Reversing Climate Change 355: Is a Carbon Credit Registry Creating Methodologies an Inherent Conflict of Interest?—w/ Peter Minor, Co-Founder & CEO of Absolute Climate
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Jul 3, 2025 Peter Minor, Co-founder and CEO of Absolute Climate, delves into the complex world of carbon credits and the inherent conflicts of interest in carbon registries. He discusses the urgent need for rigorous measurement and standards in carbon removal, emphasizing that while rapid scaling is vital, it shouldn't compromise quality. Peter advocates for a separation between methodology development and credit issuance to enhance accountability. He also highlights the risks of divergent national standards, warning it could lead to a global race to the bottom in climate solutions.
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Registry-Methodology Conflict Is Structural
- Registries that both write methodologies and issue credits create a structural conflict of interest.
- Peter Minor argues separating quality assurance from issuance reduces incentives to lower standards for more credits.
Scale And Science Must Happen Together
- Carbon removal must scale and continue scientific R&D simultaneously, creating unusual pressure.
- Minor warns this forces trade-offs between speed, cost, and long-term measurement rigor.
Design Standards Around Performance
- Measure performance by consistent outcome-based criteria rather than prescribing methods.
- Allow project-level flexibility on models and sensors while holding everyone to the same quality bar.
