Making an Impact With Carbon Done Correctly — The Good On The Ground

Now, more than ever, individuals and organizations are taking action to make a real impact in the fight against rising emissions. And this isn’t just anecdotal evidence that decarbonization is a priority for more people and places than ever — the numbers themselves also show that the voluntary carbon market (or VCM) is booming. According to Ecosystem Marketplace, the VCM exceeded a record $1 billion worth of transactions in 2021, far outpacing any other year.

And with nearly 450 new carbon-reducing projects created worldwide from May to November 2021, these carbon projects were responsible for the issuing of nearly 190 million new carbon credits, each credit representing 1 tonne of CO2-equivalent reduced or removed.

A recent IPCC report identified the need to protect nature and rebuild ecosystems while also decarbonizing as a critical solution to addressing the current climate crisis, but it also reinforced the importance of ensuring that the world’s climate victims are included in climate mitigation strategies. High-quality carbon credits can, should, and will play a role in achieving the positive impacts for the planet and people that this fight demands — and businesses are taking action like never before.

In 2021 alone, the number of businesses reaching out to Cool Effect doubled and donations to our portfolio of carbon projects increased by over 150%. Out of the thousands of existing carbon projects out there, only a handful ever make it to the Cool Effect platform, because every single one of our carbon projects are scientifically verified, carefully selected, and meticulously analyzed to ensure they’re doing what they claim to be doing: reducing carbon emissions. It’s what we call Carbon Done Correctly — a methodology that helps us ensure each project on our platform is verified, scientifically sound, and benefits local communities in addition to benefiting the planet.

At Cool Effect, we strongly feel that while carbon projects should have a clear, additional, and tangible impact on the reduction of carbon in our atmosphere, that’s only half of the Carbon Done Correctly story. We work hard to ensure that every single one of our projects aren’t just good for the planet, they’re good for its people as well, providing additional benefits for the local communities where they’re based. Making an impact means not only reducing carbon emissions, it means supporting those local communities where the projects are based, providing income and opportunities for those who need it most.

“I’ve seen how transformative payments for these kinds of ecosystem services can be. I continue to be inspired by individuals on the ground who are working to save forests, improve biodiversity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions while improving life and providing new opportunities for their communities.” — Cool Effect Co-Founder and Director, Dee Lawrence

That’s why when you contribute to a Cool Effect project, you know exactly what you’re getting for both the planet AND its people. Our strict evaluation process means you get a better, more sustainable way to use carbon projects to make an impact. We hold nothing back, transparently sharing our views, expertise, and vital stats on each project, all so you can get a clearer picture of how your contribution to a carbon project is actively helping reduce carbon emissions and enhancing the lives of the actual people and the places they call home.

No matter what type of project you choose to contribute to, if you choose it with help from our Carbon Done Correctly approach, you can rest assured that it will make an impact for the better.

It’s why every project on our site demonstrates our commitment to supporting only the most highly effective projects that represent a true carbon benefit with transparent pricing and secondary benefits in the communities where the projects are based.

Just take a look at two of the latest projects on our platform — both do some amazing things to reduce carbon emissions, and while they’re at it, they provide support to local communities and business leaders who are actively fighting on the front lines of climate change.

Grass is Greener

Native grasslands are considered one of the most endangered ecosystems on the planet, and the 16,000 acres this project protects in Montana are no exception. Despite suitability of the soil for agriculture in the project area, at the start of this project, a conservation easement was put in place to protect the land in perpetuity from conversion to farmland.

Because of its unique location adjacent to other conserved public lands, it is part of one of the most intact grasslands on the continent. The grasslands are home to robust wildlife populations, including species of high conservation concern such as the Swift Fox, the Greater Sage Grouse and four songbirds.

Not only does this project protect local wildlife, it also gives local farmers and landowners an economic incentive to protect land, supporting them with carbon offset sales in order to incentivize them to keep their land in its original, carbon-sequestering state.

IPCC studies show that investing in nature and land management programs like Grass is Greener can help mitigate some of the worst impacts of climate change, calling for 30–50% of the world’s land to be conserved and protected.

Seeing the Forest for the Trees

Mexico’s 65 million hectares of forest are disappearing at the rate of 1 million hectares a year. This community-based project encourages residents to preserve and grow the biomass in their standing forests. It mitigates forest degradation by restoring areas impacted by severe erosion, analyzes those affected by disease, fire, and pests, and prevents damage by fires, grazing, and illegal use of forest resources.

Projects use funding from the sale of carbon credits to support local families by improving water supply, creating community centers, and providing an incentive to prevent mass conversion of forest to highly profitable, environmentally demanding crops like avocado.

No one argues that decarbonization, in all its forms, is the number one priority in the fight against climate change. However, right now, there are simply some emissions that cannot be reduced or avoided. For those unabateable emissions, all offsets that have true, verifiable additionality, and provide benefits to local communities should and can be used to help achieve cost-effective, fast, global ambition. This is not the time to jump on the bandwagon denigrating the use of carbon credits. It requires support for the idea, helping to make those credits valuable and additional and providing a thoughtful approach of what individuals and companies can do that is practical, cost-effective and immediate.

It’s undeniable that both of these projects, along with every other Cool Effect project on our platform, are making those real impacts when it comes to decarbonization. They’re verifiably reducing the amount of carbon emissions entering our atmosphere while helping empower and improve the communities where they’re based. These solutions don’t need additional time to develop. They aren’t theoretical or dependent on any experimental technology. They’re happening now, using existing and proven technology to make a real impact on the planet and its people with the help of Carbon Done Correctly.