My Carbon Plants Trees!

Scientists at the IPCC have shown that increased levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are warming the planet, creating extreme weather changes around the world. Currently, burning fossil fuels—coal, oil and gas—is the main driver of increased GHG levels.

Under the banner of the UN and Paris Agreement, the world’s countries have come together to declare that urgent action must be taken to lower emissions if we are to maintain a habitable planet that can support the world’s population.

The latest research emphasizes that urgent action must be taken by everyone in order to safeguard some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and communities on the planet.

The current pledges and actions are falling short and the window to keep climate change in check is shrinking. We need to increase ambition and mobilize climate finance to lower greenhouse gas emissions drastically to reach internationally ratified targets such as the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Beyond the moral drivers, it is becoming imperative for businesses to take action in order to continue their operations, for example building resilient supply chains and mitigating financial risks or maintaining consumer trust. Moving capital towards climate-smart solutions opens doors to many opportunities and can be a long-term growth driver

• Carbon credits are measurable, verifiable emission reductions from certified climate action projects. These projects reduce, remove, or avoid greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. But they also bring a whole host of other positive benefits, for example, they empower communities, protect ecosystems, restore forests, or reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
• Projects must adhere to a rigorous set of criteria to pass verification by third-party agencies and a review by a panel of experts at a leading carbon offset standard like Verra or Gold Standard.
• After an organization or an individual buys a carbon credit, the credit is permanently retired so it can’t be reused.

Projects reduce or remove the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere in at least one of three ways.

• The first avoids greenhouse gas emissions, for example replacing fossil fuel-derived energy with energy from renewable sources.
• The second removes emissions from the atmosphere, for example, planting more trees, which sequester—or capture—carbon from the atmosphere and store it in liquid or solid form.
• The third captures and destroys emissions, for example capturing methane—a GHG many times more potent than carbon dioxide—from wastewater.

Carbon removal projects, like the name suggests, remove carbon from the atmosphere. Broadly speaking, they are split into 2 categories: natural carbon removals, like tree planting which sequesters carbon as the trees grow, and technological carbon removals, for example, direct air capture. Find out more about our carbon removals solutions here.

Carbon avoidance projects contribute to climate action by preventing carbon that would have been released into the atmosphere. This could be building a wind farm to lower reliance on fossil fuels, repairing boreholes to replace the need for purifying water by boiling it on open fires and preventing deforestation.

There are a number of reasons prices of carbon credits vary, including:

• The value projects deliver beyond carbon, for example some projects empower women or have direct impacts on people’s lives;
• Varying implementation costs depending on the size and location of a project;
• Similarly, some types of technology are more expensive than others;
• Carbon pricing regulations can affect prices in the voluntary carbon markets too; and
• Prices are driven to a large extent by supply and demand.

South Pole believes that carbon credits play a critical role in achieving global climate goals and supporting a just transition. Compensating unavoidable emissions through carbon projects:

• Catalyzes faster climate action
• Puts a price on carbon
• Attracts funding to eligible and deserving projects
• Develops and scales solutions that dramatically reduce emissions
• Allows companies to do something (rather than nothing) on their way to net zero

Carbon credits certified under ICROA-approved standards ensures that emission reductions achieved by carbon projects adhere to the highest quality principles and processes. This guarantees transparency, accountability, and the impact of carbon finance.

For 15 years, South Pole has been engaged in carbon markets. Its expertise spans stakeholder management, advising on emission reduction activities and preparing technical documentation for a project to generate carbon credits under the leading global carbon standards.

Through its global network, South Pole connects certified projects run by local partners with climate-conscious organizations looking to tackle their carbon footprint.

Its project implementation partners include NGOs, Indigenous Community groups, landowners, and private organizations who need carbon finance to fund their planet-saving activities.

The monies from this specific campaign will directly support South Pole Conservation Fund’s Garcia River Forest Protection project, protecting and restoring California’s Northern Redwoods.

Of the final sales revenue, a substantial portion goes directly to the project so it can implement the climate protecting activities.

A smaller portion is paid for the registration and regular auditing process, carbon registry fees, and South Pole’s own time and investment. These steps are crucial in ensuring the integrity of carbon credits and in helping the project owner access carbon finance.

South Pole’s team both develops and retails carbon credits. This means that most of its carbon credits are sourced directly from the project, rather than via brokers. This cuts out the middle-men so the maximum amount of investment goes directly into the project activities.

As one of the largest global project developers, South Pole has developed over 700 climate action projects in renewables, forestry, agriculture, industry, households, and public institutions spanning the globe.

With its clients’ support it as positively affected over 20 million people around the globe, saved over 100 million tons of CO2, enabled the production of more than 140,000 GWh of renewable energy, protected or restored over 55,000 km2 of land, and helped create nearly 100,000 jobs in developing countries. Find out more here.