Nature can mitigate climate change

Ecosystem degradation and thirst for resources are driving our forests – and the lands they stand on – to utter destruction. Unless these are restored, desertification, water scarcity and livelihood loss will cause immense human suffering.

Forestation on degraded lands is not just good for the climate, it restores the whole ecosystem. From sustenance for bio-diversity to livelihoods for humans, forests – if managed sustainably - can be great sources of financial, social and environmental wealth.

Forests can also replace carbon intensive products and services – especially energy and materials – with carbon neutral ones. Bamboo and energy from biomass are two examples that have ready, captive markets and that don't need heavy capital expenditure to operationalise.

The challenge is to channel intentions, innovations and investments into nature based projects on degraded lands. This single intervention alone has the potential to neutralise 25% of global greenhouse gases.

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Sustainable climate action through nature based interventions- Challenges and opportunities

How we work

Identify degraded land

We work with public authorities such as forest departments and village councils to identify and take custody of degraded lands for afforestation and maintenance in 10 year contracts. The land and forests that stand on it remain the property of the original owners. We only take the carbon credits that the forest generates.

Arrange funding

ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) conscious corporations are today leading the way in climate action. We partner with these companies to fund the establishment and maintenance of new forests on degraded lands. In return, they earn the carbon credits generated by the project.

Operationalise the project

Our teams implement afforestation projects on degraded lands using a holistic, ecosystem and watershed management design and a long term view of both environmental and livelihood goals.

Manage the project

We maintain the project for at least 10 years from inception or till our custody lease allows. Our objective while maintaining the project is to demonstrate absolute integrity to agreed parameters and hand it over to a responsible management when we leave.

Monetise the carbon

Apart from carbon credits, which accrue to the sponsor of a particular project, forests provide several other product s and services that can be availed without affecting the health of the ecosystem. From sustainably harvested timber to forest waste and biomass, forests provide a wealth of economic opportunities. These are monetised in partnership with the owners of the land, the communities that live in the project catchment and the sponsors of the project. The surplus raised is invested to create new forests.

Create livelihoods

The wealth created by the forests offers a myriad of opportunities for livelihood generation in the catchment of our projects. We engage the communities around the project to provide them with sustainable livelihood opportunities rooted in the forests, so they develop a symbiotic relationship with the ecosystem. Human-nature conflict, the root of environmental destruction must be turned around to become a human-nature partnership if our forests are to survive and thrive.

PROJECT DESIGN

We bring together diverse stakeholders to create a self-propagating process that can capture carbon at scale while sustaining ecosystems and livelihoods.