because this is subject to any laws and regulations the truth behind climate neutrality close up on d, w a, as you go to this is the thought they will gray yield. all climate neutrality, fewer emissions, stopping climate change. that's what everyone these days claims to be striving for . fremont outside the climate neutral climate efficient climate, whatever every term has climate at its heart,

it is. i also think it's what we're all working towards. it is early on. it is a glimpse at supermarket shelves shows that climate neutral is now more fashionable than organic. many products are labeled this way. chemo equality does not, climate neutral is a very broad term. of course on let's ultimately we should be aiming to live in a climate neutral fashion to live sustainably. but it's a controversial concept. the term has not been legally defined and is climate neutrality even possible? if i like the imagination to figure out how it's attainable in almost all economic systems, berkeley science zealand blend, dickens and his son, hendrick. a busy planting trees for the climate begins has been doing this for 20 years. now. his business plant, my tree, acquires land all across germany for reforestation. the company enables private

individuals to offset their carbon footprint. for $175.00 euros a year, put guns on his team, plant 12 trees in return. your maniachi under columbus, we are ecologically transforming the woodland with the trees. we are adding here, foreign and start. and we are pleased that we can create something here for future generations that will provide a habitat for wildlife and lots of oxygen groups here. trees absorb c o 2 from the atmosphere during the process of photosynthesis, store carbon in their bio mass and release oxygen. that's good for the climate. the principle of offsetting is based on this idea. it compensates for the production of greenhouse gases. that's why many companies also fun to put guns, reforestation projects, his business model offsetting the carbon footprints of others,

is successful because he earns money with every tree that he plants his clients range from the local baker to germany's major blue chip companies. so what are their motives not really gets old unimed is are of course the mother of those companies that say they are doing it on the one hand because it helps nature with people. but also because it helps their image feel fetish. other motives are very diverse. than what you, what you want, but the biggest striving forces, no doubt what a love of nature. well, i love everyone realizes things have to change your what we have to act. now allison, planting trees is a wonderful way to help on the vulnerable mazama. the companies who help pay for the reforestation are allowed to use a label that shows their involvement. certainly, germany's woodlands can benefit from reforestation, no matter whether the sponsors are acting out of true conviction or not. in many

places, they are not in good shape. these spruce forests in western germany are infested with bark beatles, and they'll soon have to be cut down right next to it. the team is planting a mix of tree species. the sponsors see that as a meaningful step towards climate neutrality. but what does climate utility actually mean? the i p c. c puts it like this. climate neutrality is balancing emissions, so they are equal or less than the emissions that get removed through the planet's natural absorption. what they mean is all economic activity release is c o 2. to reduce these emissions to 0, you can either cut them yourself or you can offset your emissions by compensating for them in other ways. by creating ecosystems like forests, for instance, which absorb and store carbon dioxide from the air. but how much

c o 2 does a single tree absorb? i've run a slice on all yacht. it is very, very difficult to assess how much they store per year because it is dependent on so many factors on, such as the amount of rainfall. the default is infeasible. rain is needed for photosynthesis and office and it can't be too hot either. m. trees always start to store really significant amounts after 8 or 10 years will not often befitting limbs your loss. oh, this sampling will need a fair few years to get up to speed in terms of storage, height, girth, and would density also play a role? i the type of tree. there are various statistical models that attempt to gauge precisely how much c, o 2, a single tree can store. they estimate that by the time its ac, a mature beach has absorbed something in excess of

a ton of carbon dioxide. the tree absorb some $12.00 kilos each year. we would have to plant 80 beach trees annually to offset one ton of c o 2. yet in germany about 11 tons produced per capita. each year to offset that, more than $800.00 trees would have to be planted for each person. and all of these beach trees would have to live to be at least 80 years old. otherwise the some doesn't add up, which is possible though beaches are capable of living to be over 300 years old for the climate neutrality equation to work out. trees have to live a long time on top of that. the wood can't be burned, nor can it rot. so you see the carbon offsets of a forest a difficult to calculate. at the technical university in berlin, environmental scientist mathias fink binah is researching how to measure

sustainability and environmental impact. he sees the biggest problem in guaranteeing that carbon dioxide is permanently removed from the atmosphere. the kenesaw turned us this. how can i ensure that the c o 2 removed from the air remains ideally trapped inside forever? who is going to guarantee that the forest won't be taught dow initially, and the moment that it is cut down. it triggers the process that leads to the c o. 2 emissions being released to get you started because he said, feel, well miss your little flags had still delinquent guns and his team are aware of this problem. the areas of land that they plant are owned by a trust that they set up specially for this purpose. the trees will not be utilized, at least for as long as that trust exists. the tree planting idea shows that climate neutrality is a bit of a slippery concept. yet the label is

