We only have one planet, so we want to ensure that we do our part to protect it. Operating responsibly as a business is the bare minimum for us. We endeavour to promote positive change ethically, environmentally, and socially.
It all began in 2016, when we committed to a goal of carbon neutrality. Since then, we have supported a growing number of global carbon projects to achieve this. These accredited projects play a vital role in improving ecosystems and communities worldwide.
As a global company we truly value the importance of individual contributions to our communities. We have all vouched to get involved in local charities and initiatives. In doing so, we have collectively worked with over 150 charities across the world.
Last year we committed to the Million Tree Pledge with Ecologi – a further step in our ongoing bid to take lasting action against climate change
London Speaker Bureau operates globally. This enables us to give back to numerous local communities – our efforts can be widespread! As a company, we hold many charities close to our heart, and as individuals we all strive to be active and consistent in our community outreach.
Earlier in December, LSB Tukey shared details of a visit to a local animal shelter.
‘We visited animal shelter of Kadıköy Municipality, donated there with a big amount of dog and cat food and spent the day with them. It was perfect to see that they are being taken care of in a healty environment and to watch them playing around. Most of them were abandoned unfortunately; they get really happy when they see someone visiting them to play, to give love… to be there with them warmed our hearts.’
Last month, London Speaker Bureau India shared their wonderful sustainable gifting – the goal of these gifts is to fight hunger with art.
‘This year on Diwali (the festival of lights in India) we sent out a unique and thoughtful gift to our clients and speakers. The gift has been hugely appreciated and the response has been very kind. The gift went out with an insert which carried a beautiful write up about the art as well as the artist.’
https://www.theplatedproject.com/
Collaborating with global artists, The Plated project crafts unique art-infused pieces which are conceptualised with immersive storytelling. The tagline is simple – “Buy a plate, fill a plate”. Every month, The Plated Project, commissions artists to create work that will fit within the circle of a dinner plate. Buying/gifting just one of their attractive, brightly coloured plates, equals 10 meals donated (or 10 plates filled with food!).
Laura’s community project began in March, with a shared vision of a classroom (where she lives, in South Africa) that incorporated the outside environment allowing for more freedom and creativity while being guarded from the elements.
To help with the project, Laura sourced second hand building materials and set to work building the classroom over weekends and school holidays.
‘We created a space that encouraged creativity, healing and growth by incorporating a lot of natural light with the illusion of being in nature while protected by the elements. There followed a second addition that turned in to the Art. This was June July and August.
The school is continuing to raise funds. I’ve been pushing for something bigger and its happening – 14th. We’re going to be building dog kennels (for 1 kennel at a Time), donating a wheelchair, and creating awareness and support for the local safehouse! We are going to have a fun activity at the market where these can be built and painted by the community also.’
Last month, Harry got involved with his mother in a yearly Packing Day for the Queen Mother’s Clothing Guild.
‘Every autumn there is an event held at St James’s Palace in London, where we sort, count and pack all the clothing and bedding ready for collection by the various charities. I help with the lifting the clothes parcels as my mum is now too old to do it. My mum has loyally worked for them for 35 years, and my grandmother used to do it in the 1920s!’
Queen Mother’s Clothing Guild supports those most in need. They respond to requests from charities right across the UK for clothing and bedding items that they have difficulty in sourcing or funding themselves and volunteers also lovingly hand make thousands of hats, gloves, scarves, clothes and blankets.
‘The charities we support include refuges for women and children escaping violence, homeless shelters and outreach units, hostels supporting ex-servicemen and women, neonatal units, hospices providing respite and end of life care for children and adults and those working to support the elderly and frail. Each year we ask them for a list of items they need most.’
Last month, Julie shared with us several community initiatives she keeps up with.
‘Here in Cyprus, I’ve connected with a local NPO helping animals without shelters. It is a pressing problem here as there are twice as many cats on the island as there are people! And of course, a lot of doggies without shelters too… I’ve participated in 2 events:
One was ‘Diving for PAWS’: https://www.facebook.com/events/1234505083881948/
My husband and I have donated and dived on that day + helped out in the camp
Second was ‘Buy a book to save a stray’: https://www.facebook.com/events/6777214855691709/
We’ve helped out with preparation before the event with unloading of the books and managing it across the place. People from all Cyprus donated books for this, so we had A LOT of them)) More than 2,000 people came during the weekend and the event was a success!
Also, as a part of Ledra Motorcycle club (the oldest motorcycle club in Cyprus), we’ve participated in a ride across Nicosia’s municipalities to collect donations and draw attention to children with heart diseases. I was a passenger with my husband.’
We recently heard from our colleagues in Germany and some of the wonderful community initiatives they have been involved in.
CityCyling: ‘For 21 days we cycled for a better climate and local cycling infrastructure, to promote cycling, protect the climate and improve our quality of life. All-in-all we cycled 1790 km in 21 days.’
LSB Germany are also supporting Sozialtreff 88 e.V., a place where homeless people are served a warm dinner once a week and provided with clothes and all other essentials they cannot afford on their own. In 2019 LSB Germany cooked dinner there with the whole team and recently they have started to support them with cakes and clothes every fortnight.
Patrick and Viktoria spoke of their regular visits to the local animal shelter to spend some time with the lonely cats there.
LSB Germany also support the school art project ‘SAXA Macht Schule’, where pupils and teachers get the chance to create art together. A primary school in Karlsruhe is supported with everything they need to create a very special picture of Pippa Longstocking – consisting of words.
Cecile and Alexis teamed up with the charity SAESEM on the World Cleanup Day to clean up the streets of Montreal.
‘In the ‘éco-quartier’ of the ‘Ville-Marie’ neighbourhood, amongst many other trashes, the small team of benevolent brought back about 1.5kgs of cigarettes butts…
So far (in September 2023), the SAESEM collected over 700 000 of cigarettes butts in the streets of Montreal only!’
Amongst many other projects, the SAESEM has 2 strong programmes:
SAESEM: https://saesem.org/en/homepage/
‘Mégot Zéro’: https://megotzero.com/
RebutRécup: https://www.rqis.org/innovation-sociale/cas/rebutrecup-saesem/
Dominic has spent a few weekends over the summer volunteering at various festivals, in different roles. The final one of which was at Camp Wildfire where he volunteered with the BLINK Mental Health Team – they offer Mental Health services at festivals, and have just received a £10,000 National Lottery Grant to carry on this work (https://www.blinkmentalhealth.org.uk/our-offer).
It is amazing how many people suffer from overwhelm at festivals, or would just like a place to chill or talk to someone. Blink offers a free number of one-on-one counselling sessions at the festivals and has helped hundreds get access to mental health support which otherwise they may not have had.
This month Kevin shared with us his fundraising for Amigitos.
‘I have chosen to support Amigitos Small Friends in the Dominican Republic (DR) near the border of Haiti. It´s founded by Siv Mika Engebregtsen from Horten whom I have known forever.
They help paperless Haitian children, born in DR, but not recognised by the DR authorities. This is one of the reasons they can never apply for support from the DR authorities. The police are visiting (raiding) the school every other week in order to catch paperless young and expel them to a country they have never been in. This is another reason they can´t be too public as it could lead to more attention to the school and more visits from the police.
They make 5,000 meals a month and for some of the children it´s the only meals they get. Half of their budget goes to medicines and food, while the remaining goes to the school: materials, uniforms, salaries to teachers and administration.’
In June, Melissa spent some time at the Happy Tails Sanctuary.
Nathalie, the founder, set up the foundation and sanctuary in 2019 with a handful of dogs. They now have 4 full time staff and 130 happy dogs. Many dogs have been adopted into loving and caring families both locally and overseas. They aim to change the negative mindsets locally about animal welfare and through their education and sterilisation campaigns.
