The Ministry of Environment has cancelled seven carbon credit schemes and reduced the leases of six economic land concessions (ELCs) as part of an ongoing reform effort, according to an announcement released on Friday.

Carbon credits are created when companies invest in projects, usually abroad, to offset their emissions, while Cambodia’s ELC system has come under scrutiny over its effect on the environment and forced evictions.

Srun Darith, the ministry’s chief of cabinet, said that seven unnamed companies had their carbon credit projects cancelled due to inactivity. “They were passive and did not fully conduct their studies,” he said.

As for the ELCs, the ministry announced in July that it was implementing a move to reduce their leases to 50 years across the board.

The latest six companies to have their terms reduced cover 45,468 hectares of land in Koh Kong, Kampot, and Pursat provinces.