everywhere. on supermarket shelves, for example, whether in loads of climate, positive, carbon neutral or climate neutral products. food manufacturers are clearly keen to claim their products don't harm the environment. but what is the truth behind these claims? it is, let's at least us the idea ultimately is that you reduce your emissions as far as possible and then somehow compensate for the remaining ones if you know, but exactly how this is measured on which emissions are included and which possibilities really count towards counting emissions that has not really been defined, unfortunately there's a slide on, on the 30th, fiscally, when companies say their product said climate neutral, it's not quite clear what that means. they can use very different calculations to

arrive at the claim of 0 emissions. and no one is really checking yada sits. hoity sir, this would be the fact that this concept is not legally regulated or standardized is of course a problem. lizzie, natalie, from club limb, while on indies, it differs vastly defeated, quality and clinched as a consumer. i don't really know what the substance of these advertising claims are . vices really nifty vascular subsilencio, there are cheap solutions. i gibbs gung, where people haven't even attempted to reduce the emissions created, making their product kind of entrepreneur window, and then there are others who have really made a big effort on day. you're sitting on the same shelf, making the same claims. when did you stand with implies from claim, emily got the claim to be climate neutral is a pledge or rather an a session. the consumer goods industry is acting voluntarily . apart from some sectors like mobility,

heavy industry and fossil fuels. there's no legal obligation in germany to reduce emissions. so why a company so interested in bearing this label is brook austria. marcus sonia is the ceo of a family business. for more than 50 years sonia have been producing gloves. the company has been describing itself as climate neutral for 3 years. what's that aim? more customers to mrs. out there on sophistic this labor calling for 1000000. the issue is itself important and such a label doesn't get me much to most consumers and does as we have just gotten the results of a survey that shows only 21 percent of consumers. im say that it is really important to them to support a climate neutral business, a fantasy to buy their product lenore harmful for me. it's a decision that i have made for our company for our family. when marcus sonya

decided to make his company climate neutral, his son was 4 years old. you, madam, as i thought to myself back there is no. okay. if this is really going to work for generation number 3, i want leave behind a company that considers the coming generations and the environment to let things. it's clearly something close to marcus sonya's heart. that's why he decided to embark on a long and difficult process. it's time for the annual emissions stop taking. this involves checking all the phases in the production process. they 1st carried out a calculation of this kind in 2018 seeing the company's entire c o 2 output in black and white was something ma, kristinia will never forget. bond funds. well, for me that's actually sort of initially it was a real shock. oh god. oh god is what we are doing as a catastrophe, isn't it?

the sofa, but there is no avoiding it. is given it on this, you know, ups and all life on all activity on all types of business. create c o 2. that was the main takeaway for me of learning and what is important is that we adopt a more conscious approach, the roster on did that same of it. and with those of ford, sonya that means reducing emissions as much as possible in the manufacturing process. and the company offices, there are external consultants to help advise him what to do about the rest. like munich based climate partner, for instance, margaret's name, who is the founder and ceo of one of the biggest organizations of its kind in germany. there are many others too. they like climate neutrality, consultants. they guide evaluate and recommend suitable solutions. and they issue a label at the end. should on stipulates you does one step one is the analysis

suits by miss. where are c o 2 emissions being produced to stupid a sentence connected with the product should slice up to is then looking to see where a missions could be reduced or avoided either way. scoots, how can we affect change in the short medium and long time? besides, for example, logistics packaging or using different materials in household, different materials. the austrian glove manufacturers zeniah say this is one way that they could reduce their harmful emissions. for example, by using recycled materials or a glove made partially from cork, which is sustainable because it grows back naturally. but the c o is also having to re think other areas to the company produces internationally in austria, germany, but also in china and vietnam. the supply chains a long and energy intensive. lucas,

exactly. logistics is of course an issue for book. we're currently switching to 100 percent e mobility and our fleet of him as we're going to make big reductions there. oh, stay where we are also making big reductions is in printed matter as of anything involving paper appear to call his but the individual company decides where it intends to make reductions, and by how much. oh said the extent to which it offsets its emissions is voluntary, there are no legal requirements to do so. professor mathias think binary sees that is one of the cool problems of the concept of climate neutrality. making comprehensive assessments of accompanies emissions, although it's related to particular products and then reducing them effectively is very expensive. the oh fun for those winds casino. listen softly, pillows producing an environmental audit that holds water scientifically takes a great deal of effort. so for us,

