UK Businesses Help Save Amazon Rainforest
23rd May 2011; In light of the news that deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest has increased six fold[1] and in reference to Richard Anderson’s article on bankers providing the potential solution[2], Planet Positive offers a certification for all businesses to help save endangered rainforest.
Planet Positive certification helps companies measure and reduce their carbon emissions and encourages them to fund sustainability projects. Projects range from UK schools education programmes to avoided deforestation projects to save Amazon Rainforest. Certification includes an exciting way for new buildings to compensate for their construction carbon emissions by saving rainforest as an alternative to traditional carbon offsetting.For example, a large distribution centre will secure over 650 acres of rainforest, approximately the same size as the City of London.
The funding is delivered through the Planet Positive, into Cool Earth, Europe’s fastest growing rainforest charity, and to designated rainforest village Community Trusts. This enables the rainforest community to secure land tenure, invest in education, co-operatives, infrastructure, forest rangers and create long term security. Supported by Sir David Attenborough and Lord Stern, Cool Earth offers individuals a simple, direct and effective way to tackle climate change while conserving biodiversity, ecosystems and supporting rainforest communities.
Direct action to save imminently endangered rainforest i.e. forest that will be destroyed within 18-months can bring huge benefits such as; Biodiversity protection, Rainfall generation, Atmospheric cooling, Social benefits to local communities and economic benefits both locally and globally (from ecosystem services). Investing in an area of rainforest also provides an interesting and engaging story for businesses as they can hear about the direct impact they are making and even view the area of rainforest protected using Google Earth.
“Whether you are living in the rainforest or a city centre, your community can have a positive impact on the planet,” said Steve Malkin, CEO of Planet Positive UK. “We believe that every business can save rainforest by investing in the community trusts set up to give the people that live there, long-term ownership and rights that halts the march of deforestation. Understanding how our world is changing is one thing. Making an immediate positive impact is another. This is why I am convinced this Cool Earth partnership will be a great success”.
Matthew Owen, Director of Cool Earth explains, “Planet Positive wrote the script on carbon responsibility. By helping their clients go way beyond a straightforward offset, they share Cool Earth’s commitment to tackling climate change head-on. Working together, we will be able to put avoided deforestation and rainforest communities at the heart of many more businesses.”