Climate Emergency

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Biodiversity. That’s a word we hear a lot these days, especially as the impacts of the climate crisis become increasingly apparent. Without biodiversity we lose a lot of ecosystem services that support our livelihoods, but have you heard of biodiversity hotspots? These locations across the globe are the hub of diverse and rich life that underpins our existence. There are 35 of them worldwide and one of them is the home to a  <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/climate-emergency/our-trees-in-madagascar">reforestation project Ecologi supports in Madagascar. </a>
Here, we’ll focus on seven of the biodiversity hotspots; The Caribbean Islands, Madagascar, The California Coast, The Atlantic Forest in Brazil, The Philippines, The Horn of Africa and Southeast Asia.
We’re going to use the word endemic a lot &#8211; the dictionary definition of which is:
“<a href="https://www.thefreedictionary.com/Endemic+(biology)">Native only to a particular locality or region</a>”. 
Let’s jump in, shall we?

A biodiversity hotspot is a  region with significant amounts of biodiversity, which is threatened by human habitation. The concept was first documented by Norman Myers, a British environmentalist, in two articles “The Environmentalist’ in 1988, and revised again in 1990.

To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot a region must meet two strict criteria:
1) It must contain at least 0.5% or 1,500 species of vascular plants as endemics (only found in that location), and
2) It has lost at least 75% of its primary vegetation.

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1 Caribbean Islands

The Caribbean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot consists mainly of three large groups of islands between North and South America: the Bahamas, the Lesser Antilles and the Greater Antilles. Like its natural diversity, the cultural and socioeconomic diversity of the hotspot is incredibly high.The Caribbean’s biodiversity is at serious risk of species extinctions. More than 700 species are globally threatened, making the Caribbean one of the top hotspots for globally threatened species. 
 
Flora and Fauna 

All of the 189 native species of amphibian in the Caribbean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot are endemic, and sadly most have gone extinct.
Bats are very important components of ecosystems within the Caribbean and are represented by 51 species, 35 of which are endemic.
More than 560 species of bird have been recorded in the Caribbean Islands Hotspot, including brightly coloured parrots.
Two of the smallest lizards in the world can be found here too &#8211;  <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphaerodactylus">Sphaerodactylus ariasae</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Islands_dwarf_sphaero">S. parthenopion</a> are both smaller than the size of a penny.
What are the main threats?
Invasive species
Infectious disease
Unsustainable development
Severe weather and climate change

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6 Madagascar

This island is probably the most interesting out of all of these biodiversity hotspots, but we might be a little biased as the first reforestation project we supported is located there. Because Madagascar and the continental Seychelles broke off from the Gondwanaland supercontinent more than 160 million years ago, the islands are a living example of species evolution in isolation.
Madagascar alone possesses an astounding 11,200 endemic species of plants. This endemism is not limited to plants as the island is home to five families of birds, five families of primates and two families of freshwater fish found nowhere else on the planet. This island was once the home of the Dodo.
Flora and Fauna 

Madagascar is known for its rich native flora, with around 90% of its <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vascular_plant">vascular plants</a> found only on the island.
Nearly 60% of birds in Madagascar are found nowhere else on the planet. The birds in the region are seriously threatened: more than 55 endemic species are Endangered, and 32 have already disappeared, mainly in the Mascarene Islands. New species are being discovered in Madagascar at a rapid rate, especially lemurs and small mammals; in the past 15 years, 22 new species and subspecies have been described. Madagascar has several critically threatened species including the Silky Sifaka, a lemur, which is one of the rarest mammals on earth. 

What are the main threats? 
Deforestation 
Hunting for local consumption 
Illegal trafficking of animals and plant species 
Invasive alien species 
Climate change

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7 Califonian Coat

This region contains a wide variety of ecosystems, including coastal sage scrub, alpine forest, mixed evergreen forests, Douglas fir forests, coastal dunes, and salt marshes. Today, a quarter of the original vegetation remains in more or less pristine condition, but it’s still in dire need of conservation.
Flora and Fauna
A number of threatened endemic species are found here, including the endangered giant kangaroo rat, the desert slender salamander and the California condor. Although there are fewer than 10 endemic bird species found in the California Floristic Province, more species of birds breed in this region than anywhere else in the United States of America. 
 
