Welcome to Wildlife Works monthly newsletter; Reasons for Wild Hope. This month, we're excited to share inspiring stories from around the world, groundbreaking research, and key updates from the voluntary carbon market.
Despite Earth having its hottest June on record, there are key reasons for wild hope this month. Deforestation in Colombia fell 36% to a 23-year low in 2023, driven by declining environmental destruction in the Amazon region. In Tanzania, conservationists found two specimens of a rare tree species feared to be extinct, exemplifying the resilience of nature and sparking hope for ecosystem recovery. New research published in Nature shows that despite the many threats forests face, they are amazingly still absorbing as much carbon as they were 30 years ago.
It's Never Too Late: The Story of Boongo Philip
Recently, our team in the Democratic Republic of Congo shared the story of Boongo Philip. Despite facing educational barriers for most of his life, Boongo graduated from high school at age 56 when the Mai Ndombe REDD+ project opened up a school. Now, he is giving back as a teacher.
"I dream of my children surpassing my achievements," Boongo shares. "Their success will uplift not just our family, but our entire Indigenous Batwa community."
Boongo’s story is a testament to the transformative power of education and the importance of REDD+ finance in creating unprecedented opportunities.
Giraffe Rescue in Kenya
Last month, rangers at the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ project in Kenya helped to rescue a giraffe with a cable snare wrapped around its neck. Thanks to the vigilant park rangers and a quick response from our partners at KWS and Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, the giraffe was saved from this lethal injury. Watch a video of the rescue mission here. In other news, community engagement at Kasigau is scoring big, as football matches between staff and locals are used as opportunities to raise awareness about wildlife protection, address environmental issues, and promote sustainable agriculture.
Colombia: Biodiversity COP16 is Just Around the Corner
With Biodiversity COP16 in Colombia fast approaching, it is crucial to recognize the potential of REDD+ to contribute to the goals of the historic Global Biodiversity Framework and build a more resilient future for our life on this planet. This blog highlights the synergies between REDD+ and the Framework through the lens of our new projects in Colombia.
Employee Spotlight: Javier Mancera
Our global conservation work would not be possible without the dedication, expertise, and passion of our team members. Each month, get to know our team members and what they do through our Employee Spotlight Series.
In last month's spotlight meet Javier Mancera, Wildlife Works’ Global Director of Community Development. Javier’s thoughtful nature and passion for community-led conservation makes him an invaluable part of our team.
Click here to read his interview and get an inside-look at what it takes to effectively engage communities and develop high-quality REDD+ projects.
Raising the BAAR: New Research Published
Last month Wildlife Works was thrilled to announce a publication in Nature Portfolio’s Journal, Scientific Reports, from a team of scientists that includes members of our own staff.
The paper presents the Baseline Allocation for Assessed Risk (BAAR) model, which is a tool for predicting and allocating deforestation risk, based on the proximity to recent deforestation hotspots. This innovative approach enables higher baseline deforestation rates to be allocated to REDD+ projects facing higher future deforestation risks, without the risk of inflated baselines jeopardizing the integrity of jurisdictional programs.
Key Voluntary Carbon Market Updates
MSCI Carbon Markets (formally Trove Research) recently shared a quarterly review of voluntary carbon markets (VCM). While there has been a shift away from claims such as carbon neutrality, companies are still using carbon credits, just communicating the use in a different way. For instance, US consultancy Bain and Co. and Brazilian cosmetics company Natura, have made claims using the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) guidance. MSCI Carbon Markets also reports that many large corporations are turning to offtake agreements, which are long-term agreements to purchase carbon credits at a certain price. This past quarter was the largest for offtake agreements on record when measured by tCO2e.
Last week, the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) released a series of statements and reports regarding Scope 3 emissions and carbon credits. MSCI published a commentary on these reports which succinctly articulates the fundamental flaw in their analysis and report.
As various organizations create confusion about the validity of the carbon market, it’s more important than ever to listen directly to Global South leaders who are directly affected by these projects. That's why we created this blog to compile the many and growing Global South groups that are advocating for carbon markets.
Key Policy Updates
Key policy updates from around the world include:
Colombia will publish a decree later this year outlining the government's plans for a national emissions trading system (ETS) - Read More
India unlikely to allow voluntary carbon market credits to be used in its compliance scheme - Read More
Incoming Indonesian govt to form state-run body to oversee the country’s carbon market - Read More
Zimbabwe takes steps towards Article 6 readiness - Read More
UK Government considering integrating nature-based and engineered removals into the UK emission trading scheme - Read More
A California bill targeting sellers of voluntary carbon credits has been cancelled - Read More
News Stories We're Following
The WSJ shines a light on those most affected by the current carbon market downturn: local forest communities. Read More
Eve Bazaiba, the Minister of Environment for the Democratic Republic of Congo, visits the Mai Ndombe REDD+ Project. Read More
The Climate Is Changing. The Olympics Need to Change, Too. Read More
