Gold Standard expands: new quality label for forest climate projects

BONN, Germany - May 24, 2013 - PRLog -- For years, the ForestFinance Group, based in Bonn, Germany, has successfully implemented projects according to the CarbonFix Standard under the brand CO2OL. Now, the Gold Standard Foundation has extended its original renewable energy and energy efficiency project scope into land-use and forests and acquired the CarbonFix Standard which will form a core part of “Gold Standard version 3.0”. However, this will have no effect on the strict quality criteria that had to be met by CarbonFix projects: these will also be applied to Gold Standard projects. Projects such as the forest climate protection project „CO2OL Tropical Mix“ that have been validated and verified according to the CarbonFix Standard will therefore become so-called “Transition Projects” that will now be managed by the Gold Standard.

CarbonFix and Gold Standard guarantee additionality of carbon forest projects

”The Gold Standard guarantees the CO2 fixing, the permanence and additional social and ecological benefits of our carbon forest projects in the same way as the CarbonFix Standard before,“ explains Dirk Walterspacher, CEO Carbon Business of the ForestFinance Group. “As the project developer with the greatest expertise in the development of CarbonFix projects, CO2OL offers the most diverse portfolio of so called “Transition Projects” that are from now on managed by the Gold Standard.“

Project developer CO2OL: climate protection standards pioneer with expertise

For more than 14 years, CO2OL has managed high-quality climate protection afforestation projects for numerous companies and organisations. „CO2OL Tropical Mix“ was the world’s first reforestation project to be verified according to the CarbonFix Standard, thereby proving its transparent and effective CO2 fixing. Apart from this project in Panama, CO2OL holds a portfolio of  projects in  Bolivia and Ethiopia that are now also transition projects. Thus, CO2OL has the biggest existing portfolio in the field of high-quality forest climate protection projects.

“Gold Standard will increase demand for high-quality carbon forest projects”

„It has always been an attractive option for companies to voluntarily compensate greenhouse gas emissions by establishing new forest ecosystems, particularly as these projects also address other sustainability aspects such as biodiversity and value chains in the project countries. Due to their high emotionality and low complexity, they are perfect for communicating the company‘s commitment to customers,“ says Walterspacher. „The fact that these projects now can be certified according to the Gold Standard will increase the demand for high-quality carbon forest projects significantly.“

Apart from the possibility to buy carbon credits from the three projects that have already been certified under the Carbon Fix Standard, CO2OL also offers to establish „company forests“ as individual forest climate projects.

About CarbonFix and Gold Standard

The Gold Standard is an independent standard for creating high-quality emission reductions projects e. g. in the  Voluntary Carbon Market. It was designed to ensure that carbon credits are not only real and verifiable but that they have also a positive impact on sustainable development worldwide. The CarbonFix Standard (CFS) is an initiative based in Germany promoting the development of carbon forest projects. The CarbonFix Standard was recently acquired by the Gold Standard Foundation, establishing the foundation of its expansion into the land-use and forests sector.

Further information about the Gold Standard at http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/how_we_work/businesses/climate/offsetting/gold_standard/

________________________________________

About CO2OL:

CO2OL is a brand and business segment of the ForestFinance Group, developed for the neutralization of CO2 emissions through forest projects.

CO2OL has projected high quality carbon forest projects for a variety of companies and organizations for more than ten years. In addition, companies and individuals can offset their individual CO2 emissions – whether caused by mobility, consumption or energy use – by purchasing carbon credits. For business clients from various industries CO2OLprovides advice on how to improve the corporate carbon footprint as well as solutions that are both practical and tailored to their individual needs, enabling companies to show their commitment to environmental and climate protection.

Due to their numerous ecological and social benefits, CO2OL reforestation projects have (inter alia) been validated and certified under the standards CCBS, CarbonFix and Gold Standard for Transition Projects.

Find more information on www.co2ol.de and www.forestfinance.de