Powered by

Know better. Do better.

Can you fight the climate crisis with crypto?

Ashley Jiang,Fabio Teixeira,Avi Asher-Schapiro

Published: October 19, 2022

A graphic for the Context video 'Can you fight the climate crisis with crypto?'. The Graphic is a split screen, showing an illustration of a thick canopy of green trees as seen from above on the left hand side, and an illustration of the Bitcoin B with numbers scattered and connected by lines and points on the right

Cryptocurrency companies have started creating digital assets backed by carbon credits and trading them online. The firms say they are using blockchain technology to make the controversial carbon market more accessible and transparent. But can they really help streamline conventional carbon trading and raise more climate finance?

Context reporters Fabio Teixeira and Avi Asher-Schapiro looked into Brazilian 'climate tech' firm Moss, which says it is "saving the planet” by converting carbon credits into a crypto token.

They uncovered problems with some of the Amazon forest conservation projects whose carbon offsets are being bought and sold by Moss.

Read our investigation | Subscribe to our YouTube channel | Watch more videos

WATCH MORE

A woman uses a sewing machine in front of images of high street clothing retailers in this illustration for the Context video 'This is the real cost of fast fashion’s runaway success'. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Albert Han

Exclusive: Fast fashion giant Inditex wants to be sustainable. But is it?

Solar engineer Aanu Sesan-Emmanuel. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Meghan McDonough

Solar power: The women driving Nigeria’s new energy industry

Kevin Beresford, chair of the UK Roundabout Appreciation Society, stands in front of a roundabout in this composite photo. Fintan McDonnell/Thomson Reuters Foundation

Roundabouts are good for the planet. Why don’t we see more in America?

Fintan McDonnell

A woman uses a sewing machine in front of images of high street clothing retailers in this illustration for the Context video 'This is the real cost of fast fashion’s runaway success'. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Albert Han

Exclusive: Fast fashion giant Inditex wants to be sustainable. But is it?

Solar engineer Aanu Sesan-Emmanuel. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Meghan McDonough

Solar power: The women driving Nigeria’s new energy industry

Kevin Beresford, chair of the UK Roundabout Appreciation Society, stands in front of a roundabout in this composite photo. Fintan McDonnell/Thomson Reuters Foundation

Roundabouts are good for the planet. Why don’t we see more in America?

Fintan McDonnell

A woman uses a sewing machine in front of images of high street clothing retailers in this illustration for the Context video 'This is the real cost of fast fashion’s runaway success'. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Albert Han

Exclusive: Fast fashion giant Inditex wants to be sustainable. But is it?

Solar engineer Aanu Sesan-Emmanuel. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Meghan McDonough

Solar power: The women driving Nigeria’s new energy industry

Kevin Beresford, chair of the UK Roundabout Appreciation Society, stands in front of a roundabout in this composite photo. Fintan McDonnell/Thomson Reuters Foundation

Roundabouts are good for the planet. Why don’t we see more in America?

Fintan McDonnell

WATCH MORE

A woman uses a sewing machine in front of images of high street clothing retailers in this illustration for the Context video 'This is the real cost of fast fashion’s runaway success'. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Albert Han

Exclusive: Fast fashion giant Inditex wants to be sustainable. But is it?

Solar engineer Aanu Sesan-Emmanuel. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Meghan McDonough

Solar power: The women driving Nigeria’s new energy industry

Kevin Beresford, chair of the UK Roundabout Appreciation Society, stands in front of a roundabout in this composite photo. Fintan McDonnell/Thomson Reuters Foundation

Roundabouts are good for the planet. Why don’t we see more in America?

Fintan McDonnell

A woman uses a sewing machine in front of images of high street clothing retailers in this illustration for the Context video 'This is the real cost of fast fashion’s runaway success'. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Albert Han

Exclusive: Fast fashion giant Inditex wants to be sustainable. But is it?

Solar engineer Aanu Sesan-Emmanuel. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Meghan McDonough

Solar power: The women driving Nigeria’s new energy industry

Kevin Beresford, chair of the UK Roundabout Appreciation Society, stands in front of a roundabout in this composite photo. Fintan McDonnell/Thomson Reuters Foundation

Roundabouts are good for the planet. Why don’t we see more in America?

Fintan McDonnell

A woman uses a sewing machine in front of images of high street clothing retailers in this illustration for the Context video 'This is the real cost of fast fashion’s runaway success'. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Albert Han

Exclusive: Fast fashion giant Inditex wants to be sustainable. But is it?

Solar engineer Aanu Sesan-Emmanuel. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Meghan McDonough

Solar power: The women driving Nigeria’s new energy industry

Kevin Beresford, chair of the UK Roundabout Appreciation Society, stands in front of a roundabout in this composite photo. Fintan McDonnell/Thomson Reuters Foundation

Roundabouts are good for the planet. Why don’t we see more in America?

Fintan McDonnell

FEATURED

A still of a food courier from the Context video on the fight for food courier safety on South Africa’s deadly roads. Thomson Reuters Foundation

Socioeconomic Inclusion

Fighting for food courier safety on South Africa’s deadly roads

South Africa attracts migrants seeking better lives, but they face challenges like crime, xenophobia, and economic hardship

Context journalist Diana Baptista poses for a photo in this illustration image. Thomson Reuters Foundation

Forget jobs. AI is coming for your water

A conversation with Chat GPT can consume a bottle of water. So why is big tech setting up AI in some of the world’s driest countries?

