New research exposes massive land grabs for carbon offset projects across 22 million acres

Two major research organizations have released damning assessments revealing the scope and problems with land-based carbon offset projects worldwide, documenting massive land acquisitions that critics say amount to “greenwashing” for corporate polluters.

The Land Matrix, a collaborative research initiative between the International Land Coalition and several universities, published findings showing that carbon offset projects have claimed over 9 million hectares (22 million acres) of land globally since 2000. These projects span avoided deforestation initiatives (known as REDD+), tree planting, wetland restoration, and grassland management across low- and middle-income countries. Remarkably, two-thirds of this land is designated for REDD+ projects alone.

Environmental advocacy group GRAIN conducted a parallel investigation focusing specifically on tree-planting projects between 2016 and 2024, reaching similar conclusions about the scale of land acquisition. However, GRAIN’s research included China—which they identified as a top target for carbon offset projects—and excluded restoration projects, focusing solely on lands converted for tree and crop production to generate offset credits.

Both organizations highlight a fundamental concern: carbon offsets allow companies to continue polluting by purchasing “credits” that theoretically compensate for their greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere. Critics argue this system creates false solutions that fail to achieve meaningful emissions reductions while potentially displacing local communities from their ancestral lands. The research suggests that rather than addressing climate change at its source, the carbon offset industry may be perpetuating environmental injustice on a massive scale.