FORESTRY
Katingan REDD+ Forest Protection
The project area is located entirely within state-designated production forest which, without the project, would be converted to fast-growing industrial pulpwood plantations. The project prevents this, having obtained full legal control of the production forest area through an Ecosystem Restoration Concession license, blocking the applications of plantation companies.
This project has completed the additional Climate, Community and Biodiversity (CCB) standards. The forest habitat supports 2 critically endangered, 11 endangered and 31 vulnerable species. Preliminary estimates indicate an estimated population of nearly 4,000 orangutans and 10,000 Bornean gibbons, as well as over 500 Proboscis monkeys. These populations represent over 5% of the remaining global populations of these species. Overall, the project area’s biodiversity includes 157 birds, 67 mammals, 41 reptiles, 8 amphibians, 111 fish, and 314 floral species.
BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
Rimba Raya REDD+ Forest Protection
The Rimba Raya peat swamp forests are located in Central Kalimantan province on the island of Borneo in Indonesia. Prior to the project's establishment, these immensely biodiverse tropical peatlands were scheduled for conversion into four palm oil estates by the provincial government. The Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve protects 91,215 hectares of rich, tropical peat swamp forests, which are monitored by local rangers as well as by satellite and aerial imagery. The reserve is adjacent to the world-renowned Tanjung Puting National Park and forms a physical buffer zone along the parks eastern border. As well as preserving ecosystem diversity and the habitat of endangered species such as the Bornean orangutan, the project reduces emissions by preventing the planned deforestation of over 47,000 hectares of forest for palm oil production.
Project Hummingbird
Method:
DAC is a highly scalable solution for atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Removal and plays a crucial role in all scenarios to limit global warming to 1.5°C. In essence, DAC technology captures CO2 by moving atmospheric air through a CO2-selective filter. Once this filter is saturated, captured CO2 is typically released by heating the filter material, regenerating the CO2 filter for future use. This CO2 can then be stored permanently and safely in underground geological reservoirs, by either trapping it with a cap rock and / or injecting it into reactive rock pores for mineralization, i.e., turning CO2 into rock.
Octavia Carbon has designed its technology to utilize Kenya's unique resources to overcome the challenges associated with DAC’s traditionally high energy intensity. Its proprietary CO2 filter regenerates at 60-70°C, the lowest temperatures in the DAC industry, allowing it to use Kenya’s plentiful geothermal waste heat uniquely well for its process. Given that this heat energy accounts for ~85% of energy that Octavia Carbon’s approach uses, their method drastically lowers the electricity needed for DAC, and so has the potential to make DAC technology rapidly fall down the cost curve. Leveraging Kenya’s well-educated and abundant workforce, they are also developing their technology at a uniquely modular scale (of just 10 tons of CO2 captured per year in each module). That allows for fast iteration & learning, which has already halved their manufacturing costs from 2022-23, so that their overall costs are now amongst the world’s lowest.
Kenya is increasingly recognized as the world’s best place for DAC not only because of its geothermal capacity, geology and talent, but also because its grid is powered by ~93% renewable energy. For DAC to have tangible climate benefits, it needs to run in places with high renewables penetration to not divert sparse renewables capacity away from retiring fossil fuel power plants. Kenya is such a place, with not just abundant, but excess renewables capacity, where about ~1,000 MWh of geothermal electricity is curtailed every day for lack of industrial demand. By tapping this waste capacity, Project Hummingbird and its successor projects will help to make geothermal power more economic in Kenya, and by eliminating waste capacity, more affordable to end consumers. This can help the Kenyan government achieve its target of building a 100% renewable grid by 2030, and to extend electricity access to all Kenyans. For this reason, Project Hummingbird enjoys strong support from Kenyan policymakers, with Kenya’s Climate Change Envoy Dr. Ali Mohamed personally acting as an advisor to Octavia Carbon.
Project Goals:
CO2e to be removed: 10,000 metric tons over the project’s 10-year lifetime
Social Impact:
Job creation & sustainable development initiatives in local communities whose traditional pastoralist livelihoods are heavily affected by climate change induced drought.
USA Cropland Agricultural Management
The implementation of these practices achieves a range of beneficial outcomes, including enhanced carbon sequestration rates in the soil, minimized soil disturbance and erosion, amplified crop residue, and improved water management. As a result, significant improvements in soil, water, and air quality occur, fostering greater biological diversity, and providing vital natural habitats while optimizing ecosystem functioning.
The project provides the financial, agronomic, and educational support needed for growers to implement regenerative land management practices on croplands that not only produce agricultural products sustainably and profitably but also have a positive impact on climate change.
Agoro Carbon credits are additional, encompass strong permanence characteristics, contribute to a variety of benefits beyond carbon sequestration, and are reinforced by a robust MRV framework underpinned by physical soil sample measurements. Investing in Agoro Carbon quality credits supports the global transformation of agriculture that will benefit farmers and the planet.
The Agoro Carbon Cropland project is making a substantial impact, currently managing an impressive 330,000 acres (133,546 hectares) with further expansion underway. Throughout its lifespan, it is projected to remove approximately 8.7 million metric tons of CO2e, making a significant contribution to combatting climate change.
Setting Agoro Carbon apart is its pioneering role as the sole developer offering SD VISTa Ag Carbon projects in the market. These projects will incorporate several verified Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as Zero Hunger, Quality Education, Clean Water and Sanitation, Decent Work and Economic Growth, and Climate Action.