Fintan McDonnell

Latest

Q&A: ‘AI is the internet’, says Kara Swisher

Avi Asher-Schapiro

A gig worker takes of their helmet in this screengrab for the Context video 'Mexico is pushing for sweeping gig worker rights. Women say it’s not enough'.

Mexico is pushing for sweeping gig worker rights. Women say it’s not enough

Daniela Dib Argüelles

A still shows a man wearing neurorights technology. Thomson Reuters Foundation

Reading your mind: The future of brain privacy

Avi Asher-Schapiro

A still of delivery driver Pham Van Nam drinking while on his moped from the Context video Extreme weather is forcing Vietnam's gig workers to choose between safety and survival. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Lam Le/Duy Linh Tu/Sebastian Tuinder

Extreme weather is forcing Vietnam’s gig workers to choose between safety and survival

Lam Le

KICKING IT

We’re addicted to the things that we know are bad for the planet. Why is it so hard to quit them?

In Brazil, barbecue joints like Mocellin, in Rio de Janeiro, are some of the most favoured gathering places for families to celebrate holidays and anniversaries

Brazilians are eating less beef than ever. Is it enough to stop deforestation?

A woman uses a sewing machine in front of images of high street clothing retailers in this illustration for the Context video 'This is the real cost of fast fashion’s runaway success'. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Albert Han

Exclusive: Fast fashion giant Inditex wants to be sustainable. But is it?

Sander Sarheim, a coal miner from Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago, poses in this still from a video

Why the fastest warming place on earth can’t quit coal

In Brazil, barbecue joints like Mocellin, in Rio de Janeiro, are some of the most favoured gathering places for families to celebrate holidays and anniversaries

Brazilians are eating less beef than ever. Is it enough to stop deforestation?

A woman uses a sewing machine in front of images of high street clothing retailers in this illustration for the Context video 'This is the real cost of fast fashion’s runaway success'. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Albert Han

Exclusive: Fast fashion giant Inditex wants to be sustainable. But is it?

Sander Sarheim, a coal miner from Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago, poses in this still from a video

Why the fastest warming place on earth can’t quit coal

Next video in this series is coming soon.

In Brazil, barbecue joints like Mocellin, in Rio de Janeiro, are some of the most favoured gathering places for families to celebrate holidays and anniversaries

Brazilians are eating less beef than ever. Is it enough to stop deforestation?

A woman uses a sewing machine in front of images of high street clothing retailers in this illustration for the Context video 'This is the real cost of fast fashion’s runaway success'. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Albert Han

Exclusive: Fast fashion giant Inditex wants to be sustainable. But is it?

Sander Sarheim, a coal miner from Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago, poses in this still from a video

Why the fastest warming place on earth can’t quit coal

Lab Made

A series about an industry challenging the way we think about food and whether it can live up to its promise of changing the world

Steven Stearns, Head of Strategy and Development at California Cultured, is pictured preparing lab-grown chocolate prototype using a technology called 'plant cell culture' for the for the Context video 'Can a more ethical chocolate bar be grown in the lab?'

Can a more ethical chocolate bar be grown in the lab?

Still from the Context video 'What should we call lab-grown meat'?

What should we call “lab-grown meat”?

Still from the Context video 'Can lab-grown meat be kosher or halal?'

Can lab-grown meat be kosher or halal?

A still from the Context video 'Can lab-grown milk solve dairy’s climate problem?' showing a jar of cream cheese on a table next to items of food

Can lab-grown milk solve dairy’s climate problem?

Steven Stearns, Head of Strategy and Development at California Cultured, is pictured preparing lab-grown chocolate prototype using a technology called 'plant cell culture' for the for the Context video 'Can a more ethical chocolate bar be grown in the lab?'

Can a more ethical chocolate bar be grown in the lab?

Still from the Context video 'What should we call lab-grown meat'?

What should we call “lab-grown meat”?

Still from the Context video 'Can lab-grown meat be kosher or halal?'

Can lab-grown meat be kosher or halal?

A still from the Context video 'Can lab-grown milk solve dairy’s climate problem?' showing a jar of cream cheese on a table next to items of food

Can lab-grown milk solve dairy’s climate problem?

Steven Stearns, Head of Strategy and Development at California Cultured, is pictured preparing lab-grown chocolate prototype using a technology called 'plant cell culture' for the for the Context video 'Can a more ethical chocolate bar be grown in the lab?'

Can a more ethical chocolate bar be grown in the lab?

Still from the Context video 'What should we call lab-grown meat'?

What should we call “lab-grown meat”?

Still from the Context video 'Can lab-grown meat be kosher or halal?'

Can lab-grown meat be kosher or halal?

A still from the Context video 'Can lab-grown milk solve dairy’s climate problem?' showing a jar of cream cheese on a table next to items of food

Can lab-grown milk solve dairy’s climate problem?

REROOTED

In this series, we explore how climate change and shifting consumer habits are forcing us to rethink the way we grow staple crops, from coffee to rice

Rerooted – future of bananas

How to save the banana? The answer may lie in Indonesia

A man carries sorghum over his shoulder in this graphic for a Context original video. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Albert Han

Can an obscure grain replace rice in Indonesian diets?

Mangoes hang from a tree in this illustration for the Context series Rerooted. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Karif Wat

Food waste is a billion-dollar problem. Can this spray make a difference?

Farmers work in a rice field in this illustration for the Context series Rerooted. Thomson Reuters Foundation

Senegal relies on rice imports. Can a farming method change that?