All the dogs at the sanctuary are up for adoption and sponsorship and the animal loving team works 24/7 to ensure their suffering days are over. They have a big dog park to play in and a lovely house to rest in with their favourite canine friends. You can play, walk, and run with the dogs and get smothered in kisses!
Melissa visited the sanctuary on her recent trip to Mauritius, armed with a suitcase full of supplies. She was able to spend time with Nathalie and show the dogs lots of love.
This summer, Tobias walked from Land’s End to John O’Groats (otherwise known as the end-to-end trail – a journey of 1,215 miles). The walk was fully documented, with Tobias proudly sporting his LSB cap every step of the way.
Tobias was raising money to support the amazing work of two charities close to his heart: Severn Hospice and Heartburn Cancer UK. He was joined by our chairman, Tom, on day 44 of his journey, to accompany him for about 20 miles of his walk to Inverness.
Tobias managed to complete the expedition mid-July in a very impressive 56 days!
On May 14th, Dominic Eldred-Earl took part in the Great Bristol 10k. Not to mention he had a 22kg water canister strapped to his back and was painted blue head-to-toe! This run was part of a pledge to manually travel 10,000km by the 14th of December 2023. Dominic aims to raise £10,000 by the time he reaches his goal, which he mentions he hopes to complete in advance of his deadline. All proceeds will go towards Charity: water – a non-profit organisation bringing clean and safe water to people around the world.
This month we partnered with School of Wok to produce bulk food for the homeless. The team got together to spend a day learning to cook Japanese food – a wonderful team-building activity that included giving back to the community! Once we’d finished with all the cooking, the food was packaged up and delivered to a local homeless shelter in central London.
On April 2nd our colleague Marlen made the huge achievement of running her 4th half marathon in Berlin!
‘After a few years of only running for myself, I was happy to join the race again. It was a chilly Berlin morning with 2 degrees and wind, but the race was super fun. 35,000 people joined and most of them finished. I was able to finish the 21.1 km in 2:07 hours and was happy with the result. LSB offered to donate to a charity of my choice which was fantastic. I chose the London Youth Organisation – their mission is to improve the lives of young people in London, challenging them to become the best they can. Young people need opportunities outside of school to have fun with their friends, to learn new skills, to make a positive change in their communities and to shape the city they live in.’
‘London Youth, together with our network of over 600 community organisations, creates opportunities for tens of thousands of young people every year. With local authority funding greatly reduced and activities for young people being lost as a direct result, it is more important than ever to invest in our network, youth workers and the young people they support. Last year we worked with 28,106 young people through our sports development, employability, youth action and involvement, arts and outdoor education programmes. Our member network supported 601,770 young Londoners. Together, we give young people access to opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have.’
This month our colleague, Johann, was involved in organising a French Bingo night for charity! His report on the event:
A big event that took place this month was the “grand loto du voyage” organised by the very famous non-profit “Beach Klubber” once a year. This first post-covid edition has
been a great success. We hosted 2,500 bingo players and we are proud to be the 2nd biggest French Bingo. 550 prizes to win, 6 buses to carry players (some of whom travelled for more than 400 km), 4 bars, 60 volunteers, and we managed to make around 17,000 Euros profit that we will give to local non-profit organisations.
This month we had the pleasure of sponsoring a comedy night for young Omanis in Muscat. The event was a huge success in promoting Arabic comedy and had a great turnout of over 100 people (Omani and Lebanese). Not only are events like this crucial in bringing people together from different backgrounds and promoting social cohesion, but they also help to support local artists through gaining exposure and recognition. As well as being an entertaining evening!
UPDATE:
On May 18th, LSB sponsored another hugely successful comedy night in Muscat. Omani comedian Abbas Al Lawati and Brazilian comedian Rafi Bastos entertained a diverse audience, and the show sold out!
LSB is proud to be supporting these events, which are key in promoting Arabic comedy and bringing people together. Not to mention the entertainment factor! As Mariam rightly put – laughter is the best medicine.
This month we sponsored the Let’s Read Committee’s 17th Annual Children’s Writing Competition.
This is a competition held for children aged between 8 – 18, who submit pieces written on Omani folklore or based in Oman. Prizes for winners aim to enrich education – laptops, cameras etc.
Competitions like these are vital in supporting and encouraging young people to explore their talents. They illustrate the power of communication!
UPDATE:
This May, there was the prize-giving ceremony for the Let’s Read Committee’s 17th Annual Children’s Writing Competition.
LSB sponsored this competition back in January, and last month Mariam was asked to present awards to all winners. All prizes aim to enrich education – laptops, cameras, etc. Those who received a prize wrote a stand-out story on Omani folklore or based in Oman.
We were thrilled to be a part of a competition that supports and encourages young people to explore their talents.
London Speaker Bureau Asia took part in volunteering activities to prepare and serve food for the poor and homeless during the weekend. They then distribute them between 9pm-11pm as the homeless work in the day and look for food and shelter at night.
Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK) is a non-religious community action group that distributes food, basic medical aid and counselling to the homeless and urban poor of Malaysia.
Founded by His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche, the Spiritual Guide of the Kechara organisation, KSK is strictly non-religious, being mindful and respectful of others’ beliefs. Kechara do not discriminate in terms of race, gender or culture, our motto being “Hunger Knows No Barriers”. For this reason, their main food is vegetarian.
Kechara Soup Kitchen’s mission in the short term, to provide sustenance and basic medical care for the homeless and urban poor in Malaysia.
In the medium term, Kechara aim to provide a permanent soup kitchen building as a place of safety, “off street”, for the distribution of hot food and medical treatment facilities for the homeless, whilst continuing to provide street food delivery to those who are unable to come to the centre.
In the long term, Kechara Soup Kitchen’s mission is to reduce the flow of homeless living on the streets by providing a nurture centre building as a place of training and assistance to help make the homeless employable and for them to re-enter society.
We partnered with Forest of Hearts to spend the day creating vertical garden structures. We each had our own miniature garden to construct, which we filled with a variety of carbon sequestering plants. These gardens were then transported to an NHS hospital in South West London. They are used to cover the wall of the hospital that lines the car park. It adds aesthetic value and also helps to fight against the air pollution!
“The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago; The second best time is now.” LSB Asia sponsored 50 trees with NGO TrEES, who helped organized the initiative with the local municipal. They were planted along the illegal dumping site in a local neighbourhood in Selangor. Ridden with non-biodegradable waste at the local neighbourhood for years, the team were determined to put a stop to it and planted some trees along the streets to avoid it being a convenient dumping site.
Established in 1995, TrEES promotes environmentally sustainable lifestyles in Malaysia. TrEES has over twenty-one years of experience working on environmental conservation programmes. They have partnered with groups and communities to develop programmes that empower people to become actively involved in conserving the environment. TrEES promotes sustainable lifestyles so children and future generations can continue enjoying the benefits provided by Malaysia’s magnificent natural environment. TrEES programmes are primarily based in urban areas as the lifestyles of the urban community have a tremendous impact on Malaysia’s natural resources, yet this community is the most disconnected from the natural environment.
TrEES strives to create real and sustainable solutions that have a positive impact. Passion for the environment and a commitment towards making a difference is what drives us in TrEES. TrEES focuses on civic engagement to develop positive mindsets within communities, providing them with the knowledge, skills and resources they need to effect change.
Many of the projects initiated by TrEES are still running successfully and have over the years been built upon and replicated by the government and other organisations. Through all their projects, they seek to re-connect the urban community with the environment that they are a part of, and depend on for their well-being.
For more information, please visit: http://www.trees.org.my/
“Touching Hearts, Reaching Lives” – that is the core mission and vision of REACH Community Services.
This month London Speaker Bureau Asia worked with the Home Improvement Programme (HIP), which seeks to assist low-income families in enhancing their home environment by helping them with basic supplies of necessary daily items.
