A work of art that “avoids” itself to question the carbon market

The voluntary carbon offset market allows companies and individuals to acquire credits representing greenhouse gas reductions or removals. Each credit is equivalent to one ton of CO₂ avoided or removed. It is a parallel system to the regulated one, based on private standards and external verifiers, with less public oversight. Several analysts have pointed out that it is vulnerable to opacity or greenwashing practices. An investigation by The Guardian questioned the integrity of some forestry projects, although the certifiers involved defended their methodologies and announced improvements.

In this context, artist Josep Piñol has conceived a unique work that aims, precisely, to prevent its creation. The piece is formalized with officially validated carbon credits, certifying the reduction of 57,765 tons of CO₂ equivalent, valued at €1.6 million. Of this amount, only one ton will be symbolically transferred to the buyer; the remainder will be released to cancel ownership and prevent speculation in the name of sustainability.

The proposal will be presented publicly on Saturday, October 4, at 10:00 a.m., at the Fundació Tàpies under the title Evitada , in the form of a performance. The event, curated by journalist and art critic Roberta Bosco, will include the artist's signature as a final gesture.

The project is described as a "deliberate infiltration of art into the voluntary market," designed to highlight its contradictions. The gesture raises a fundamental question: can non-materialization be an act of courage in the midst of the climate emergency?

The initiative coincides with the upcoming COP30, which will be held in Belém, Brazil, in November, where Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, relating to the international trade in carbon credits, will be debated again.

Beyond artistic provocation, the work challenges both the art world and the climate policy world. If this logic were extended, an artist's value could be measured not by their material works, but by the tons of CO₂ avoided by refusing to produce them. A paradox that reflects the current dilemmas surrounding art, sustainability, and the carbon economy.

What is the voluntary carbon market?

This is a system parallel to that regulated by states, in which companies and individuals purchase credits equivalent to one ton of CO₂ avoided or absorbed. They use these credits to offset emissions they cannot directly reduce by financing projects such as reforestation or renewable energy. Although it can channel resources toward useful initiatives, its lack of global regulation and the uneven quality of the credits have also made it the subject of criticism for its potential use as a marketing tool.