Germany Blocks CO2 Vouchers For Oil Companies Over Fraud Concerns In China

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Environment Agency announced on Friday that it rejected carbon credits for 215,000 tons of CO2 emissions from oil companies due to suspected fraud involving climate projects in China.

These projects were meant to help oil companies meet EU greenhouse gas reduction targets, which require them to make their fuel more eco-friendly.

Usually, companies meet these targets by using plant-based biofuels or through "upstream emission reduction" (UER) projects. UER projects allow companies to earn credits by funding initiatives that cut emissions during oil production, like stopping gas flaring.

The agency uncovered irregularities in eight climate projects in China that oil companies had financed to get CO2 credits.

Concerns first arose over a year ago, when doubts surfaced about whether some of these projects actually existed or met the required standards.

The issue has sparked criticism from biofuel producers, who argue they’ve been unfairly disadvantaged by the cheaper but questionable UER projects.

Seven out of the eight applications for project approval have been withdrawn after legal and technical issues were pointed out. The agency is now reviewing 13 additional projects.

These disputed carbon credits, which have been available since 2018, are expected to be phased out by 2025. Of the 21 total projects under review, only five have granted full approval for on-site inspections.

The financial impact is still unclear, but experts warn that the costs of the issue could lead to higher fuel prices for consumers.

(Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; editing by Jonathan Oatis)