REACH is established to inspire hope and empower positive change in the lives of the needy, through 4 Community Touchpoints:
For more information, please visit: https://www.reach.org.sg/
London Speaker Bureau Asia is now working closely with the Selangor Family Aid Association (SFAA) located in Ulu Yam, Malaysia. It is a non-profit organization with the primary aim of providing a home for the aged, handicapped, mentally challenged, and orphans.
To maintain the home successfully, SFAA is in constant need of funds to provide necessary care and attention to their residents. With the increasing numbers of residents, the home is now finding it challenging to raise enough funds for food, medical equipment, house repair work, among others.
London Speaker Bureau Asia supports the home by sponsoring monthly groceries, roof repair work, as well as assisting in the home’s latest project in building a new block for children afflicted with polio disease.
For more information, please visit www.sfaa-malaysia.org.
PAWS (PAWS Animal Welfare Society) is a non-profit animal shelter in Petaling Jaya that has been in operation since 1987. They receive the surrender of unwanted dogs and cats which they vaccinate, deworm, neuter/spay, and put up for adoption.
Currently, there are over 250 dogs and 250 cats under the care of the shelter. The shelter and all costs involved in running it are entirely funded by the generous donations of the public as well as proceeds from charitable events.
The PAWS team consists of four office staff, seven kennel workers, and one driver. PAWS is a registered Society under the Registry of Societies of Malaysia that is led by an elected committee.
When you volunteer at PAWS, you can choose to spend time with any animal that you want and do the work that you enjoy. If you do not have any specific activities you would like to carry out at the shelter, you will be assigned to the activities which may include cleaning the shelter area and spending time with the animals.
A few members of the LSB team in Malaysia spent an afternoon this month with children from underprivilege homes for MY Reading Programme. MY Reading Programme helps underprivileged children learn and appreciate English in a fun and lively environment through several activities, such as phonics teaching, one-to-one reading exercises and games.
HOPE worldwide is an international, non-profit, non-religious organization established throughout the world. It has grown from 3 programs in 1991 to over 150 programs, spanning 6 continents and 100 nations with focus on 5 areas worldwide namely: Children, Education, Health, Senior Citizens, Employment and Volunteerism.
For more information, please visit: http://www.hopeww.org.my/
Caroline shared her tree planting in Spain…
‘I got chatting to one of our speakers. His name is John Liu. He set up a not-for-profit named Eco Restoration Camps / Commonland. Green Gold: a documentary by Commonland Ambassador John D. Liu – Commonland
He and his team attract volunteers with expertise in Geology, Soil, Water, Forestry Management. They have grown exponentially in 7 years and already have over 50 sites globally. As tree planting always seemed to me like such a logical combative strategy against climate change, I was inspired to go to Caravaca de la Cruz in Spain with my nephew to help out for a week. It was hard labour, the accommodation was very basic and there were no trees in sight – completely devoid. Apparently, the lush Oaks that stood there 500 years ago were all chopped down to build ships for the Spanish Armada.’
This month Oliver went to his local boxing gym to support them in campaigning against TFL who are trying to close the gym down in order to get new, higher paying tenants.
Oliver is campaigning to raise money to keep the community gym open via local MPs, Councillors, Citizens Advice Bureau and local media. It is a valuable part of the community in keeping local children out of trouble.
This month, London Speaker Bureau Asia have sponsored Dr. William Tan – physician, Paralympian and brain-scientist to participate in Bloodwise’s 500km cycle race. Race participants cycled for 4 days from London to Paris. The race is part of a campaign to raise funds for cancer care and research. A grueling challenge even for an able bodied athlete, Dr. William Tan was the only disabled participant in the race.
Dr William Tan started his preparation at 4am on a cold rainy day in London and they took off at 6am. Day 2 was a tough one for Dr William as there were 2 very steep inclines – one of them was so steep and winding that the ride captain had to dismount to assist Dr. William.
Dr. William Tan hand-cycled across various terrains and through the English Channel before completing the course going past the famed Arc de Triomphe and then on to the majestic Eiffel Tower for the finish line.
As part of the race, Dr. William Tan and London Speaker Bureau set up campaigns to raise donations for Bloodwise UK, Singapore Cancer Society and National Cancer Society Malaysia. All organisations are grateful to the campaign organisers and donors who gave generously, and presented Dr. William Tan with certificates of appreciation.
On behalf of Dr. William Tan, we’d like to thank our all our corporate and individual donors for their kind and generous support.
Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2011, an estimated 11 million people have fled their homes. Syrian refugees now make up over a quarter of the Lebanese population. This is placing a huge strain on an already underfunded and overburdened public sector. Currently, 25 percent of Syrian refugee children in Lebanon are not attending school. Some have never even stepped inside a classroom. Syrian children are ever-increasingly facing the threat of becoming part of a lost generation. Children are the future peace builders of Syria, and it is vital that their education is prioritized.
The London Speaker Bureau is working in partnership with The Syrian Humanitarian Relief and Development Institute Najda Now to build education centers and schools in the country.
The Education Centre in Shatila refugee camp in Beirut was our first project in Lebanon. We supported two classrooms, enrolling children between the ages of 4 and 15. The classrooms are quite basic, but thanks to this funding the school has been able to buy extra equipment, including an overhead projector, books, tables and chairs. The classrooms can take up to 40 children and the students rotate every two hours, to allow a greater intake.
In December 2014, LSB consultant Hugo Chittenden visited and volunteered at the two schools. “Teaching these kids has really shown me how intelligent and hungry they are to learn, but has also allowed me to understand further the great suffering they have experienced to get here. Families have had to leave their country with only the clothes on their backs and set up in Lebanese refugee camps, where even there they have to pay rent to greedy landlords. They are often robbed at the border crossing and split up, leaving mothers and others to fend for themselves. The risks are huge for the refugees, who are now spilling over the border in their millions. It is uncertain whether brothers, parents, husbands or wives will ever be reunited again.”
This year, LSB are proud to announce that we have supported the building, everyday running, and education materials required for a new school. On 2nd November 2015, after two years’ intensive work, the Al Dalhamieh School in the Bekaa Valley has opened. Populated by 13 teachers and 500 Syrian refugee children aged between 5 and 12 years, the school is comprised of 12 classrooms, a playground, a library and a conference room. These children now spend their days with teachers who care about them, attending maths, English and Arabic lessons, in the hope that one day they may be able to integrate into the Lebanese school system. Besides providing essential education to Syrian children, this school also acts as a much needed community centre for both Syrian and Lebanese people living in the area.
This month, LSB’s Hugo Chittenden released his new book, The Volunteer, sponsored by LSB and the Oak Foundation.
At a time when we are seeing a decline in shared values and collective consciousness, this inspiring book comes as a breath of fresh altruistic air. It features the remarkable real-life experiences of volunteers who have chosen to make a difference to the lives of people around the world. It is a unique insight into the benefits of volunteering on projects overseas, charting the adventures of influential and intrepid volunteers, who include former UN Colonel Mark Cook, Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Muhammed Yunus and musician James Blunt. Highlighting the efforts of individuals and charities overseas that are often operating in difficult and dangerous circumstances, the book is a lesson in endurance, teamwork and humanity. From a hospital in rural Malawi to an orphanage in Eastern Europe. It answers the who, what, why, where, and how of volunteering.
“Our colleagues, speakers and advisers are continually moving around the world. Reducing our own environmental impact is a small action London Speaker Bureau can easily do to help the planet and its population. Companies, such as ours, must take responsibility for their impact on the world.”
- Tom Kenyon-Slaney - CEO & Founder
It is now widely known that planting trees is one of the most vital tools in mitigating the climate crisis. Beyond this, trees are crucial in preventing ecological collapse and preserving biodiversity. So, we have pledged to plant 1 million Trees – a big commitment with an even bigger impact!
