At Natusan, we care deeply about the impact that we have on the planet, and we work hard to ensure that our work has a positive effect on the environment.
From reincarnating by-products of sustainable forestry, to turning your cat’s waste into fertiliser, we are fully committed to reducing our carbon footprint, which is why we are proud to have partnered with Ecologi to not only plant a tree for for every single order, but also support amazing projects around the world.
To date, we have already planted 5,629 trees, and reduced 26.5 tonnes of CO2e* - the equivalent of 21,907 miles by car, or 80 square metres of sea ice saved**!
Projects Natusan have supported this month
Ecologi and their tree planting partner The Eden Reforestation Projects plant millions of trees around the world each month.
Each month, through Ecologi, we support a range of carbon reduction projects that are certified at the very highest level by Gold Standard and equivalent.
Here are two of the projects that Natusan is supporting this month.
Forest protection in Northern Zimbabwe
The Kariba REDD+ Project protects almost 785,000 hectares of forests and wildlife on the southern shores of Lake Kariba, near the Zimbabwe-Zambia border.
One of the largest registered REDD+ projects by area, it acts as a giant biodiversity corridor that connects four national parks and eight safari reserves, protecting an expansive forest and numerous vulnerable and endangered species – including the African elephant, lion, hippopotamus and southern ground hornbill.
Kariba REDD+ is a community-based project, administered by the four local Rural District Councils (RDCs) of Binga, Nyaminyami, Hurungwe and Mbire, and has achieved Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards (CCBS) certification.
This means that the project supports a range of activities beyond simply environmental protection, including promoting the independence and wellbeing of the local communities. Improved clinic amenities provide better healthcare, infrastructure including new roads and water boreholes improve daily life, and school subsidies are offered to the poorest quartile of the population. Project activities in conservation agriculture, community gardens, beekeeping training, fire management, and ecotourism create jobs and facilitate sustainable incomes, benefitting the entire region.
Climate solution #38 - Forest protection
In their biomass and soil, forests are powerful carbon storehouses. Protection prevents emissions from deforestation, shields that carbon, and enables ongoing carbon sequestration.
In 2015, there were an estimated three trillion trees in the world. That count is substantially higher than previously thought, but more than 15 billion are cut down each year. Since humans began farming, the number of trees on earth has fallen by 46 percent. Carbon emissions from deforestation and associated land use change are estimated to be 10 to 15 percent of the world’s total.
The benefits of forest conservation include biodiversity protection, non-timber products, erosion control, pollination, ecotourism and other ecosystem services.
(From drawdown.org)
(Photography: REDD+)
Onshore wind energy generation in Taiwan
This large-scale project harnesses the strong prevailing winds along Taiwan’s Western coast, developing two onshore wind farms (one of 103.5MW and one of 46 MW). Combined, the wind farms consist of 62 turbines which generate renewable energy which is delivered straight to the national grid. Carbon emissions reductions of around 300,000 tonnes per year therefore come from the displacement of fossil fuel energy within the grid.
As well as helping accelerate the country’s shift toward renewables, boosting wind energy production helps to lessen the reliance on fossil fuel imports, representing an economic and national security boost as well. In addition, the project is engaged in several activities that help to preserve the local ecosystem – such as regular beach clean-ups and guided tours that raise awareness about climate change, pollution and other environmental issues. The project has also supported the reforestation of a small parcel of local land, which is encouraging local biodiversity.
Climate solution #2 - Onshore wind turbines
Onshore wind turbines generate electricity at a utility scale, comparable to power plants. They replace fossil fuels with emissions-free electricity.
Today, 314,000 wind turbines supply nearly 4 percent of global electricity, and it will soon be much more. In 2015, a record 63 gigawatts of wind power were installed around the world.
Onshore wind farms have small footprints, typically using no more than 1 percent of the land they sit on, so grazing, farming, recreation, or conservation can happen simultaneously with power generation. What’s more, it takes one year or less to build a wind farm—quickly producing energy and a return on investment.
(From drawdown.org)
(Photography: Ecologi)
We are extremely proud to not only be supporting amazing projects such as these, but to do so with the help of our fantastic customers. Together, let’s strive to constantly lower our carbon footprints, and support projects that really make a difference both in terms of smaller communities, and the planet as a whole.
So next time you fill up your cat’s litter tray, you can feel paw-sitive that you are helping to create a better, greener world.
Learn more about our partnership with Ecologi here.
*The US Environmental Protection Agency’s carbon emissions calculator estimates that 2481 miles (3992.7 km) emits 1 tonne of CO2.
**A 2016 research paper published in November’s issue of Science Magazine, found that the loss of Arctic sea ice had a linear relationship to CO2 emissions. This rate is 3 ± 0.3 square metres per tonne of CO2.
22/03/2021 by NatuTeam