The highest levels of endemism in the California Floristic Province are found among amphibians, with over half of the nearly 50 species present in the region being found only in this hotspot. The hotspot also has impressive invertebrate diversity. The state of California is home to an estimated 28,000 species of insects, about 32% of which are endemic. These species represent about 30% of all known insects in the United States and Canada.
What are the main threats? 
Urbanisation 
Pollution 
Habitat encroachment 
Unsustainable expansion of large-scale agriculture 
Mining and oil extraction 
Invasive alien species 
Soil degradation

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2 The Atlantic Forest in Brazil

The Atlantic Forest stretches along Brazil&#8217;s Atlantic coast, from the northern state of Rio Grande do Norte south to Rio Grande do Sul. Also included in this hotspot is the offshore archipelago of Fernando de Noronha and several other islands off the Brazilian coast. Long isolated from other major rainforest blocks in South America, the Atlantic Forest has an extremely diverse and unique mix of vegetation and forest types. 
Flora and Fauna 

20,000 plant species live there, 40% of which are endemic, and over 950 bird species which are also endemic to these forests.
More than 450 tree species have been recorded in a single hectare of forest in southern Bahia. Brazil-wood and Brazilian rosewood live here and are two of the world’s rarest woods, making it valuable to the timber industry.  Many of the species native to Brazil are now endangered, like the Brazilian Merganser, Maned Sloth and the Green Turtle. <a href="https://www.cepf.net/our-work/biodiversity-hotspots/atlantic-forest/species">Here is a full list</a> of animals (most endangered) that call this place home. 
 
What are the main threats? 
Deforestation 
Intensive land use 
Urban expansion 
Fuel-wood harvesting 
Poaching and animal trading

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4 Philippines

The Philippines consists of more than 7,100 islands in the westernmost Pacific Ocean, and is likely the most biologically diverse country in the world in terms of unique terrestrial and marine plant and animal species per unit area. Many endemic species are confined to forest fragments that cover only 7% of the original extent of the hotspot. This includes more than 6,000 plant species and many bird species such as the critically endangered Cebu flowerpecker, the critically endangered Visayan wrinkled hornbill and the critically endangered Philippine eagle.
 
Flora and Fauna 

Of the 9,250 plant species native to the Philippines at least 1/3 of them are endemic.
There are more than 150 species of palms in the hotspot, and around 2/3 of these are found nowhere else in the world. Out of the 530 bird species found in the Philippines about 185 of these are endemic and over 60 are threatened.  The largest and most impressive of the mammals in the Philippines is the c<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamaraw">ritically endangered tamaraw, a dwarf water buffalo</a> that lives only on Mindoro Island.
What are the main threats? 
Conflicting policies within the Philippines government 
Extraction Industries 
Increased population 
Urbanisation

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5 The Horn of Africa

Centred on the arid Horn, east of the Ethiopian Highlands, the Horn of Africa Biodiversity Hotspot also covers the Rift Valley, which divides the Ethiopian Highlands into two major blocks, the xeric bushlands of northeastern Kenya and the southern coastal parts of the Arabian Peninsula. One of only two hotspots that is entirely arid, the region is home to a number of endemic and threatened antelope, the vulnerable Dibatag and endangered Speke’s gazelle among them. 
 
Flora and Fauna 
Although research into the flora of the Horn of Africa is still ongoing, the best possible estimates are that there are about 5,000 species of vascular plants in the region, just over half of which, about 2,750 species, are endemic. Of the 697 bird species regularly recorded in the hotspot, 24 are endemic. Seven of these species are found only in Somalia. 
Nearly 220 mammal species are found in the Horn of Africa, although only about 20 are endemic to the hotspot. It is home to the critically endangered <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_wild_ass">Somali wild ass</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_warthog">desert warthog</a>.The Horn of Africa&#8217;s highest levels of endemism occur among reptiles, with more than 90 of around 285 species found nowhere else. There are an estimated 100 species of freshwater fish in the Horn of Africa, about 10 of which are endemic. These endemics include three cave-dwelling species found only in Somalia, two of which are blind; the Somalian blind barb and Somalian cavefish. 
 
