Displaying items by tag: Rainforest Alliance

First to achieve validation for a CarbonFix project in North America

The Rainforest Alliance has validated an afforestation project of CO2 Environment to the standards of CarbonFix, making the Quebec-based project the first in North America to meet the rigorous requirements for worldwide climate forest projects. CO2 Environment projects aim to reforest degraded lands in order to obtain carbon credits.

Located in the greater metropolitan area of Montreal, Canada, this project covers a total area of 109.6 hectares (270.8 acres) and has the potential to sequester a total of 41,890 tCO2_e, equal to the annual emissions of 8000 compact cars. The project focuses on the reforestation of degraded and unused lands in urban areas, in addition to the regeneration of ecosystems and the creation of green spaces.

As the first CarbonFix validated project in North America, the developers of CO2 Environment pioneered the concept of an urban afforestation project that has the goal of selling carbon credits to finance the project’s cost.  

"CO2 Environment has a simple, common sense approach to afforestation that makes you wonder why nobody did this before,” said Alex Boursier, Canadian regional forestry manager at the Rainforest Alliance. “We hope to see more projects like this in the near future -- that's good news for the planet, for biodiversity and for those who support the voluntary carbon market." 

CarbonFix is a leading climate forest standard developed by the non-profit organization CarbonFix along with more than 60 different forestry and development aid organizations worldwide The  standard developers aim to increase the amount of sustainably managed forests and decrease global carbon dioxide levels. Projects that meet the CarbonFix Standard are socially and ecologically responsible.

“We are proud to have achieved validation as the first CarbonFix project in North America,” said Pierre-Luc Lamontagne, vice president and founder of CO2 Environment. “Choosing a high quality standard is one thing, but having it validated by the Rainforest Alliance is a proud accomplishment and a significant step for the future of our company.”

According to Boursier, the validation demonstrates how small scale afforestation projects can be feasible and highlights the ability to forge public and private partnerships to create environmentally beneficial projects. Independent, third-party assessments of forest carbon projects are essential to establishing the value of carbon credits and ensuring the credibility of individual projects and the overall market. The Rainforest Alliance conducts rigorous, transparent and high-quality audits of forestry and agroforestry projects against a wide range of voluntary standards and is accredited by the American National Standards Institute to ISO 14065:2007, the international standard for greenhouse gas validation and verification bodies.

The Paiter Suruí -- an indigenous tribe in the Brazilian Amazon -- has become the first indigenous group to receive validation under two emerging global carbon market standards, designed to ensure ecological integrity while benefiting local communities. The Suruí Forest Carbon Project (SFCP) was validated by the Rainforest Alliance and partner Imaflora against the Climate, Community and Biodiversity (CCB) Alliance Standard 2nd Edition, Gold Level standard as well as the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS).

By providing communities like the Suruí with an economic incentive to conserve their forests, climate validation programs serve the goals laid out in the first Rio Earth Summit. By conserving large areas of tropical forest -- that otherwise would be deforested -- the Suruí can access the market for carbon credits. Companies looking to offset their carbon emissions can buy credits from projects like SFCP, which reduce emissions. Forest carbon projects provide a successful platform for incentivizing both forest conservation and climate change mitigation -- urgent focal points of the upcoming Rio+20 Earth Summit in Brazil.

“The validation of the Suruí carbon project demonstrates that it is possible for indigenous groups to develop, under their own initiative, a carbon project that follows all national and international applicable safeguards, including what is most important for indigenous groups: the free, prior and informed consent,” said Mauricio Voivodic, executive director at Imaflora. “This project sets an example for other indigenous groups who are looking for opportunities with the carbon markets.” 

Located in the Brazilian Amazon, the SFCP covers an area of 79,059 acres (31,994 hectares) of land in the Sete de Setembro Indigenous Territory (TISS) -- an area under intense deforestation pressure as a result of agricultural conversion. In the region, more than 5.9 million acres (2.4 million hectares) were deforested between 2000 and 2009. Over the next 30 years, the SFCP aims to prevent 33,544 acres (13,575 hectares) of tropical forests from being cleared and avoid the emission of 7,423,806 tCO2e into the atmosphere, while helping to preserve the lifestyle and traditions of the Paiter Suruí.

“The Suruí truly led the process and decision-making for their own carbon project to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) and doing it to the highest standards,” said Jeff Hayward, director of the climate program at the Rainforest Alliance. “This marks a real milestone and serves as a noteworthy example that forest communities, especially indigenous peoples, can chart their own destiny to design and manage successful, effective REDD+ projects.”

The VCS is the leading standard in the international voluntary carbon market for the quantification of climate change benefits, while the CCB project standards ensure that carbon projects also produce benefits for local communities and biodiversity.

The Rainforest Alliance and Imaflora played a significant role in the validation of this project, ensuring that adequate safeguards within the REDD+ project design were met, and that the project met the most rigorous standards available for REDD+ assessments. As the Rainforest Alliance continues its mission to help developing countries and local communities implement long-term solutions to address the effects of climate change, this project serves as a benchmark and demonstrates how to implement effective REDD+ projects in indigenous communities. 

To help celebrate 25 years of the Rainforest Alliance's achievements, Domtar Corporation (NYSE: UFS) (TSX: UFS) today announced it will co-sponsor the sustainability organization's 25^th anniversary gala on May 16 in New York City.

The annual dinner and award ceremony will commemorate some of the Rainforest Alliance's biggest triumphs since pioneering the concept of responsible forestry certification. Those include:

• Conserving more than 170 million acres of forest and farmlands in over 100 countries;
• Improving the lives of more than 9.5 million people worldwide, including farmers, forest managers, workers and their families;
• Engaging with more than 490,000 agriculture, forestry and tourism operations; and
• Introducing countless consumers to Rainforest Alliance Certified™ products. That includes extensive work with Domtar, whose papers have set the industry standard for displaying the Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC^®) label and the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal.