As a company, we want to go beyond Carbon Neutrality. We are dedicated to having a positive impact on the environment and a meaningful, long-lasting effect on our collective home.
Through our partner Ecologi, we are able to contribute to an array of Carbon Projects across the globe every month. These include renewable energy, energy efficiency, and forestry projects, all certified at the highest level by Gold Standard or the Verified Carbon Standard. Not only do these projects help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but they also promote sustainable development by supporting the transition to clean and renewable energy sources, as well as creating local job opportunities.
The Amazonian ecosystems of the Madre de Dios region are considered Peru’s ‘capital of biodiversity’, due to their impressive species richness. This project area alone provides habitat to four endangered rainforest tree species, and eleven endangered wildlife species. However deforestation within this area is increasing, threatening it’s biodiversity and releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
The Madre de Dios Amazon REDD+ Project is a Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) project. It involves conducting sustainable management in a 98,932 hectare area of tropical rainforest located in the Madre de Dios region of Peru. The climate project has two main goals: to reduce the pressure from the conversion of land for agricultural and cattle ranching purposes; and to guarantee the sustainable forestry management of the two timber concessions that operate in the area.
The Madre de Dios Amazon REDD+ project will also contribute to the sustainable development of indigenous communities living in the local area, by providing alternative sources of livelihoods; increasing local employment opportunities; and offering technical training courses to young people in the community.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard and the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards.
https://ecologi.com/projects/peruvian-protection-of-the-amazon
Tropical rainforests, such as those found in the Amazon basin, have long been referred to as “the lungs of the world”. Around a third of the world’s primary tropical rainforest is situated in Brazil. The Amazon rainforest is one of the most biodiverse habitats on the planet, and is home to 10% of all known terrestrial species. However, sadly, 20% of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest was lost between 1975 and 2018, largely to clear land for agriculture, oil and gas production, mining, logging, and infrastructure.
This project seeks to protect and conserve tropical forest in Acre, Brazil. The project operates through a number of schemes to support and train forest guards, educate and support the local community, assist local people in securing land tenure, and provide training to local farmers. These strategies help to limit the expansion of farmland into forest areas, as well as supporting local people to generate sustainable income from the forest – without needing to deplete it or its resources.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard and Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/conserving-rainforest-in-the-western-amazon
Colombia is renowned for its richness in biodiversity; accounting for an estimated 10% of the world’s flora and faunal species. It is one of only 12 countries globally that are considered megadiverse. However the forests in this region have experienced a continued reduction in biomass, due largely to illegal logging. These forests have historically been an important source of income for local families, who periodically harvest timber when the economic need arises.
This REDD+ avoided deforestation project is based within the biologically diverse Chocó-Darién bioregion. It sets out to address the issue of deforestation and illegal logging at a local level, and to protect and restore 83,452 hectares of land.
The project will work to mitigate climate change by reducing deforestation and forest degradation. It will also contribute to biodiversity conservation. The project will also help local communities by promoting alternative, sustainable sources of revenue and by investing in social structures such as development planning, water treatment and health care.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard and the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards.
https://ecologi.com/projects/protecting-and-restoring-the-pacific-coast-of-colombia
In Honduras, 1.1 million families cook with biomass on open stoves, representing around 51% of the total population. The cutting down of trees for fuel for open stoves is one of the contributing factors toward the country having one of the highest rates of deforestation in Latin America. These rudimentary cookstoves produce several greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, through the combustion of non-renewable biomass.
This small-scale project, run locally in Honduras by Envirofit, involves the distribution of 300,000 fuel-efficient cookstoves in households across the country. The project reduces the demand for biomass fuel, leading to a reduction in the rate of deforestation connected to wood consumption. The cookstoves also improve air quality within the home.
This project will generate around 42,000 verified tonnes of emissions reductions annually, saving approximately 5.1 million tonnes of wood over 5 years, and supporting 200 direct jobs. The factory which manufactures the stoves is located in Tegucigalpa and employs a 45% female staff.
This project is verified by the Gold Standard.
Peatlands are a type of wetland and are among the most valuable ecosystems on Earth. These unique habitats store massive amounts of carbon. Despite covering just 3% of the Earth’s surface, they store more carbon than all other vegetation types in the world combined. When peatlands are cleared, drained or burned, the carbon stored within them is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Indonesia contains some 36% of the world’s tropical peatlands, however they are increasingly being destroyed to make room for plantation crops including oil palm and acacia.
The Rimba Raya REDD+ project protects 64,500 hectares of lowland peat swamp forest from conversion to oil palm plantations. The project area is in Central Kalimantan province, on the Southern coast of Borneo. This area is incredibly rich in biodiversity, including being home to the endangered Bornean orangutan.
This project also has social impact, from distributing solar lanterns to 1,794 local households, to providing sustainability education to 346 local students, to the building of two fire lookout towers on the project site to ensure rapid response to potential fire risks within the project boundary.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard (CCBS). The project has also achieved certification by the Sustainable Development Verified Impact Standard (SDVista).
https://ecologi.com/projects/protecting-lowland-peat-forest-in-indonesia
The USA is the world’s largest historical emitter, responsible for around 25% of all historical emissions. The US is also a high-consuming country, with among the world’s highest per capita emissions. In 2021, 81% of the country’s primary energy came from fossil fuel production.
The Crow Lake wind power project is a wind farm located near Chamberlain, South Dakota. The project avoids emissions by displacing fossil fuel energy in the grid, and providing renewable wind power instead. The project is made up of 108 wind turbines on an area of 15,000 hectares, which generate 162 MW of renewable wind energy. It is one of only a few facilities in the United States where a portion of the project is owned by the community, including 600 local farmers and ranchers.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard.
The biggest share of primary energy consumption in Morocco comes from fossil fuels – with around 57% of the total coming from oil, and 33% of the total coming from coal power. In 2021, solar generation represented less than 2% of the energy mix, though the country has high potential for both solar and wind power generation.
The Ouarzazate solar power station is one of the largest concentrated solar projects in the world, making use of thousands of concave mirrors to concentrate solar energy and produce 582 MW of power. The project maintains up to 7 hours of solar energy storage which can be used to deliver power even after the sun sets.
The construction of the project provided almost 7,000 local jobs. As well as renewable energy generation, the project design incorporates co-projects which promote the creation of cooperatives, educational schemes, and skills training. The project additionally organises a mobile hospital to provide health services to the local community.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard.
Tropical rainforests, such as those found in the Amazon basin, have long been referred to as “the lungs of the world”. Around a third of the world’s primary tropical rainforest is situated in Brazil. However, sadly, 20% of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest was lost between 1975 and 2018, largely to clear land for agriculture, oil and gas production, mining, logging, and infrastructure.
The project is located in the Mato Grosso region of Brazil. The region is part of the ‘deforestation arch’, known for the intense deforestation pressure locally.
As well as its core aims of protecting over 70,000 hectares of Amazon rainforest, the project plan also provides co-benefits in the local community of Perseverança Pacutinga – including technical training, women’s empowerment workshops, wildlife monitoring and more.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/rainforest-conservation-central-brazil
Rudimentary stoves, used for cooking, produce several greenhouse gases through the combustion of non-renewable biomass. These emissions are damaging to the climate, and also greatly increase levels of household air pollution which causes health conditions in the population – particularly affecting women and children. Ghana is the largest per-capita consumer of charcoal in West Africa, and charcoal is often used as biomass fuel for household cookstoves. There are alternatives such as gas stoves – but these are often too expensive to make the switch accessible to many families.
As well as the climate and health implications of these cookstoves, using large quantities of charcoal and wood as fuel cooking stoves causes deforestation and desertification when these fuel sources are collected from nearby.
Ecologi are supporting two cookstoves projects concurrently: the Toyola project in Ghana, and the 3 Rocks project in Zambia, to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support local families.
