A recent scandal at the UN’s net zero advisory body, the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), shines a light on the thin vail of validity that this environmental standards body offers the telecoms industry. The SBTi is a UN-backed nonprofit that assesses corporate emissions reduction plans in line with the requirements of the Paris Agreement of 2015. It is the popular choice for most large corporates in recording emissions and setting standards and the telecommunications sector is a keen adopter. But there has been controversy at this bastion of emissions standards. Last month, news leaked that the SBTi was planning to allow companies to buy carbon credits to offset greenhouse gas emissions from their value chain – so-called voluntary carbon…