UN urged to suspend Myanmar cookstove carbon credits over rights concerns

Civil society organisations are formally calling on the United Nations body overseeing the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism to suspend the first carbon credits approved under the scheme, according to Carbon Pulse. The challenge targets a Myanmar cookstove project that generated the initial credits, with critics citing alleged human rights concerns and over-crediting associated with the initiative.

Demands to Halt Myanmar Cookstove Project Credits

The controversial credits represent the first batch cleared under the UN oversight framework established to govern international carbon market transactions. Campaigners argue that the project raises significant social and rights issues on the ground in Myanmar. The United Nations body overseeing the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism now faces mounting pressure from advocacy groups to freeze the issuance while a formal review takes place.

Broader Global Carbon Market Pressures

The dispute over the UN-backed credits coincides with shifting regulatory and market conditions across international compliance systems. In Indonesia, the forestry ministry announced that a social forestry project has re-entered carbon trading after a hiatus, securing approval for the issuance of 238,281 carbon credits. However, a separate assessment warns that Indonesia’s push to sell credits abroad could weaken domestic incentives for direct emissions reductions and pull the country further away from pathways limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

In Europe, the EU remains off track to meet its 2030 emissions reduction targets despite a 2 percent drop in CO2 emissions during the first half of 2026, a non-profit reported. Meanwhile, EU carbon prices declined for a fourth session, breaking below a technical support level amid relentless selling before modest buying limited further losses.