Don’t Delay Climate Solutions – Why “Delayed Logging” is Dangerous as a Carbon Project
The voluntary carbon market (VCM) plays an increasingly important role worldwide in the fight against the climate crisis.
Its essence is simple: supporting projects that real, measurable, verifiable and permanent way reduce the amount of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere or sequester already emitted carbon dioxide.
This is why it’s particularly concerning when practices contrary to VCM goals emerge – such as labeling “delayed logging” as a carbon project.
(This model also considers forests’ carbon sequestration capacity: it provides so-called carbon payments to forest managers for the CO₂ absorbed from the atmosphere by standing trees if harvesting is postponed for a period, while accounting for carbon costs when the previously sequestered carbon is eventually released through final harvesting. Thus, the model treats living trees both as harvestable timber and as ecosystem services capable of atmospheric CO₂ absorption.)
What’s Wrong With This Model?
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No Real Additionality
The principle of additionality states that a project is only eligible to issue carbon credits if the emission reductions or removals wouldn’t have occurred without the project. Delaying harvest is a business decision, not a new climate action. The CO₂ still enters the atmosphere – just later. - Lack of Permanence
Credible carbon credits require that sequestered carbon remains stored long-term. If logging is merely postponed, the carbon stock will eventually be released, making the climate impact temporary and illusory. - Greenwashing Risk
Such “credits” can easily serve marketing purposes while providing no actual emission reductions. This undermines the entire VCM’s credibility. -
Standards Exclude It
Leading VCM standards – like QxyS, Verra VCS Standard or Gold Standard for the Global Goals – explicitly exclude projects that don’t ensure permanent, real emission avoidance or removal.
A Concrete Example
Imagine a forest owner who would normally harvest trees in 15 years due to market conditions. If they receive carbon credits for this “delay”, nothing actually changes: the trees store the same amount of carbon as before, and the CO₂ is eventually released anyway. This creates false climate benefits that companies may use to label their emissions as “compensated” without actually changing atmospheric carbon levels.
Why Credibility Matters
The climate crisis is urgent, and every false solution – whether intentional or ignorant – steals valuable time from real action. Carbon market trust is easily lost but hard to regain. If the public and companies feel carbon credits lack real climate value, support for the entire system could collapse.
Delayed logging isn’t a climate solution – just procrastination. Instead of pushing emissions into the future, we must support real, lasting solutions: planting new forests, restoring degraded ecosystems, developing renewable energy, and improving energy efficiency.
The carbon market’s future depends on maintaining credibility. Half-measures and profit-driven “fake projects” don’t help – quite the opposite, they undermine our efforts.
OurOffset’s Position
OurOffset Nonprofit LLC is committed to ensuring the VCM only hosts projects with real, long-term, verifiable climate impact.
We believe “delayed logging” projects are incompatible with market principles and harmful to its credibility.
We therefore call on market participants, regulators and buyers to reject such practices and support initiatives delivering real emission reductions or avoidance – whether renewable energy, methane leak prevention, or innovative social projects (like QFPC).