What are the main threats? 
Overgrazing 
Charcoal production 
Political instability 
Infrastructure development

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3 Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia has the highest relative rate of deforestation of any major tropical region and could lose three quarters of its original forests by 2100, and up to 42% of its biodiversity. Due to geographic isolation, the flora and fauna of most of the islands in this region have evolved independently leading to the high levels of endemism seen here. Southeast Asia is a bio-cultural hotspot encompassing about 20%of global plant, animal and marine species. The region contains three megadiverse countries; Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, where four of the world’s 25 biodiversity hotspots are located. Its montane ecosystems are particularly noted for their high diversity of ferns, mosses and orchids.
 
Flora and Fauna
The region contains 20% of the <a href="http://unu.edu/publications/articles/unraveling-the-drivers-of-southeast-asia-biodiversity-loss.html#info">planet’s vertebrate and plant species</a> and the world’s third-largest tropical forest. Southeast Asia is the home of the Komodo dragon. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_eagle">Philippine eagle</a> is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_bird">national bird</a> of the Philippines. It is considered by scientists as the largest eagle in the world and is endemic to the Philippines’ forests. While Southeast Asia is rich in flora and fauna, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deforestation_in_Southeast_Asia">Southeast Asia is facing severe deforestation</a> which causes habitat loss for various <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_species">endangered species</a> such as the orangutan and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumatran_tiger">Sumatran tiger.</a> 

What are the main threats? 
Deforestation 
Unsustainable tree plantations 
Urbanisation 
Hunting and animal trafficking 
Mining 
Habitat degradation 
Overexploitation

It’s apparent that these seven hotspots are abundant with natural beauty but they’re in desperate need of our help. We believe in collective action and that together we can stand against this climate crisis.
If, like us, you want to help these biodiverse hotspots here’s a list of recognised and responsible organisations:
<a href="https://www.conservation.org/priorities/biodiversity-hotspots">Conversation.org</a>
<a href="https://www.wwf.org.uk/">WWF</a>
<a href="https://www.cepf.net/our-work/biodiversity-hotspots">Critical Ecosystems Partnerships Fund</a>
<a href="https://zeroextinction.org/">Alliance for Zero Extinction</a>
And of course us, <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/plan">our monthly subscription</a> helps reforest land on the coast of Madagascar. Learn more about <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/">tree planting with Ecologi.</a>
<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/plan">Join Ecologi today</a> to start supporting the world’s best climate projects.
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Blog

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Carbon Compensation vs. Contribution - What’s the difference?

Climate change is a topic that many of us are discussing at work each day. You may have heard terms such as ‘carbon compensation’ or ‘contribution’ being used in conversations about how to take meaningful action against climate change, but what do they actually mean, and how do they differ from one another? 
We regularly speak to businesses who have similar questions and in this guide, we’ll break it all down. Here’s a quick run-through of what we will cover:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">What are the definitions of carbon compensation and contribution?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">What is the purpose of each approach?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">What mechanisms do both approaches utilise? </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">What types of projects do they involve?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">What types of certification are associated with each approach?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">What kind of costs are associated with each approach?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">What role do they play in achieving net zero?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">What are examples of each?</li>
</ul>

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<h2>Definitions of carbon compensation and contribution</h2>
 
Carbon Compensation
Carbon compensation refers to the idea of balancing out a certain amount of carbon emissions by investing in projects that prevent or remove an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide elsewhere. This tonne-for-tonne ‘balancing’ or ‘offsetting’ is compensatory.
 
Contribution
This approach focuses on separating financial contributions from any compensatory claims. Instead, it involves directing funding to projects that will support global net-zero and nature restoration – but crucially without making compensatory claims. <a href="https://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/join?utm_feeditemid=&amp;utm_device=c&amp;utm_term=one%20percent%20for%20the%20planet&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=ppc&amp;utm_campaign=&amp;hsa_cam=20766754741&amp;hsa_grp=155667469859&amp;hsa_mt=b&amp;hsa_src=g&amp;hsa_ad=680329727495&amp;hsa_acc=%7B8900384824%7D&amp;hsa_net=adwords&amp;hsa_kw=one%20percent%20for%20the%20planet&amp;hsa_tgt=kwd-299092657918&amp;hsa_ver=3&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwooq3BhB3EiwAYqYoEs0haU6oWnJZze5_b4QrYSQvdqPvXRSRdMCOrjloCv_URVN-RaIXIBoChu8QAvD_BwE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1% Percent For the Planet </a>is an example of this kind of scheme.

