Promoting Sustainable Development through Natural Rubber Tree Plantations in Guatemala
This project has established rubber tree plantations in degraded and degrading lands where the use has been for cattle grazing. To reforest the degraded pasture lands, Hevea brasiliensis, a species introduced to many parts of the tropics for rubber production, is used. The project involved the reforestation of 2,366 hectares of degraded pastureland, with a variety of clones of H. brasiliensis. This project aims to be the first FSC certified rubber tree plantation in Guatemala. The project also supports other benefits in meeting the Climate, Community and Biodiversity standard. Along with carbon removal, the project provides for an increase of work opportunities for local communities. Buffer zones, biological corridors with the natural forests and other areas of high conservation value, are established in the project area. The effective planted area corresponds to 2,252 hectares which is given by planting density of natural rubber plantations. This area excludes other vegetated areas within project boundary such as creeks, borders’ vegetation, and small spots of vegetation. Without this project, increased fragmentation of natural forests and a loss of biodiversity would take place. Ancient civilizations such as the Maya made use of natural rubber and it was integral to Central American cultures.
Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project, Cambodia
The Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project (SCRP) is an initiative designed to promote climate change mitigation and adaptation, maintain biodiversity and create alternative livelihoods under the United Nations scheme of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+). The project’s 445,339 hectares encompasses parts of Southern Cardamom National Park and Tatai Wildlife Sanctuary. This protect protects a critical part of the Cardamom Mountains Rainforest Ecoregion – one of the 200 most important locations for biodiversity conservation on the planet. The Project’s climate benefits include the avoided emission of approximately 12 million t CO2e during this first monitoring period and over 115,000 million t CO2e over the lifetime of the project.
The SCRP generates substantial community and biodiversity co-benefits. It directly supports the livelihoods of some villagers living around the perimeter of the project area and is able to provide educational scholarships to some of the local residents. The local communities generally benefiting from this project represent approximately 4,000 families, more than 16,000 individuals. The project supports new and sustainable livelihood opportunities through alternative income generating activities (IGAs). These initiatives are designed to stimulate investment in local businesses and by doing so, reducing pressure on the environment while significantly increasing community well-being. Additional programs will address food security, improving health and education facilities, as well as raise environmental awareness.
Biodiversity co-benefits is achieved through greater protection of the ecosystem predominantly by means of increased security and improved monitoring. The project protects critical habitat for the Asian elephant, Asiatic black bear, sun bear, large spotted civet, clouded leopard, and dhole, as well as the critically endangered reptiles, Siamese crocodile and Southern river terrapin. Reintroduction of the tiger into the Cardamom Rainforest landscape is also being planned in the project area.
TIST Program in Kenya
Since its inception in 1999, the International Small Group & Tree Planting Program has engaged over 63,000 participants organized into over 8,900 TIST Small Groups. These groups planted over ten million trees in Tanzania, India, Kenya, Uganda, Nicaragua, and Honduras – accomplishing GHG sequestration t

hrough tree planting, creating a potential long-term income stream, and developing sustainable environments and livelihoods. Currently over 50,000 TIST participants in over 6,900 Small Groups are registered in the TIST program in Kenya and are working to break their local cycle of deforestation, drought and famine. The trees planted in tens of thousands of discrete groves and land parcels are already beginning to reduce erosion, stabilize and enrich the soil, and will soon be providing shade. The project in Kenya effects more than 2,500 people in 350 Small Groups, stewarding 1,483 project areas, a total of 421.5 hectares.
The Mai Ndombe REDD+ Project
The Mai Ndombe REDD+ Project, located in western Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa, will protect 248,956 hectares of forest from industrial logging, unsustainable fuel wood extraction and slash and burn agriculture. This project is validated under the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), and to the Climate, Community and Biodiversity (CCB) standard that ensures major socio-economic co-benefits. The project is developed and managed in a joint venture by forest carbon leaders ERA-Ecosystem Restoration Associates Inc. and Wildlife Works Carbon LLC. This groundbreaking project is the first of its kind in the Congo Basin and utilizes the novel methodology developed by Wildlife Works for protocol VM0009, ‘Methodology for Avoided Deforestation’ approved by the VCS in October, 2012. The project is estimated to deliver over 175MT CO2-e over 30 years.