it would involve tracing the supply chain of but really looking at where the raw materials come from, fight likable. even with relatively simple products consisting of 2 or 3 components of fiber, cost, $10000.00 euros upwards off of the complex products. it could, of course, be a lot, go at least voicemails and some of the offset scheme. providers who also earn money with offsetting have no interest in carrying out high value or disc. the unclear practically give that away for free because the economic return is generated by the sale of c o 2 certificate this can for calling. the commons are 2 instead of a copy of suitable for the environmental scientist mathias. think by now it's clear the consultancy companies also earn money, not by avoiding c o 2 emissions, but by offsetting them. c o 2 certificates show that a certain amount of c o 2 has been saved. usually in developing countries. the problem is that frequently c o 2 audits and the provision of certificates

a carried out by the same company. lucent oil, they're all fired him. we still see cases to day, a very simple audits being carried out of even by some of the big market players. because the focus of interest is not on cutting emissions or for that because when i just need a figure that i can then offset, remind you from the info call from the common thoughts yawn and some companies, even salva certificates. at the same time i live was hard to though i'm not saying that everything that's on the market, today's all bad our scripture, but there are lot of plans which portray all these various steps is very simplified for a applicability climate partner moorhead, slim coolness company, also provides c o 2 certificates and its own climate neutral label. doesn't the c? i think there are too many offset projects and team, few real reductions in emissions to my not related with him as i've described climate neutrality, more like a journey step one, we audit set goals and reduce and offset a lot of c o. 2 emissions,

many to compensate for the amount to offset has to be further reduced. of course of you. we need change management to start concerning ourselves with the suppliers, with processes, et cetera. that should never stop stuffed on to you should never succumb to the temptation to say i'm going to conduct an audit like offsets end of story. this is at least a stigma. climate neutrality is an ongoing process. marcus sonia has clearly understood this principle. the austrian glove maker says he aims to continue cutting his company c o 2 emissions step by step. but zeniah needs carbon offsets to serve you monday, cooked the fuel in certain that i always say that the carrot for us companies on is to keep on reducing our own c o 2 emissions on the to come. we will never be able to avoid them altogether. in was, was, if it was and you have to be aware of that on for steam, if the services. but at some point when things have pretty much bottomed out where

you can't reduce emissions any further on when and, and that's what must be offset that i some of in nova, i'm with lieutenant as middle miles to the companies to ports carbon offset projects to protect the environment in the alps and in china this, along with the reduction measures that they've implemented, has led to them being classified as having 0 emissions and, and them the label climate neutral. climate partners own climate neutral labels come with individual id numbers. the idea is to give customers the chance to find out more about the climate neutral project. law school did the most, what has been done, what measures have already been taken to avoid emissions for our c o. 2 emissions offset is what projects are being supported as one that the idea is maximum transparency. and these are the steps that are repeated over and over again. he to see, to see every year how far you have advanced and what you have reduced and what you have avoided. what needs to be offset against your computer. participating in seo

to offset schemes abroad like solar, parks or wind farms is another potential problem. under the 2015 paris agreement, most countries are obliged to reduce their own emissions. that means that there's a danger that some of these projects are counted twice over as so much carbon offsetting takes place, internationally emulates em and comments or thoughts on theater. and if a carbon offset provider funds a renewable energy plant in a certain country, india, or brazil, for instance, it is counted as a reduction in the carbon audit of accompany all product em. but who in shows that the country where the plant is located, does not include it in its own climate audit. and so that reduction would then be counted twice on the other job. if he's a mission costs accounted several times,

there is the risk that will all be climate neutral by 2050 on the paper. but at the c o, 2 emissions in the atmosphere will keep rising atmosphere that one last night. so climate neutrality may also lead to a paradoxical result. nevertheless, companies that operate globally, believe that the label is increasingly important. what should we think about these multi nationals climate promises? experts from the new climate institutes have been investigating that question. the cologne based think tank develops ideas about climate change and investigates. existing concepts. caston, veronica is a partner at the non profit company. in their latest study, he and his colleagues have taken a closer look at the climate. pledges made by the world's 25 biggest companies are merged to have recount. they want to present themselves in

a good light so that they don't lose certain segments of the markets with us. now that the climate issue was very high up and the agenda again, those we put ourselves in the consumers position and say, ok, the of the companies are claiming that men than they have to make the following information publicly and easily accessible. for going from laguna info from his mom on over to a future. if a company says it aims to become climate neutral 520402030, or even 2025 than veronica stresses. it must be evident how that goal will be attained. mainly by cutting emissions or solely via carbon offsets the new climate institute finding show that most companies lack transparency here. damsel few negative risk of when we have come across a lot of negative stuff here. where a lot of energy has been invested by companies to muddle things, to cover things up, so that they can make these assertions good thumb moving her, stella, for example, harding, furniture, manufacturers who say i have stored carbon in my furniture space and it is

