Carbon Offset Standards: VCS (Verified Carbon Standard), CCB (Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards) and REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation). Project type: Agricultural, forestry and landscapes Region: Latin America
This conservation project in Guatemala protects a critical migratory corridor for biodiversity, including hundreds of bird species, connecting North and South America.
In 2021 and 2022, ecolibrium members donated to carbon-balance travel carbon emissions through support for a Coast and Forest Conservation Project in Guatemala as part of the Trees+ climate solution programme. In 2022 over 2,700 tCO2e were carbon balanced as part of the conservation programme.
Belonging to the biologically diverse Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, forests in the project area are important nationally and internationally for the ecosystem services they provide. The project is the world’s largest grouped forest-based carbon project; involving hundreds of diverse landowners (including governmental, NGO, private and local communities) who have joined together to protect 675 parcels of forest making up a total of 59,341 hectares.
This project is truly landscape-scale and community-based: activities on the ground to develop sustainable livelihoods include working with local farmers on technical assistance, agriculture inputs and route-to-market for a variety of sustainably produced products such as spices and jungle leaves, as well as developing this beautiful coastline into a thriving eco-tourism hub.
The project is critical to local water supply, as municipal water comes from the watershed which is protected by conserving the ecosystem in the area. In addition, protecting forests along coastlines also helps in coastal defence and disaster risk reduction for local communities.
Sustainable Development Goals: In addition to delivering emissions reductions to take climate action (SDG 13), this coast and forest conservation project delivers several other benefits including:
Find out more about ecolibrium Trees+ programme and project partners: The Rainforest Trust and Temwa.