Man-made emissions have substantially increased over the last century. The balance of evidence suggests that this is leading to climate change with potentially devastating consequences for mankind and the planet. In the Kyoto process, the global community has agreed to reduce its emissions in order to curb global warming.
As a leading private investor in renewable energy, Good Energies wants to contribute to these efforts fighting climate change and is therefore offsetting the carbon emissions it produces through its offices and via its employees through the purchase of solar power (link to Power from renewable energy sources) and of VER (Voluntary Emission Reductions) certificates. These VERs have been issued based on projects fostering solar cooking and reforestation. Since 2006, Good Energies is carbon neutral offsetting all emissions produced by its business activities.
In rural India, communities traditionally rely on fossil fuels and unsustainably harvested firewood for cooking. This practice generates greenhouse gas emissions and indoor pollution which leads to respiratory diseases. The solar cooking project provides relief from these problems and creates local job opportunities. The sun's energy is used to generate steam for the daily preparation of thousands of meals in different regions of India. Good Energies financially support solar cooking projects in India through the purchase of Verified Emission Reductions (VER).
If you want to learn more about solar cooking systems, please visit www.gadhiasolarenergy.com
In Costa Rica, Good Energies is funding CO2 reduction by helping to finance a project that supports various reforestation activities (agro forestry activities, sustainable small scale forest plantations, and forest regeneration) in one of the poorest regions of the country. The project supports expanded tree planting on at least 300 privately owned farms covering a total area of 4.000 ha. The owners and direct beneficiaries of the project are small farmer families. Agro Forestry activities include nut planting and harvesting that preferentially focuses on native species and also provides a source of income for farmers.
Due to lack of alternative economic opportunities, these small farmers currently typically invest in monocultures such as coffee. The expansion of such non-sustainable land use threatens the means of living of the population through the degradation of soil and puts at risk the most valuable resource of the region, its natural vegetation at risk.
Financial support for reforestation to reduce carbon also re-opens a window of opportunity for the development of sustainable forestry in this most vulnerable region. The revenues from the VERs will cover 86 percent of the total project costs.
If you want to learn more about climate change, please visit www.exploratorium.edu/climate
Good Energies is currently looking for new projects to offset future emissions and thereby fulfilling its commitment as a environmentally responsible investor in the renewable energy sector.