Further evidence that the Verra auditing system is not fit for purpose

NOTE: REDD refers to “reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries”

On February 22, 2024, Chris Lang from REDD Monitor released an article on how slave labour was used to clear forests  in the Maise REDD+ project in Brazil.

The entire article can be read on REDD-Monitor’s website 

The following is the beginning of  the article: 

In June 2023, the Brazilian authorities rescued 16 workers from slavery conditions in the Maísa REDD+ project area. They had been hired to clear 477 hectares of forest in an area of a farm belonging to the Maísa REDD+ project.

The Maísa REDD+ project in Pará State, Brazil, has generated more than 630,000 carbon credits since the project was verified under the Verra certification system in 2015. Companies buying the credits include Arcelor Mittal, Vale, Banco Votorantim, Giorgio Armani, Peek & Cloppenburg, AstraZeneca, PwC, L’Oréal, Audi, Turkish Airlines, Tree-Nation, Uber, and many others.