Carbon offsetting has been promoted as an essential action for businesses and individuals to help combat climate change. But how can we make sure projects are not just a “quick carbon fix”?
We have formed a partnership with the Conservation Carbon Company (CCC) to develop a unique “carbon plus” offsetting programme in Sri Lanka. Unlike other schemes which focus only on carbon, our projects take a holistic approach towards environmental sustainability by working in three areas:
- Mitigating against climate change, by sequestering carbon.
- Socially, by giving value to landowners who conserve carbon, and supporting farmers in sustainable farming practices.
- Environmentally, but recreating habitat for local biodiversity and enhancing soil and water quality
We believe it is essential all three of these needs are met to create a cleaner, brighter future.
Climate benefits
We believe that photosynthesis is one of the most effective ways to address the problem of increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, after reducing the reliance on fossil fuels. The photosynthetic activity of plants take CO2 out of the atmosphere and fixes it in a solid state as organic matter. This method of sequestering carbon is the best way to make a long-term reduction in the volume of CO2 in the atmosphere and to arrest climate change.
Social benefits
Our projects focus on small-holder farmers, who are often the poorest and weakest in the agricultural chain. By rewarding farmers for sequestering carbon, and by building their potential to be certified organic, they have the opportunity to increase their household income through sustainable farming practices.
Environmental benefits
Rural small-holders are often responsible for practices that effect local ecosystems through their farming activities. But they also have the potential to play a critical role in restoring vital habitat for endangered species through the development of ecosystems.
RRI and CCC partnership
CCC partners with us to deliver carbon programmes. While CCC provides the mechanism through which you can trade your carbon credits, we work directly with farmers to:
- Conduct baseline surveys of carbon and biodiversity on farmers’ lands
- Train farmers in sustainable, organic agricultural production methods
- Provide ecologically important and economically valuable plant species to farmers
- Support farmers in achieving environmental and economic sustainability
To find out more, or to offset your carbon, contact Charith Senanayake on +94 (0)91 223 2585 or at
charith@rainforestrescueinternational.org
» Download the case study for this project (PDF, 118KB)
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