permanently stored there and there are so much wood in her furniture that the bottom line is that we have negative emissions, so known. but how long does this furniture last? is it equivalent to the carbon released to help create them for, for stored in the form that would last millions of years of going to stop them? we all know how quickly we replace our furniture these days. it doesn't work like that. and thus down the syncing insulin is there even apples that can claim to be climate neutral. like hamburg apples here, emissions have been reduced by 80 percent since 2009 e vehicles. a used at the airport and it runs its own combined heat and power plant . and there's green electricity to buds. it's important to bear in mind that the apples only regards itself as responsible for ground operations, not what happens in the air as stated by law. the emissions caused by the air

traffic within europe are in fact already covered by e. u emissions trading. but this example shows that often only elements of a product or a company, a climate neutral, such as the production, but not the logistics or distribution. the choice to reveal this or not is voluntary participation, after all, is also entirely voluntary. must demarco city. this is an unregulated markets which was created by private players. well, this is from chris from a state monitor children's nor state regulated michelle michigan. yeah, they're a good standards and good initiatives, but there is also a lot of uncontrolled growth, some very, very bad stuff. guns for non experts. it's quite difficult or almost impossible to find your way through this jungle really fast. mo position is enjoyed rocephin. it

remains impossible for consumers to really get to the truth behind climate neutral labels or marketing claims. the state gives companies far too much leeway. ah, ah zill, and lincoln's and his son hendrick are on the road in wes, in germany's, i say region across germany, lincoln's and his team have planted more than 1200000 trees in the last few years. the condition of the re forested areas has to be reviewed regularly monday i shall look the oaks. they have also made it baskets around there. the 1st oaks we planted though, 12 years ago, for if you're on the feel now we are and sure he, i'm far won't, i guess i'm, i used to just run down here and play in the hey daniel here. i know. and now you

can't even make your way through here any more of the internet. which lawson this is the oldest re forested area created by sewland lincoln's company. and we're here is francisco nos. arden is the s, i can't say exactly where the 1st tree i planted stands with somewhere here. yahoo! only, i don't know how old i was. maybe 8 or so. it's always really special to see the trees here and how much they've grown. we'll see it's, it's great, but from session to both men know that climate neutrality cannot be achieved by planting trees alone. but susan lincoln's beliefs, it's not an option to do nothing wrong. and with every tree that he pants, he's also making a contribution towards bio diversity as a vehicle that much the hotline to my tree is not saying the solution is to plant trees and everything will be fine on phone. so to be far too easy and too good to

be true, but it's only one step on the way to a greener, healthier future. ah, one path to a better future. it's not just companies and multi nationals that have the aim of net 0 emissions. entire states have declared this their goal and they want to achieve it quickly. that's according to experts like mathias think binah is exactly where the problem nice. these a tight talk would be this pressure and pushed to achieve such an ambitious goal so quickly can sometimes mean that the right measures are not implemented. in reality, yes, i thought i prefer someone who says i am going to reduce emissions gradually. well, to attempt to become climate neutral by 2050 than someone who says that they will be climate neutral by 2030. but who has no idea how by just by c o 2 certificates, consul tv would be constructive to say i have these remaining emissions. and i have quantified them these, and this is why i cannot reduce these emissions yet. oh my is amazon or that makes

things transparent from pennsburg. and then you could say, we're trying to reach climate neutrality by this data, but we can only guarantee a 95 percent reduction by then for more of a full transparency as constructive, fuller transport. it sounds less ambitious and public any, but it would be significantly better. have you ever brought it before? climate neutrality is a key term in international climate policy. but when it comes to how it's done, things tend to be a bit more difficult. that has a lot to do with the fact that implementation is mainly voluntary and unregulated. the climate neutral label is hard to pin down and can easily be used as just another green washing strategy. with

blue ah, renewable energies and electron mobility dependent on the battery industry and maybe produce sustainably? absolutely. says europe. what about our own rule material mining? and what are the alternative for electricity storage? made in germany. in 30 minutes on d. w. o a

. the return of the spiky yellow with will ensure the survival of the entire ecosystem. one of the many success stories from a question of bio diversity. they told me that starts in november 18th on d w. imagine how many portion of love us heard out in the world right now, the climate change. if any, off the story, this is my flex, the way form just one week. how much was going to really get we still have time to go. i'm going all with his subscriber. morgan was like

a ah, this is the w news. live from berlin, control of the united states congress hangs in the balance, is midterm election results role in republicans look on track to take the house. but that hoped for read way and fails to materialize. jo biden's deb.