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<h2>What is the purpose of carbon compensation and contribution</h2>
 
Carbon Compensation
Compensation is aimed at achieving a ‘carbon-neutral’ status by offsetting specific emissions through equivalent carbon reduction elsewhere.
 
Contribution
Contribution focuses on supporting and financing sustainability projects and initiatives to encourage environmental stewardship, without associating this with compensation for emissions.

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<h2>What mechanisms do carbon compensation and contribution utilise?</h2>
Carbon Compensation
Compensation is carbon-centric and relies on detailed measurement and verification processes to ensure that the projects avoid or remove the claimed amount of CO2. Whilst projects may have ‘co-benefits’, project quality and credit utility is predicated on whether the carbon dioxide benefit is being delivered.
 
Contribution
Contribution is not predicated on carbon dioxide. It involves making donations to strategic funds which are designed to produce a range of benefits for net-zero and nature restoration – but may not require rigorous CO2 measurement or verification, but other kinds of monitoring and reporting are essential to ensure benefits are being realised.

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<h2>What types of projects do carbon compensation and contribution involve?</h2>
 
Carbon Compensation
Compensation is limited to projects which generate carbon credits,  typically those that are issued to an ICROA-endorsed carbon standard like Verra, Gold Standard or Puro. It includes projects such as afforestation, blue carbon removal, landfill gas, cleaner water systems and enhanced rock weathering.
 
Contribution
Contribution can include carbon credit-issuing projects but is not limited to them. Other projects that can be financed include funding for environmental research, habitat restoration, conservation programs, reforestation projects, educational initiatives, and donations to NGOs working on climate action.

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<h2>What type of certification is associated with carbon compensation and contribution?</h2>
 
Carbon Compensation: 
Carbon compensation requires third-party verification and certification by bodies such as the Gold Standard, Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and Puro to ensure the credibility of carbon credits. 
 
Contribution:
Contribution typically does not require certification as it is focused on voluntary financial support for environmental causes. However, reputable organisations receiving contributions may provide transparency reports or impact statements.

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<h2>What kind of costs are associated with carbon compensation and contribution?</h2>
 
Carbon Compensation: 
Costs for carbon compensation vary depending on the project type and verification costs. The price per tonne of CO2 offset can differ significantly with some being much more expensive than others.
 
Contribution: 
Contribution is usually more flexible when it comes to costs. This is because the focus is on voluntary contributions towards environmental outcomes,  rather than compensating for a specific amount of emissions.

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<h2>What role do carbon compensation and contribution play in achieving net zero?</h2>
 
Carbon Compensation:
The <a href="https://sciencebasedtargets.org/net-zero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SBTi’s Net-Zero Standard</a> specifies that businesses must achieve a minimum 90% reduction in emissions on their path to net-zero &#8211; at which point a compensatory approach can be applied for the remaining &lt;10% of emissions which cannot be reduced directly. In this case, compensation is limited to carbon removals only, not carbon avoidance credits. To understand the difference between carbon avoidance and removal credits, <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/carbon-removals-vs-carbon-avoidance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read our blog post here.</a>
 
Contribution:
The SBTi also promotes ‘beyond value chain mitigation’ known as BVCM. This involves a company funding climate action to support global net-zero efforts. BVCM does not count towards the organisation’s own corporate net-zero goals, however, the SBTi considers it “urgent and essential” that businesses contribute to global climate action outside of their value chain.

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<h2>Examples of carbon compensation and contribution</h2>
 
Carbon Compensation:
A company offsets its annual carbon emissions by investing in carbon credits from a landfill methane capture project that prevents an equivalent volume of emissions.
Contribution: 
A company contributes to an environmental project that works on biodiversity conservation, without claiming an offset of its own emissions. Instead, the company reports on how much it contributed, and the outcomes intended, and monitors the project’s progress over time.