Toyola – this project replaces carbon-intensive charcoal stoves with fuel-efficient insulated stoves, known as the Toyola Coalpot, across Ghana.
3 Rock – this project replaces ‘three rock’ fires in the home with cleaner stoves, which dramatically cut annual biomass usage – by up to 66%.
The Toyola cookstoves project in Ghana is verified by the Gold Standard. The 3 Rocks cookstoves project in Zambia is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/cleaner-cookstoves-in-zambia-ghana
Madre de Dios is the third-largest, and least densely populated, region of Peru. It is home to much of the Peruvian Amazon. The region has historically been subject to numerous conservation challenges. These include extraction of the rich natural resources in the area – including rubber, timber, and alluvial gold. In 2011, the completion of the Trans-Oceanic Highway presented further challenges to the conservation efforts, producing an uptick in illegal logging in the region, in areas nearby to the highway.
The Brazil nut tree is one of the largest and longest-lived trees found in the Amazon. Brazil nuts are notable for their rich content of vitamins and minerals, and this makes them an important and valuable non-timber forest product. Their passive harvesting provides a way to generate income from a tropical forest without destroying it. The Brazil nut concessions project supports the community to produce reliable income through this passive harvesting. This incentivises the protection of the forest and its carbon sinking capabilities, since Brazil nut trees can only be found in old-growth forests. The project has also built a new processing facility, expanding a formerly subsistence activity into a viable income source. Additionally, the community receive carbon finance income generated by the protection of the rainforest.
Incorporated within the project activity is an outreach programme to help local communities understand the benefits of keeping the rainforest intact, including the benefits to the climate and to safeguarding threatened and endangered species.
This project is verified by the the Verified Carbon Standard and Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/protecting-old-growth-rainforest-in-peru
The agricultural sector is particularly important in India, with well over half of the population generating an income from agriculture. However, many agricultural processes generate methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas. At the same time, India’s energy needs are rising fast, with growth in electricity demand and other energy uses among the highest in the world.
This project involves the treatment of effluent which is generated during the production of starch from maize. The anaerobic system converts the organic matter into methane-rich biogas, which is then captured for the generation of electricity. In the absence of projects like this, wastewater effluent often is left in open lagoons, where methane freely escapes into the atmosphere, exacerbating the greenhouse effect. By capturing the methane, the project is able to prevent these emissions and also use the captured biogas to generate electricity.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard.
Demand for electricity in Vietnam has grown by an average of 10% each year over the past five years, and continues to grow in line with Vietnam’s rapid economic growth. This is resulting in demand outstripping supply in many areas, leading to power shortages across the country. In 2020, over half of Vietnam’s electricity was generated from coal.
By replacing electricity generated from fossil fuel fired power plants with electricity generated using wind power this project will generate 320,000 MWh of renewable electricity every year and feed it into Vietnam’s national grid, helping to bridge the gap between supply and demand that currently exists.
This project has already employed over 100 people who operate the wind power plant. It also supports the local community by funding social events, contributing to local charities that improve services for local people, and has planted 24,800 trees to promote regional biodiversity.
This project is verified by the Gold Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/wind-power-bac-lieu-vietnam
Over 90% of the waste generated in Turkey is sent to landfill sites. Organic processes break down landfill waste, and this process releases the greenhouse gas methane (CH4) into the atmosphere – landfill sites are one of the largest sources of methane emissions worldwide.
The Kayseri Molu Landfill Gas to Energy Project is a large-scale project to capture the landfill methane released from existing landfill area, and convert it into electricity. The captured biogas from this project is then used to generate electricity which displaces emissions-heavy fossil fuel energy in the national grid, resulting in emissions reductions.
Capturing methane emissions from the landfill also has benefits locally, from reducing odour nuisance to reducing the risk of fires and explosions on-site.
This project is verified by the Gold Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/capturing-waste-biogas-in-turkey
Historically, large parts of Zimbabwe were covered by forests with abundant and diverse wildlife – a richly biodiverse country featuring seven terrestrial eco-regions. In recent decades though, more than a third of Zimbabwe’s forests have been lost. The causes of deforestation here are primarily socio-economic, such as subsistence agriculture, urban expansion, poaching and collecting firewood – all exacerbated by political and economic turbulence in recent years.
This project is located on the shores of Lake Kariba, the largest human-made lake in the world, in northern Zimbabwe. The Kariba REDD+ Project protects almost 785,000 hectares of forests and wildlife on the southern shores. It acts as a giant biodiversity corridor that connects four national parks and eight safari reserves, protecting an expansive forest and numerous vulnerable and endangered species.
The project supports a range of activities beyond simply environmental protection, including promoting the independence and wellbeing of the local communities. Improved clinic amenities provide better healthcare, infrastructure including new roads and water boreholes improve daily life, and school subsidies are offered to the poorest quartile of the population. Project activities in conservation agriculture, community gardens, beekeeping training, fire management, and ecotourism create jobs and facilitate sustainable incomes, benefitting the entire region.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard and the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards.
https://ecologi.com/projects/forest-protection-in-northern-zimbabwe
Vietnam’s energy demands have consistently increased since the 1990s, with consumption per capita more than doubling over the last decade. Drastic increases in demand and insufficient supply has led to power shortages in Vietnam, negatively impacting people’s daily lives and slowing economic growth. A key contributor to the power shortages is over-reliance on coal.
This project is situated in the Vinh Hao commune, Tuy Phong district, Binh Thuan province, Vietnam. It will generate electricity using photovoltaic technology, which transforms sunlight into electricity. The construction process of the project was carefully managed to minimise the impact on the local environment. During the operation of the project pollution will also be minimised through a series of measures, including ensuring no littering takes place, and waste materials will be responsibly disposed of off-site.
Additionally, the project is contributing directly to improving the living standards of local residents at the Vinh Hao commune, and in the Binh Thuan province generally, through economic support funds: the commune gratitude fund in the Vinh Hao commune, and the learning promotion fund in the Binh Thuan province.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard.
Egypt is situated in the northeastern corner of Africa, and is a country characterised by quintessential desert landscapes and markers of its ancient Egyptian civilisation. This country also has abundant potential for solar power, with near-constant daily sunshine throughout the year.
The project is located in Benban, Egypt. Benban solar park is a power complex of 41 solar power plants being developed. It is anticipated to be the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) park in the world, upon completion.
This project involves the installation and operation of a solar power plant with peak capacity of 50 MW and does this through utilising photovoltaic (PV) solar power technology. The PV panel generates electricity by converting solar power, the most abundant renewable energy, into electric power to create clean energy with no consumption of fossil fuels and no emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs).
Additionally, this project aims to enhance general well-being for the people of Egypt. In recent years, Egypt has faced a serious shortage of electricity due to insufficient and inconsistent supply, which has caused negative development impacts for the economy as a whole, as well as the activities of many households. This project will contribute to balancing the gap between supply and demand, and increase development opportunities as a result.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the second largest country in Africa, characterised by its lush natural rainforests and abundance of biodiversity that’s found nowhere else in the world. The rainforest not only provides vital habitat for wildlife in the area, but also serves as a crucial carbon sink for the world. Unfortunately though, deforestation and degradation is a huge threat to the natural rainforests and mangrove ecosystems in the DRC. Key drivers exacerbating this threat include logging, unsustainable fuel wood extraction and slash and burn agriculture practices.
This is the first project of its kind in the Congo Basin, and will protect 248,956 hectares of forest. The project is centred not only around reducing carbon emissions, but also the local communities and biodiversity. Some of the revenue from the carbon credits this project is issued with will be going directly to local communities, and they will decide what they want to spend it on to improve the lives of local people.
