Carbon traders evict indigenous people

Carbon trading is forcing indigenous people in Uganda off their land to make way for tree planting projects.

Indigenous people living in Mount Elgon national park are being displaced to make way for trees that offset the emissions of a 600MW coal-fired power station in the Netherlands.

Park rangers evicted the indigenous people off their land at gunpoint, forcing them to leave their belongings and land behind to become squatters.

Indigenous rights groups in the region say the displacements are causing “indescribable suffering”.

Planting the 25,000 trees is a joint initiative between Holland-based Forests Absorbing Carbon-dioxide Emissions Foundation (FACE) and the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

The evictions in Uganda follow rising criticism of carbon trading.

“Mounting evidence shows that carbon offset projects often create more problems then they solve for the communities that host them,” said Melissa Checker, environment journalist.

“Using [carbon offsets] to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is like trying to lose weight by paying someone else to go on a diet.”

Eco-campaigner and blogger George Monbiot added: ” Even if, through carbon offset schemes carried out in developing countries, every poor nation on the planet became carbon-free, we would still have to cut most of the carbon we produce at home.

“Buying and selling carbon offsets is like pushing the food around on your plate to create the impression that you have eaten it.”