<h2>Conclusion</h2>
In summary, Carbon Compensation focuses on the idea of ‘balancing’ or ‘offsetting’ emissions through purchasing carbon credits. The credits purchased are often used to offset emissions generated by businesses.  Contribution focuses on funding projects that support global net-zero goals without compensatory claims. Through supporting a contribution model, you can support a wide range of projects all offering crucial co-benefits, and in some cases, credit-issuing projects too. 
Both approaches play a critical role in supporting climate action. The Oxford Principles for Aligned Net Zero recommend a combination of carbon compensation (durable removals only)  and contribution to help maximise impact. At Ecologi, we believe that while both have their merits, prioritising high-quality, holistic climate action through a contribution-based approach is the best way to support global net-zero efforts and future-proof your sustainability strategy. This is why we created <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/ecologi-impact-funds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Impact Funds</a> &#8211; to allow our customers to support a wide range of projects that contribute to a particular climate goal.

<h2>Why did you create Impact Funds?</h2>
Our industry is moving and evolving all the time in an effort to reach global Net Zero goals and at Ecologi we witnessed the challenges firsthand through our Impact Partners, below is a quote from our Impact Partnerships Manager, Katie; 
<blockquote>At Ecologi, our partners were extracting tree-planting costs from a wider landscape restoration project because that’s what the market wanted. We need to change this &#8211; and educate the market on the solutions our planet needs.</blockquote>
Contribution models are increasingly focused on outcomes rather than inputs and go beyond metrics such as carbon credits purchased, or the number of trees planted. These projects produce a host of diverse impacts that aren’t being captured by single metrics. Supporting projects such as landscape restoration focused on the wider strategy &#8211; in addition to tree planting, landscape restoration captures co-benefits such as increased biodiversity, improved soil health, and reduced pollution.
Interested to learn more? <a href="https://info.ecologi.com/ecologi-impact-funds/get-started" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get in touch to find out more about our Impact Funds</a>.

Speak to our team. We're here to help you find your perfect climate solution.

Case studies

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Case Study: BioPak UK

<h2>About BioPak UK</h2>
A world without waste. That’s the mission of BioPak, and they’re working hard to achieve it. By disrupting the current take, make, waste model, BioPak’s sustainable food packaging solutions are leading the way to a truly circular economy.
Founded in 2006, BioPak has become a globally recognised brand, loved by businesses and consumers across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the US, Hong Kong and Singapore.
BioPak’s packaging solutions are designed to be better for our planet. They use renewable plant-based materials that are sourced responsibly. To promote responsible disposal of their packaging, BioPak encourages composting through their Compost Connect scheme—a not-for-profit initiative that connects customers to compost pick-up services.

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BioPak is better for people too. The company is B Corp certified and donates 5% of all profits to positive change via their Give Back Fund. BioPak is a business that’s truly committed to the principles of the Triple Bottom Line: People, Planet, and Profit.

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<h2>Issue</h2>
BioPak’s commitment to combating climate change is unwavering. Having been carbon neutral certified for over a decade, in 2022 the team took the strategic decision to shift away from carbon-neutrality, and instead focus on emissions reduction.
This decision wasn’t taken lightly, but they recognised the need to move beyond mere carbon offsetting. They view it as a leap forward rather than a step back, and a move to create a more substantial positive influence on the planet. 
The team believes that understanding their total carbon footprint is vital. They are dedicated to clarifying the sources of their emissions, which span the entire product lifecycle, encompassing offices, product transportation, packaging production, raw material extraction, and end-of-life emissions.
BioPak uses an independent third party to measure their carbon footprint, cost to the environment (including impact on biodiversity, human health, climate change and material scarcity) and lifecycle phases of their products. This is done to enhance transparency, accountability and demonstrate their commitment to combating greenwashing.
BioPak is serious about combating climate change, with reducing carbon emissions being crucial in achieving this goal. A key part of this goal is supporting industrial composting through the Compost Connect scheme. The team is committed to diverting food waste and compostable packaging from landfill and incineration by making compost facilities more accessible across Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
Working together with customers, BioPak truly believes it can pave the way for a more sustainable world for future generations.