A social responsibility commitment, signed by the government of the DRC and Ecosystem Restoration Associates Inc. (one of the project developers), called a Cahier de charge outlines ERA’s pledges to:
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/preventing-deforestation-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo
Bulgaria, situated in southeastern Europe, currently relies on fossil fuels and nuclear energy for the majority of its energy generation. Bulgaria has also become one of the fastest-growing wind energy producers in the world – due in part to its favourable geography.
The Saint Nikola Wind Farm project is located in the Municipality of Kavarna, Bulgaria and is designed to generate electricity through wind energy to displace fossil fuel-generated electricity. The project is made up of 52 wind turbines. The wind farm’s careful design allows for the land to continue to be used as agricultural land by local landowners and farmers.
As well as providing a significant reduction in emissions, the project provides local social impacts through the upgrade of local roads and the provision of jobs, both skilled and unskilled.
This project is verified by the the Verified Carbon Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/renewable-wind-energy-bulgaria
Peatlands are a type of wetland and are among the most valuable ecosystems on Earth. The term ‘peatland’ refers to the peat soil and the wetland habitat growing on its surface. These unique habitats store massive amounts of carbon, more carbon than all other vegetation types in the world combined. When peatlands are cleared, drained or burned, the carbon stored within them is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
The Katingan Restoration and Conservation Project is located within the districts of Katingan and Kotawaringin Timur in the Central Kalimantan Province of Indonesian Borneo. The project sets out to protect and restore 149,800 hectares of peatland ecosystem. This includes the protection of existing peatland forest through satellite monitoring and fire management.
Through the protection and restoration of peatland ecosystems, the project pursues three core goals: to protect the carbon stored within these peatlands and prevent its release into the atmosphere, mitigating climate change. To protect the rich biodiversity of the region. Finally, to improve the well-being and sustainable economic prospects of the 43,000 local people, through initiatives such as micro-finance loans to support local female-led business, youth job training and internships, and the provision of health education and wellbeing support for the most vulnerable community members.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard and Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/peatland-restoration-in-indonesia
Experts calculate that electrification of the world’s railways could significantly reduce global carbon emissions. India has the second longest rail infrastructure in the world, and has committed to 100% electrification of broad-gauge routes by 2023, and net zero emissions by 2030.
This project will result in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through a number of changes being made to the railway system and reducing reliance on less efficient and more polluting forms of transport. One of the improvements being made to the trains themselves to improve their energy efficiency is to use regenerative braking systems.
There are also a number of other programmes associated with this project to bring benefits to the local area. These include tree preservation and planting programmes, building a shelter home for children living on the street and Old Age winter homes, and setting up wastewater treatment plants to improve water use efficiency. As part of the project the Delhi Metro Railway Corporation who is leading this project will also work with schools to raise awareness on conservation of natural resources, and work with NGOs and conduct free awareness programmes on environment and climate change.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard.
The agricultural sector is particularly important in India, with well over half of the population generating an income from agriculture. The country is the world’s second largest producer of rice, accounting for 22.5% of overall world rice production, and this means rice production is a particularly important source of income for rural populations.
This small project involves the implementation of a 5MW cogeneration power project powered by waste rice husks. The project is designed to meet growing electricity demands as local manufacturing infrastructure develops, without producing increases in fossil fuel energy usage.
The electricity produced helps to meet energy demands, and replaces electricity that would otherwise come from the largely coal-powered NEWNE (India’s integrated Northern, Eastern, Western, North-Eastern) grid.
This project is verified by the the Verified Carbon Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/producing-energy-from-waste-rice-husks-in-india
India’s energy needs are rapidly increasing, with growth in electricity and energy demand among the highest in the world. Although there has been progress in renewable energy generation, 54.67% of energy in India still comes from coal.
Solar PV (photovoltaic) energy is generated by transforming solar energy into electricity. The purpose of this project is to generate electricity using solar energy and sell the power generated to the state grid. The generated electricity will be exported to the regional grid system which is under the purview of the new, interconnected national electricity grid of India. The emissions reductions are projected to equal approximately 93,000 tonnes CO2e per year.
The project also contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals through providing access to affordable clean energy (SDG 7), providing good employment to local people (SDG 8), and of course, emissions reductions to contribute to climate action (SDG 13).
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/solar-power-plant-in-tamil-nadu-and-telangan-india
India has one of the fastest growing energy demands in the world, yet 74% of its electricity still comes from fossil fuels. One way in which to accelerate the transition towards clean energy is to expand its wind power sector.
The Suzlon 9.40 MW Wind Power Project is located in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India and is designed to generate electricity through wind energy to displace fossil fuel-generated electricity. The produced electricity is exported to the regional NEWNE grid, which provides electricity to most of India. Emissions reductions of around 14,000 tonnes per year occur as a result of this project activity, because the renewable energy from the wind turbines displaces fossil fuel energy in the grid.
The project also contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals through providing access to affordable clean energy (SDG 7), providing good employment to local people (SDG 8), and of course, emissions reductions to contribute to climate action (SDG 13).
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/small-scale-onshore-wind-in-india
Energy generation in South Africa is dominated by the coal industry. In 2021, over 71% of South Africa’s energy was derived from coal. As the world’s most polluting energy source, a shift away from coal is desperately needed if we are to stem global temperature rise, so alternative energy sources need developing to meet energy demands. South Africa generates 45% of Africa’s energy, and has been identified as the country with the highest wind potential in sub-Saharan Africa.
South Africa is currently in the midst of an energy crisis that has been steadily growing over the past 14 years, underpinned by the prolonged lack of reliable electricity supply from the country’s state-owned utility supplier. Causes for the energy sector’s collapse are multi-faceted, but reside in the improper maintenance of existing coal-fired power station infrastructure, corruption and mismanagement, and until very recently, a general reluctance to move beyond reliance on coal.
This project, called the Longyuan Mulilo De Aar 2 North Wind Energy Facility, is located outside of the town of De Aar, the main town of the Emthanjeni Local Municipality located in the Northern Cape Province. Economically, this project has created lots of job opportunities in the local area. The project is also supporting local sport, sponsoring local football teams!
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/wind-power-project-in-south-africa
The production processes at distilleries generate large amounts of wastewater containing a high concentration of organic waste, which – when left untreated in open lagoons – leads to potent greenhouse gases like methane being released into the atmosphere. Because of the climate impact of these emissions from organic waste, it is vital to ensure the treatment of as much waste as possible, to minimise the potential for output of harmful greenhouse gases when the waste decomposes.
This innovative project mitigates greenhouse gas emissions caused by the decomposition of wastewater from the Thai San Miguel Liquor (TSML) distillery in Bangkok, by capturing biogas from wastewater and converting it to electricity in newly-installed engines. The process uses methane digesters, which harness the power of microbes to transform organic waste into biogas (an energy source) and digestate (a nutrient-rich fertiliser). The project reduces greenhouse gas emissions by capturing the biogas before it enters the atmosphere and converting it into electricity. The electricity is then used to replace the fossil fuel energy which powers the TSML boilers, and is also exported to the Thai national grid.
Estimated emissions reductions from this project around over 87,000 tonnes per year. As well as providing jobs and training directly linked to the project activity, the project owner also engages in a wide range of social initiatives and educational programmes, including funeral care and sponsoring gifts for the Ton Lum Yai temple during Loy Kratong Festival.
This project is verified by the Gold Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/biogas-to-electricity-in-thailand
Over 90% of the waste generated in Turkey is sent to landfill sites. This waste then decomposes and releases the greenhouse gas methane into the atmosphere. Instead of being released into the atmosphere, landfill methane can instead be tapped, captured, and used as an energy source for generating electricity.
The Samsun Landfill Gas to Energy Project is an innovative project to capture the landfill methane released from the Samsun landfill site, and convert it into clean electricity. This project will collect the landfill gas that is released from decaying waste with a newly-constructed landfill gas collection and utilisation system. This gas will then be used to generate electricity. An estimated 54,600 MWh per year of electricity will be generated and exported to the Turkish national grid.
