Investigating voluntary standards: �carbon offsets and beyond

Leila Goldstein

Local coverage of REDD+ projects

Human Rights Watch investigation

Investigating certifiers can bring broader, international attention

Pitching international version

Traveled to get firsthand accounts

Found an expert who was a “good talker”

Asked simple questions

Voluntary standard in other industries

• Guidelines established by industry groups adopted voluntarily to promote quality, ethical standards and best practices
• Other relevant/overlapping terms: social audits, certifications, corporate social responsibility, ESG

Changes on the website

Used local contacts for firsthand accounts

Corroborated facts

The Wayback Machine was my friend

Key takeaways

Keep people anonymous when needed

Look for conflicts of interest

Highlight inconsistencies, lack of action, and deflections in responsibility

Keep track of old statements

Read the fine print

Read promotional materials

Read public statements

Any changes and inconsistencies are great for follow-up stories

​

1

2

3

4

VS

​

Get creative with questions

Thank you!

Reach out to me/find my work:

leilamgoldstein@gmail.com | Signal/Telegram+855⁨ 96 417 8238

leilagoldstein.com