Four Corners: Feb 13

On Monday’s Four Corners story ‘Carbon Colonialism’, Stephen Long reports on journeys deep into the Papua New Guinean jungle to uncover the confronting truth about the carbon trade.

In the race to curb catastrophic climate change, prominent Australian businesses have been enthusiastic customers of carbon credits. They’ve been offsetting their emissions by buying credits from companies promising to stop exploitative timber harvesting, whilst lifting locals out of poverty.

But reporter Stephen Long has found that there is a vast chasm between what is marketed and what is really happening on the ground.

In a month-long trip, the team travelled to some of the most isolated villages in Papua New Guinea. They uncovered environmental devastation in the very areas one company claimed to be protecting and indigenous landowners angry at unfulfilled promises.

Long asks, who will really benefit from the carbon trade?

Monday 13th February at 8.30pm on ABC.