Estimated emissions reductions from this project are around 142,395 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per year. The project will also benefit the local community by providing employment and training opportunities, with 20-25 permanent jobs.
This project is verified by the Gold Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/converting-landfill-gas-to-energy-turkey
Most of the energy generated in Vietnam is produced from coal and oil, but the country has a great potential to develop its solar power capabilities, due to the many sunshine hours and high solar radiation intensity, especially in the Southern part of the country.
The Quang Minh solar project installs and operates a solar farm in a rural part of Southern Vietnam, harnessing the country’s strong sun to generate renewable energy. The estimated power output for this plant is 50MW, producing annual emissions reductions of just over 60,000 tonnes of CO2. Projects like this one produce emissions reductions by replacing electricity in the grid which would otherwise have been generated by fossil fuels like oil and coal. This project provides around 36,000 local people with access to clean energy each year, and also provides well-paid employment opportunities for local people – around 2.5x higher than the local average salary.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard.
Energy production in Chile has been historically dominated by fossil fuels, with over 70% of total primary energy supplied by coal, oil or gas, despite the country’s relatively low fossil fuel resources. In recent years, however, Chile has branched out into other energy sources, and has become known as a leader in renewable energy development – making great strides in geothermal, solar and wind energy, and other “Non-Conventional Renewable Energy (NCRE)” sources.
Biomass power is considered a ‘bridging solution’ – allowing waste products to be used to generate power as an alternative to high-emitting fossil fuels. This project involves the production of electricity through the collection and processing of waste biomass from the Viñales sawmill in central Chile. The waste biomass is directly combusted in a boiler to generate steam, which is expanded through a turbine to generate electricity. The electricity produced powers the sawmill itself, and excess electricity is additionally passed into the local grid.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/waste-biomass-electricity-chile
India generates 62 million tonnes of municipal solid waste per year, of which 75% is collected. Only 20% of collected waste is treated, the rest being sent to dumpsites or landfills, having negative environmental impacts and posing huge issues to human health. Out of the municipal solid waste generated, 50% is organic.
The purpose of the India Organic Waste Management Programme is organic waste management through the dissemination of biogas plants at domestic, community and institutional level. The biogas is recovered and utilized for thermal and electrical applications, thereby replacing the use of fossil fuels and firewood used for cooking and heating purposes and electricity generated by the burning of fossil fuels or sourced from the grid.
The project also avoids methane emissions due to improper disposal of waste dumped at dumpsites and landfills. Additionally, a survey found that 100 families who used to use fuelwood for cooking, but now use biogas produced from organic waste through this project, have experienced improved air quality.
This project is verified by the Gold Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/turning-local-organic-waste-into-electricity-in-india
Peru is the third largest country in South America. With approximately 33 million inhabitants, Peru is well known for its ancient Inca ruins and abundance of mineral, agricultural, and marine resources. Tourism is a major element of Peru’s economic makeup, which has meant that the preservation of its history and environment are crucial components for the longevity of the country and its people.
Peru’s mountain and forest ecosystems are under huge threat from land use change, climate change, deforestation and extractive activities and its continental water ecosystems face ongoing pressure from pollution, degradation, damming and overfishing. The IUCN Red List indicates that there has also been an increase in the number of threatened species in the country.
Situated near the Bolivian border in the Madre de Dios region in Peru, this project takes place in the Natural Protected Areas (NPAs) of Tambopata National Reserve and a sector of Bahuaja-Sonene National Park. The project prevents deforestation and provides tropical rainforest habitat for an incredible variety of rare and endangered wildlife by creating an economic buffer zone around a 591,119 hectare forest to protect rainforest area and provides local people with forest-friendly and sustainable livelihoods.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/protecting-the-tambopata-bahuaja-biodiversity-reserve-in-peru
Tropical rainforests, such as those found in the Amazon basin, have long been referred to as “the lungs of the world”. Around a third of the world’s primary tropical rainforest (490 million hectares) is situated in Brazil, and around 80% of this tropical rainforest is situated in the Brazilian part of the Amazon basin. The Amazon rainforest is one of the most biodiverse habitats on the planet, and is home to 10% of all known terrestrial species.
However, sadly, 20% of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest was lost between 1975 and 2018, largely to clear land for agriculture, oil and gas production, mining, logging, and infrastructure.
The objective of this Brazilian Amazon REDD project is to avoid emissions from planned deforestation on a property in Para State, in the Eastern Amazon of Brazil. The property includes five forest areas: Rio Capim, Poty, Cauaxi, Sumal and Caculé, totaling over 200,000 hectares.
Instead of being deforested this area of rainforest will be conserved. Limited forest management activities will be undertaken within the area under Forest Stewardship Council® Certification. It is estimated that the project activity will avoid over 9.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions over 10 years – which would have been emitted in the absence of the project.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/preserving-amazon-rainforest-in-brazil
Colombia is renowned for its richness in biodiversity; accounting for an estimated 10% of the world’s flora and faunal species. It is one of only 12 countries globally that are considered megadiverse. It is estimated that Colombia’s rich ecosystems contain over 40,000 species of plants. Deforestation has historically represented a large environmental challenge in Colombia.
The Matavén REDD+ project protects 1,150,212 hectares of tropical forest in the Indigenous Reservation of the Matavén Forest.
Almost 16,000 Indigenous people live locally, benefitting from co-projects alongside the protection of the forest: including providing education, healthcare centres, dental services, sanitation and food security.
The project is certified to Verra’s Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard (CCBS) and is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard.
Historically Honduras relied heavily on agricultural exports for its income, but nowadays this industry is less dominant, with many people now working in the textiles industry. With more energy-intensive industrial processes comes a higher demand for energy, and in fact demand for energy has more than doubled in the last 20 years, meaning that there is great demand for energy from renewable sources.
This project will generate 345,970MWh of energy every year, which will be put into the National Interconnected System of Honduras. Honduras aims to be producing 60% of its energy from renewable sources by 2022, and this project is playing an important role in reaching that goal. The project is preventing the emission of 226,978 tonnes of CO2e every year it is operational by replacing energy in the national grid generated from burning fossil fuels with energy from wind power.
In addition, 57,000 trees have been planted over 34 acres around the project site including 10,000 species of oak that is native to Central America, and is classified as vulnerable by the The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). During the construction of the project, almost 500 local people were employed, and now 32 local people are employed full time by the project, providing a stable income for the employees and their families. Furthermore, access to clean water for around 2,000 local people was improved by the project in 2014 when three water wells were drilled.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard.
The percentage of India’s population with access to electricity has been rising steadily over the past few decades. While access to electricity is almost universal across India, demand for electricity has more than doubled since 2000, largely due to India’s rapidly growing population.
Coal continues to be India’s primary source of electricity, and the contribution of renewables to India’s energy mix has grown only slightly in the last 20 years, from 1% to 3%. India’s reliance on coal is worrying, and contributes greatly to India’s position as the third biggest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, after China and the USA.
This small hydropower project is located in the lesser Himalayas, in the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. This project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing electricity in the grid that would have been produced by burning fossil fuels. Every year, 17,614 tCO2e will be prevented from being emitted by this hydropower plant. The project will also bring both skilled and unskilled jobs to the local area too, employing 13 local people and training 1 more.
This project is verified by the Gold Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/generating-clean-electrcity-from-hydropower-in-india
Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian and Pacific oceans. Indonesia is currently the fourth largest coal pipeline in the world (after China, India and Turkey) and 6% of the global share. A significant shift from coal expansion to renewable energy generation is needed – and Indonesia has great potential for wind, solar and geothermal energy, all clean alternatives to fossil fuels.
This project is situated in Pringgabaya, on the island of Lombok, Indonesia. The project provides renewable solar energy to a grid which is currently dominated by fossil fuels, helping to displace those polluting energy sources with cleaner power.