<h2>Challenges</h2>
As a B Corp and leader in sustainable food packaging, the team at BioPak feels a keen obligation for environmental stewardship. They describe BioPak as a “profit for purpose business”, and as such are driven to preserve and protect the environment while giving back to the communities in which they operate. 
To honour this obligation, BioPak set up its Give Back Fund in 2012, and since then have dedicated their time and energy to partnering with leading environmental and social charities to bring about positive change. So far they have donated a total of £2,495,352.
In the last decade, BioPak’s commitment to Australian environmental conservation has flourished through a partnership with Rainforest Rescue, which has planted and safeguarded 95,720 trees and reclaimed eight hectares of endangered Daintree Rainforest.

<h2>Solution </h2>
BioPak donates 1% of all profits to community and environmental projects, and here in the UK we’re proud that Ecologi has been chosen to support that commitment through tree planting. The team firmly believes that tree planting is a powerful solution that produces oxygen, stores carbon, and helps tackle climate change.
BioPak’s reforestation work with Ecologi underpins a global commitment to ecological restoration. This ambitious initiative is a cornerstone of BioPak’s corporate responsibility ethos, aiming to not only mitigate the impacts of climate change but also foster local biodiversity, enhance soil health, and support local communities in achieving sustainable development goals.
Working with Ecologi proves BioPak’s cast iron commitment to the environment, and in turn boosts its credibility, enhances its brand reputation and helps its customers make a positive impact. The team regularly communicates their sustainability milestones with customers and colleagues alike, through impact certificate, emails and internal communications.

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<h2>Outcome</h2>
Since 2021 BioPak has planted 102,479 trees with Ecologi, and the team plans to continue to regularly donate to increase this figure as much as they can. 
As a profit-for-purpose business, BioPak’s commitment to protecting the environment is vital in retaining current customers and attracting new customers, who are looking to make a positive impact through their supply chain. The Give Back Fund, and the work with partners like Ecologi, remains a fundamental part of BioPak’s brand messaging and ethos.
Sam Walker, Technical Director at BioPak UK, said:
<blockquote>It&#8217;s great to partner with Ecologi and support both the large scale reforestation projects they do and the more grass roots initiatives which really make a difference locally&#8230; Reforestation and habitat restoration are the foundations of reversing biodiversity loss and critical in the fight against climate change. We&#8217;re proud to work with Ecologi and share the impact data with our customers.</blockquote>

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<h2>Is your business ready to take climate action?</h2>
If this article has inspired your business to start its climate journey, talk to our team today.

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At Ecologi we believe in transparency, which is why, when we make changes, we want to let you know.
As of Tuesday 1st October 2024, we will be making a few changes to the Ecologi Impact Shop, including discontinuing some projects, as well as adding new ones and changing our prices slightly. 
Keep reading to find out more, or jump to the section on <a href="#customers">What these changes mean for our customers</a>, or our <a href="#faqs">FAQs</a>.

<h2>Update to our ‘Carbon avoidance’ project</h2>
We will be removing our generic ‘<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/impact-shop/support-carbon-avoidance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Carbon avoidance</a>’ product from the Impact Shop, and replacing it with a new type of carbon avoidance project, which specifically supports landfill methane capture. This project is among the first in the world to receive the CCP-Approved quality label from the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM).
<h3>Why are we making this change?</h3>
In June of this year, the ICVCM, an independent governance body dedicated to establishing a global benchmark for high-quality carbon credits, <a href="https://icvcm.org/integrity-council-announces-first-high-integrity-ccp-labelled-carbon-credits-as-assessments-continue/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced the first carbon-crediting methodologies</a> that meet its high-integrity Core Carbon Principles (CCPs).
As part of this, the ICVCM have applied its ‘CCP-Approved’ label to a variety of projects that tackle potent greenhouse gases by capturing methane from landfill sites (like our supported <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/avoiding-methane-emissions-from-landfill-in-brazil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Macaubas LFG project</a>), and by destroying ozone-depleting foams and refrigerant gases from discarded equipment such as refrigerators and air conditioners.
We have been supporting landfill gas projects through our platform since our early days, including some of these first projects which have received this ICVCM stamp of approval. Effective on 1st October 2024, we are replacing the general ‘support carbon avoidance projects’ product on our Impact Shop, to specifically support these newly CCP-Approved landfill methane capture projects.