MASH Biochar
Using its uniquely assembled thermochemical platform, MASH pyrolyzes crop residue in a containerized machine that produces high-quality, EBC-certified biochar with a low oxygen content and a high fixed carbon content of 84.9%. This makes it an ideal product for permanent carbon sequestration applications such as soil enhancement and land remediation. Indeed, biochar has been proven to be a quantifiable, verifiable, and stable option for the highest quality carbon sequestration
The biochar cycle: The project is divided into two phases:
- Production of biochar: MASH will employ its unique pyrolysis machine, which enables feedstock to be efficiently heated using only residual pyro-gas from the process. The machine also has the capacity to generate 450 kW electricity and produces near ISO-compliant bio-oil, which is presently being tested and upgraded for use as a boiler and a marine fuel. Moreover, a wide variety of agricultural residues can be used as feedstock for the process, creating a plethora of potential business cases and a highly scalable business model in which every business case is deployed in the form of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).
- Use of biochar for permanent carbon sequestration: MASH will permanently sequester carbon in the following ways:
- Biochar as a soil conditioning additive: Biochar has been proven to augment crop productivity by improving soil quality, increasing water and nutrient-retention, bettering water drainage, maintaining soil pH, removing harmful toxins, and increasing carbon content.
- Biochar as an additive to construction materials: Thanks to its extremely low thermal conductivity and its ability to absorb water up to twice its weight, biochar is the perfect material for insulating buildings and regulating humidity. In combination with lime and cement mortar, it can be used as an additive for plaster or for bricks and concrete elements at a ratio of up to 80%, resulting in interior walls with excellent insulation and breathing properties.
Monitoring methods: MASH plans to use the following monitoring and verification techniques to ensure the credibility of its credits:
- Carbonfuture’s MRV: MASH will use Carbonfuture’s MRV for the monitoring and verification of carbon removal credits.
- Annual European Biochar Certificate (EBC) audits: The quality of biochar produced will be monitored by the EBC and audited annually as part of the EBC C-sink certification. This audit will be conducted by a third-party auditor, who will monitor the production data and carbon sinks created.
- Randomized internal audits: Because MASH’s Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) are fully automated, the plants’ daily production data is readily available. On the biochar application end, randomized audits will be conducted to track the sink creation process.
Through the production and use of biochar, MASH aims to create the following triple bottom-line approach that:
- Valorizes crop residue that would have otherwise been burnt in an uncontrolled environment.
- Sequesters carbon in the soil for hundreds, or possibly thousands of years.
- Improves soil quality, thereby remediating semi-arid and arid lands and converting them into future cereal/cash crop baskets essential for an increased agricultural throughput for the growing population.
By purchasing carbon removal credits from MASH’s biochar projects, you will enable MASH to replicate this state-of-art carbon removal solution and actuate the accompanying co-benefits.
Rural Nepal Improved Cookstove Distribution
The improved cookstoves reduce fuel consumption and emissions from in-home cooking and water heating tasks. This substantially lowers wood fuel consumption compared to a three-stone fire or traditional pot support.
The project implementer trains local residents, including women, for outreach to households in need of stove construction. This element of community participation ensures sustainable use of the cookstoves. In addition, a satisfaction survey is maintained by the project developer, along with all records on cookstove distribution.
In villages where the ICS are disseminated, technicians respond to any concerns related to their usage and operation. They also provide a monthly activity report, covering aspects such as maintenance and repairs, to the project development team in Kathmandu.
Ras Ghareb Wind
The project will displace the generation of more greenhouse gas (GHG)-intensive electricity from existing and planned fossil fuel-based power plants, resulting in significant GHG emission reductions. In total, RGWE will provide renewable energy to 150,000 households in a country with an 80% dependence on fossil fuels. The project is aligned with Egypt's governmental policies to increase NCRE generation to 30% of total energy demand by 2035.
CarbonApp - Igloo France
Igloo France Cellulose implements all available means towards a sustainable development and energy transition. One ton of its bio-based carbon net-negative cellulose fiber insulation (CFI) removes 1,04 tons of CO2eq from the atmosphere into long-term storage. This insulation is suitable for both new and refurbished buildings. Over 18 months, up to 31400 tons of CFI have been fitted and insures the proper insulation of 39 000 housings. This product offers CO2 storage within a durable building for at least 50 years. No heat is necessary to manufacture cellulose insulation, through its near-zero-waste production process. Finally, due to its excellent thermal performance, cellulose fiber insulation allows for significant energy savings throughout the year, an undeniable advantage for individuals and the environment.
In durable managed forests, growing trees are capturing enormous amounts of CO2 by absorbing it in its fibers. When harvest happen, the left-over wood material (other than building material), is used primarily for paper manufacturing. Once the paper cycle is finished, new paper can be made, with the help of added fresh fibers. The Igloo concept uses 100% recycled paper as its main ingredient. This means that the harvested CO2 is not released back into the atmosphere but stored in buildings.
Igloo fibers are used in industrial and residential buildings, houses, cabins, and even public buildings.
There are a variety of different co-benefits that stem from deployment of Igloo products. The Igloo loose fill insulation fibers are a very efficient thermal insulation product and can generate energy cost (and carbon) savings in buildings where implemented. In recycling, by repurposing paper products into Igloo cellulose insulation, the CO2 embodied in the paper is locked-up for the lifetime of the building. Lastly, Igloo Cellulose Fibers are a significantly less carbon intensive alternative to traditional insulation materials.
The proceeds from carbon credits will allow the company to develop the logistics network and systems to collect local wastepaper. Most proceeds will be used towards a major change in the production process. The addition of cardboard in the paper mix requires new machinery, new developments, and new training. Overall, this shift will lead to an even lower carbon impact in the finished product by reducing the impact of transportation of wastepaper as raw material and enable the company to offer even broader recycling possibilities for wastepaper to the community.