The project includes 18 community development activities, as well as providing 69 local jobs.
This project is verified by the Gold Standard.
Thailand’s energy, like in most countries, has historically been produced by burning fossil fuels. However, as new regulations are introduced to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Thailand is producing more energy from renewable sources, including wind power. The demand for energy in Thailand is also expected to increase by 78% by 2036, so there is an urgent need to increase the amount of energy Thailand can produce, with a growing proportion of this energy coming from renewable sources.
This wind power project bundles the West Huaybong 2 and West Huaybong 3 wind farms, which together will generate over 500,000 MWh of electricity every year and feed it into Thailand’s national grid. By replacing electricity generated from fossil fuel fired power plants with renewable electricity generated using wind power, these two wind farms will prevent around 250,000 tonnes of CO2 from being emitted into the atmosphere every year.
This project provides 80 jobs to local people who operate the two wind power plants, as well as providing local support, development and activities annually, including community festivals, educational projects, and sports days.
This project is verified by the Gold Standard.
Taiwan relies on imports of oil and coal for the vast majority of its energy, and renewables currently make up only a tiny portion of the country’s total energy consumption. Due to its location, the island has the potential to harness strong wind both on- and offshore.
This large-scale project harnesses the strong prevailing winds along Taiwan’s Western coast, developing two onshore wind farms. Combined, the wind farms consist of 62 turbines which generate renewable energy which is delivered straight to the national grid.
As well as helping accelerate the country’s shift toward renewables, boosting wind energy production helps to lessen the reliance on fossil fuel imports, representing an economic and national security boost as well. In addition, the project is engaged in several activities that help to preserve the local ecosystem – such as regular beach clean-ups and guided tours that raise awareness about climate change, pollution and other environmental issues. The project has also supported the reforestation of a small parcel of local land, which is encouraging local biodiversity.
This project is verified by the Gold Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/onshore-wind-energy-generation-taiwan
Brazil as a country is the 5th biggest producer of waste in the world. The majority of this waste ends up in landfills, where it decomposes and releases methane gas. Methane is around 34 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide and, when released into the atmosphere, has a significant impact on warming.
The objective of the Uberlândia landfills I and II project is to collect the landfill gas produced in the Uberlândia landfills and use it to generate electricity. The project will collect the methane gas that is produced from this waste, and implement the infrastructure needed to convert this gas into clean energy.
The implementation of this project will both prevent environmentally damaging methane from being released into the atmosphere, and export renewable electricity to the grid, avoiding the dispatch of the same amount of electricity from fossil-fuel based power plants in the Brazilian National Grid. Additionally the project will provide labour capacity and income generation, as qualified operators are needed to maintain and operate the machinery.
This project is verified by the Gold Standard.
Mexico has a lot of wind power potential, with the zone of El Istmo de Tehuantepec alone having the potential to produce over 33,000MW. Increased capacity for producing energy from wind power is vital in Mexico’s transition away from fossil fuels, which still generate over 90% of Mexico’s energy.
The project is part of a larger wind project, with two other wind turbine sites also producing clean energy for Mexico. The three projects have contributed towards several areas of sustainable development in the local area. This includes improved health services in the local area funded by the project. Education has been boosted in the local area by the project too, with grants being offered for Masters degrees in wind energy. Local employment has also been boosted by the project. Jobs at the wind power plant itself have boosted local employment rates, but also 40 women from the local area have been trained on typical clothing embroidery techniques and have received help to organise the sale of their products. Biodiversity has also been supported by the project, with 152.8 hectares of land being restored in local communities, bat monitoring and a vertebrate rescue program has been put in place, and bird observation towers also help reduce the impact of the turbines on local wildlife. In addition, 1,080 children aged 6 to 15 have been taught in a new sustainability classroom about the importance of nature and biodiversity.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard.
Brazil as a country is the 5th biggest producer of waste in the world. The majority of this waste ends up in landfills, where it decomposes and releases methane gas. Methane is around 34 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide and, when released into the atmosphere, has a significant impact on warming.
Macaúbas Landfill Gas Project is a landfill gas collection, use and flare project in Brazil. The main objective of the project is to prevent emissions of methane gas into the atmosphere from the landfill site called “Central de Tratamento de Resíduos Macaúbas” located in the municipality of Sabará in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The project activity comprises the installation of new active LFG extraction, flaring and electricity generation systems.
The implementation of this project will both prevent environmentally damaging methane from being released into the atmosphere and export electricity to the grid, while preventing emissions of methane. Additionally the project will provide jobs and income generation, as qualified operators are needed to maintain and operate the machinery.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard.
https://ecologi.com/projects/avoiding-methane-emissions-from-landfill-in-brazil
In Tanzania, the primary fuel source for over 90% of the population of around 48 million people is biomass, in the form of firewood or charcoal. Data from 2020 showed that less than 5% of the population had access to clean fuels for cooking. For the remaining 95% of the population, their only choice currently is to use more polluting sources of fuel, such as firewood and charcoal.
Installing what are often known as ‘cleaner cookstoves’ can bring lots of benefits to both people and the environment. By reducing the amount of wood and charcoal that is burned by using these more efficient stoves, the volume of greenhouse gas emissions produced is reduced, and also less time and energy needs to be spent collecting this fuel – a job which often falls to women and children to carry out.
This project will distribute and install 500,000 fuel-efficient improved cookstoves throughout Tanzania, replacing less efficient cooking setups – often open fires. The project brings several benefits for local people, including freeing up of time and money for other income-generating activities, health benefits due to reducing exposure to air pollution in the home, and increased food security due to nutrient retention with decreased cook time.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard and Verra’s Sustainable Development Verified Impact Standard (SD VISta).
In many countries around the world, burning non-renewable biomass is the most common source of heat for cooking. Often, the stoves used to burn this biomass are not efficient enough to make the best use of the fuel available, leading to high levels of unsustainable deforestation.
Furthermore, burning more biomass than is essential produces even more greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change. Not only are these emissions bad for the planet, they’re also detrimental to the health of the people nearby, producing air pollution within the home that compromises respiratory health. In Kenya, 9 million people rely on biomass for cooking. Distributing cleaner cookstoves can bring lots of benefits to both people and the environment.
This project distributes fuel efficient ‘Jikokoa’ cookstoves to communities around Kenya. These stoves reduce charcoal consumption by 64%, helping to ease the impact on local forests, and saving local families money. The stoves reduce indoor air pollution by 65%, generating health benefits for the families who rely on them. Over the lifetime of this project, over 380,000 cookstoves will be distributed, avoiding 4.3 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, and reducing demand for wood fuel by 2.4 million tonnes. The manufacture and distribution of the stoves all takes place locally in a solar-powered facility, which provides over a thousand jobs for local people.
This project is verified by the Gold Standard.
Thailand is a country situated in Southeast Asia, with a population of around 70.1 million people. Its annual average temperature has increased by an average rate of 0.8°С per century since the 1950’s.
This project is situated in the Nongwang, Bueng Prue and Samnaktakhro sub-districts of Thepharak District, Nakhonratchasima Province in Thailand. The project site is Northeast of Bangkok, and is a greenfield project, meaning that no prior activity was installed before the commissioning of this project.
The purpose of this project is to generate clean electricity through the utilisation of wind energy by implementing 90 megawatts (MW) of wind power from 30 Wind Turbine Generators (WTGs) of an individual capacity of 3 MW each. In this project, energy from wind is converted into mechanical energy and subsequently transformed into electrical energy. There are no GHG emissions associated with the electricity generation created from this project. The electricity generated by this project is exported to the Thailand National grid, which will displace an equivalent amount of electricity which would have otherwise been generated by fossil fuel sources.
This project is verified by the Verified Carbon Standard.