B Lab U.S. & Canada: Creating a Climate Action Plan Centered in Justice, Part 1

[@brucetaylor5264]

Thank you for taking on this topic. So many times organization's environmental choices are divorced from their equity objectives. For example, carbon offsets generated by helping those earning under $2/day have access to safe water (i.e. avoiding the need to boil water) are often devalued by frameworks demanding locally generated carbon offsets. Similarly, placing solar panels on an orphanage in South Sudan is devalued in sustainability programs (including B lab's) compared to placing those panels on our own roof in Canada (where we receive half as much daylight and hence would generate half as many kilowatt hours per year).

[@jennifer_sits_still]

So interesting that the first speaker focused on offsets, which seems like one of the most controversial topics when it comes to climate justice, not only because offsets often enable polluters to keep polluting as long as they buy offsets (and they often pollute in the most vulnerable communities), but also because there are a lot of justice issues with offset projects especially around land and displacement of communities. That being said, carbon credits and the carbon markets have enabled indigenous and local land stewards to earn income from their land stewardship and ecosystem work, if the projects are done with integrity and depth. I'm curious what challenges BEF has come across as they operate in this field of offsets?