<h2>Discontinuation of our ‘Renewable energy carbon avoidance’ project</h2>
In addition, we will be removing the ‘<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/impact-shop/support-renewable-energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Renewable energy carbon avoidance</a>’ product from our Impact Shop. The ICVCM recently decided it would not award the existing renewable energy credit methodologies its CCP-Approved label, so we’ve opted to preemptively stop offering these on our platform. For additional insight into this decision, we encourage you to read our <a href="#faqs">FAQs</a> further down on this page.
<h3>Why are we making this change?</h3>
One of the next decisions made by the ICVCM as part of its assessment of carbon credit methodologies was to acknowledge that existing renewable energy generation credit methodologies do not meet the standard to achieve CCP-Approval. 
One key reason these methodologies don’t meet the CCP-Approved criteria is that the methodologies themselves fail to meet the stringent requirements for additionality, a key factor in ensuring that carbon credits represent genuine emissions reductions that wouldn&#8217;t have occurred without the carbon finance. See this quote from Sylvera on what additionality refers to: 
<blockquote>Additionality refers to the causal relationship between the project&#8217;s activities and the climate benefits it claims including the risk of the project over-crediting. A project is considered additional if the project activities would not have occurred without the revenue from a voluntary carbon credit. The additionality score is a function of how likely it is that the project is additional, and how likely it is that the project is over-crediting on the carbon avoidance or removal it is delivering.</blockquote>
Ecologi has always had a regionalised approach to our impact, consistently applying additional scrutiny to the projects we elect to support through our platform. Only six renewable energy projects are currently eligible for receipt of funding from our platform – out of an estimated &gt;2,200 renewable energy projects on the voluntary carbon market. Our careful selection process has ensured that we consider not only the type of project but also its specific implementation location.
For example, we have deliberately chosen not to fund large hydroelectric dams due to their associated social and environmental risks and we have generally steered clear of offshore wind projects, favouring onshore wind solutions that are more appropriate for the regions we support. We have always prioritised those situated in areas where the energy grid is still heavily reliant on fossil fuels, such as Morocco and Mexico, to maximise impact as much as possible.
This all said, following the ICVCM’s ruling on renewables, we have made the decision to stop offering renewable energy carbon credits via our Impact Shop.
We believe it is a good thing that the ICVCM is rejecting certain methodologies from receiving its high-quality label. This rigorous approach is necessary to maintain and improve the integrity of the carbon market – to raise the quality of projects across the board – and to ensure that all participants can trust that their investments are driving real, additional climate benefits.

<h2>Updates to pricing on the Impact Shop</h2>
Finally, on October 1st we will be updating pricing across our Impact Shop to reflect recent changes in market prices, and as a result some of our products will be cheaper to support.
<h3>Why are we making this change?</h3>
As part of our commitment to staying aligned with the evolving voluntary carbon market and providing the best prices we can to customers, we are also adjusting our pricing structure. To better reflect current market prices, we have reviewed and updated all the prices for carbon projects, some of which have reduced in price slightly. We are pleased to report that none of our existing projects have increased in price.
Pricing in the carbon market is dynamic, influenced by a variety of factors including regulatory updates, market demand, geographies, ratings, and broader project qualities. We aim to stay responsive to these changes and ensure that our offerings continue to provide value to all stakeholders involved, from project developers to buyers and the communities benefiting from these projects.
As an impact-driven organisation who put planet first, we want to ensure that we are responsive to the market and our customers are getting the best deal for the impact they want to support.

<h2>What do these changes mean for our customers?</h2>
There are no direct actions that our customers will need to take in light of these changes.
As of October 1st you will notice that our generic ‘<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/impact-shop/support-carbon-avoidance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Carbon avoidance</a>’ project and our ‘<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/impact-shop/support-renewable-energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Renewable energy carbon avoidance</a>’ project will no longer be available on the Impact Shop. You will also notice that our new CCP-Approved landfill gas capture project will be available to support, and that the price of some of our existing projects have decreased slightly.

World Environment Day: A Guide To Biodiversity Hotspots

What is a biodiversity hotspot?

What qualifies a biodiversity hotspot?

The Caribbean Islands

Madagascar

The California Coast

The Atlantic Forest in Brazil

The Philippines

The Horn of Africa

Southeast Asia

What can we do to help?

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