Domtar has worked with the Rainforest Alliance to ensure that 28 of the company's pulp and paper mills and converting and distribution facilities now meet FSC standards. Nearly 20 percent of Domtar's paper products have been FSC-certified while, across America, the FSC estimates that only 4 to 6 percent of paper products earn that distinction.

"After all our hard work over the past 25 years, it's important for us to recognize companies for their demonstrated commitments to sustainability, and that list includes Domtar" said Tensie Whelan, president of the Rainforest Alliance. "We've worked with Domtar for more than a decade, and we're proud of how they have raised the bar for the paper industry and set an example for encouraging environmental responsibility."

Proceeds from the gala will benefit the Rainforest Alliance's comprehensive sustainability initiatives, which help ensure sustainable livelihoods and conserve biodiversity. This marks the seventh year Domtar has sponsored the gala, one of the ways Domtar has teamed up with the Rainforest Alliance to encourage responsible paper production and fiber sourcing.

"We're proud to be at the forefront of the responsible production and use of forest products, and we're excited for both the gala, as well as a workshop beforehand that will bring together leaders in sustainable business," said Lewis Fix, Domtar Vice-President of Sustainable Business and Brand Management. "We're looking forward to saluting some of this year's remarkable achievements, and we also salute the Rainforest Alliance for 25 years of accomplishments."

SOURCE DOMTAR CORPORATION

The Rainforest Alliance today announced that Taan Forest, owned by the Haida Enterprise Corporation (HaiCo) of Haida Gwaii, in British Columbia, has successfully achieved Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, becoming the first forest in British Columbia to meet FSC standards since 2009. Haida Gwaii is an archipelago of 200 islands off the northwest coast of British Columbia renowned for both its cultural importance and unique biodiversity.

“This investment by the Haida people in achieving FSC Certification is a big step forward for Taan Forest,” said Bob Brash, president of Taan Forest. “The Haida Nation’s special relationship with their forests and environment is well known. We are extremely pleased that stringent independent audits under the world’s preeminent FSC standards confirmed as such.”
 
Taan Forest completed a series of assessments and reports over the last year led by the Rainforest Alliance. Taan is the group manager of the FSC certificate that includes Tree Farm Licence 60 and the Haida and British Columbia Timber Sales Forest Licenses within Timber Supply Area 25 on Moresby and Graham Islands, representing 884,884 acres (358,100 hectares).

“Taan Forest was able to achieve FSC certification in just 11 months, illustrating its strong commitment to adopting the highest social and environmental standards,” said Krista West, forest management coordinator at the Rainforest Alliance. “This achievement sets a shining example to the forestry community in BC and Canada, demonstrating that FSC certification is within practical reach.”
 
“Change starts with us and the way we approach forestry,” said Guujaaw, president of the Haida Nation. “We know that we can maintain our culture, respect nature, and still derive a livelihood from the forests.”

FSC certification requirements are widely considered the “gold standard” for sustainable forest management, and the Rainforest Alliance is the leading FSC certifier worldwide. Over 167,413,895 acres (67,750,000 hectares) of forestlands worldwide have been certified to FSC standards by the Rainforest Alliance. The FSC standards cover environmental protection, wildlife protection, worker rights and safety, just wages, good living conditions and healthcare.

Study Shows World Heritage Sites Benefit from Forest Stewardship Council Certification

A new study conducted by the Rainforest Alliance found that World Heritage Sites and other protected areas benefit when neighboring forests achieve Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. According to study co-author Deanna Newsom, “The FSC certification process required forestry operations located close to World Heritage Sites to take many actions that help protect the habitat of threatened and endangered wildlife and ward off invasive species. Other actions -- such as hiring local people -- reduce incentive for illicit activities within park boundaries, such as illegal logging and wildlife poaching.”

FSC requirements for certified forests that were found to benefit World Heritage Sites include the identification and conservation of high conservation value forests and habitats for threatened and endangered species, the prevention of fires and the movement of invasive species, decent pay for workers, the availability of jobs for local communities, access to the harvesting of non-timber forest products, and access to forests for cultural practices and traditional rituals.

“The key to conserving any area -- whether it be a working forest or a World Heritage Site -- is to ensure that community members have a direct interest in protecting it,” noted Tensie Whelan, president of the Rainforest Alliance. “Through FSC certification, local communities learn about the importance of protecting their natural resources and are provided with the financial incentive to do so.” 

FSC certification requirements are widely considered the “gold standard” for sustainable forest management, and the Rainforest Alliance is the leading FSC certifier worldwide. The recent study conducted by Deanna Newsom and David Hughell evaluated nine FSC/Rainforest Alliance Certified forestry operations located within 12 miles of a World Heritage Site. These include: Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks and Waterton Glacier International Peace Park on the Canada/US border), Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve in Honduras, the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra in Indonesia, Central Sikhote-Amin in Siberia and Tikal National Park in Guatemala.

Since the adoption of UNESCO World Heritage Convention in 1972, the designation ‘World Heritage Site’ has been awarded to 911 properties of outstanding natural or cultural importance. According to the 2012 watch list recently published by the World Monument Fund, 67 World Heritage sites in 41 countries are currently threatened.

By targeting the areas around World Heritage Sites and other protected areas for FSC certification, the social and environmental benefits of certified forestry can extend beyond the forest’s boundaries and into nearby forests and communities, giving a measure of extra protection to some of the world’s most precious natural sites.