greenwash: How Lax ESG Assurance Undermines Corporate Trust

  Let's assume a scenario!! A business releases an eye-catching sustainability report. Bold assertions of carbon neutrality. Excellent graphs showing lower emissions. There is a little issue though! 30% of companies accused of greenwashing in 2023 were found to have done so again in 2024.  Even more concerning? Globally, the number of high-severity greenwashing incidents increased by 30%. Why does this continue to occur? It’s because an excessive number of ESG reports lack thorough third-party verification. The figures present a concerning image. According to 91% of consumers, at least some brands use greenwashing. It's more than a statistic. It's a crisis of trust, and your competitive advantage vanishes along with trust. The Assurance Gap: An Imminent Danger Let's be honest about our current situation. By 2020, just 46% of S&P 500 ESG reports included any assurance. This indicates that over 50% of significant corporate sustainability claims remain unsubstantiated....

Carbon Credits: How Verified Offsets Support Global Net Zero Goals

  Climate change initiatives are rapidly evolving. In 2024, the voluntary carbon market brought in funding of $16.3 billion . This demonstrates the seriousness with which the businesses are taking the necessary climate actions. Even more remarkable has been the increase in the percentage of high-quality retired credits .  In 2024, 50 percent of retired credits met high-quality standards as opposed to 29 percent in 2021. This demonstrates the willingness of businesses to take the necessary steps to effect positive change to the environment. How then do carbon credits facilitate companies in achieving their net-zero goals ? In addition, why are verified emission reductions the most sought-after? Let’s unlock the truth! What Are Carbon Credits and Why Are They Valuable? Carbon credits are the currency of the climate change market. One carbon credit is equal to one metric ton of carbon dioxide . When a company purchases credits, its emissions are offset. This allows their emi...

The Contribution of Carbon Offsets to Addressing Climate Change: Are They Useful?

  Think about hiring someone to plant trees while you keep driving your car every day. Would that actually save our planet? This is precisely what carbon offsets purport to do. But here's the terrible news: 87% of bought carbon offsets have a high chance of not actually reducing emissions. With our global carbon pollution still increasing and our climate emergency worsening, we must pose an uncomfortable question: Are carbon offsets really doing anything? What Are Carbon Offsets? Carbon offsets are similar to credits you purchase to "cancel out" your pollution. When a business or individual produces carbon emissions, they can buy these credits to offset them. The funds go towards projects that decrease emissions or remove carbon from the atmosphere. These include planting trees, preserving existing forests, constructing wind farms, or installing methane capture at landfills. The idea sounds simple and fair. You pollute here, but you help clean up there. Unfortunately, th...

Can ESG Assurance Fuel Net Zero Commitments?

It's estimated that thousands of businesses make lofty net-zero commitments each year. But beneath the shiny PR lies an issue: most can't demonstrate progress. Without credible evidence, these commitments risk being empty marketing hype. This is where ESG assurance comes in. Confirming climate data makes commitments tangible. With increasing regulations and stakeholders requiring evidence, independent assurance has gone beyond compliance—it is now an integral motivator of a company's net-zero transition. The Net Zero Reality Check of 2025 The net-zero race is at a tipping point. To achieve the Paris Agreement, companies need to reduce emissions by half by 2030 and by 90% by 2050. But many are having trouble putting words into practice. Stakeholders are watching closely, particularly at Scope 3 emissions. Companies will soon be required to release detailed transition strategies and demonstrate quantifiable progress. Well, this takes reliable verification systems that can d...

A Case Study in Sustainability: How Carbon Audits Propel Eco-friendly Business Practices

Sustainability has evolved into a vital operational strategy. Organizations recognize the significance of minimizing ecological footprint as a responsibility towards future generations and the planet as a whole. Carbon audits play a prominent role in the shift, serving as a tool helping businesses spot and reduce GHG emissions.   Case Study for IKEA Background-   Ikea, a multinational conglomerate that has been renowned for home accessories and furniture, has shown sustainable commitment for a long time. The company ambitiously intends to become climate-positive by 2030. It aims to reduce GHG emissions emitted by the IKEA value chain while growing its business. Their strategy significantly highlights the conduction of rigorous carbon audits for identifying and mitigating carbon footprint throughout global operations.   FY23 saw IKEA’s climate footprint to be around 23.7 million tonnes of CO2, which was a 12% reduction from FY22 and 22% from the base in FY16. It w...