In November 2009, Wildlife Works Inc. and Nedbank entered into a business arrangement whereby Nedbank acquired carbon credits from Wildlife Works Inc. for on-sale to the international and South African business community.  More than 2,5 million tonnes of carbon was made available through the avoided deforestation of the Kasigau Corridor guaranteed until 2026.   

Nedbank retained a portion of the credits for its own carbon offset requirements which has seen the bank secure carbon neutrality.  This makes Nedbank the first African bank to achieve this status and gives it the same status as global banks HSBC and Deutsche Bank.  Nedbank has sold a portion of the remaining credits and is currently negotiating the sale of additional credits.      

In   According to Kevin Whitfield, Head of Carbon at Nedbank Capital, the Wildlife Works’ Inc. project, called the Rukinga and Kasigau Wildlife Corridor project, has proved to Africa that it is possible for the continent to become connected with the global green economy, and by so doing to drive revenues, to conserve its own rich natural heritage and to safeguard the livelihoods of its people.   “This market has made it possible for the continent to effectively fight climate change, to uplift rural communities and to protect its wildlife through accessing carbon markets,” he says.    However he admits there has been a scarcity of projects of this type to date, and even fewer large scale carbon projects.  

“Our experience is that there is extraordinary demand for good quality African offsets, and prices are good.  Carbon credits represent a new asset class and I encourage Africa to leverage this opportunity,” says Whitfield.

Mike Korchinsky, founder and president of Wildlife Works, says its new venture, Wildlife Works Carbon, was established to help local landowners in the developing world to monetize their forest and biodiversity assets whether they are governments, communities, ownership groups or private individuals.

 “The corridor project was designed to bring substantial benefits to local communities through education, job creation, environmental protection and direct financial rewards, while protecting precious biodiversity at the same time. It has met the most rigorous standard for ensuring communities and biodiversity benefit from climate change projects. To date it has delivered hundreds of jobs and four schools, setting a positive example for millions of Africans who have the potential to gain financial reward from REDD to boost the future of sustainable development in the face of climate change-related pressure to their livelihoods.

 “We are excited that the global voluntary carbon marketplace has shown such keen interest in reducing its carbon footprint by investing in our carbon credits.  The money that this project is yielding will help the Kenyan community to protect its natural forests, endangered species and the livelihoods of its people,” says Korchinsky.

 Saliem Fakir, head of the WWF in South Africa, says the indigenous forests of Africa are under constant threat as a result of human activities and climate change.

“Many of these types of forests cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Saving them should be an utmost priority. Rukinga and the associated Kasigau Wildlife Corridor project are world class examples of projects that are making a tangilble difference to both communities and the environment and it is innovative finance solutions, like carbon financing, that makes them possible. Both Nedbank and Wildlife Works are to be commended for their role in bringing this deal to fruition,” he says

      The deal between Nedbank and Wildlife Works Inc. was Africa’s first reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) project developed at scale.    Registration from the benchmark voluntary carbon market registry, the VCS (Voluntary Carbon Standard) was achieved.  The project has also been awarded gold level approval under the Climate Community and Biodiversity Alliance’s (CCBA) forestry protection standard – a milestone in establishing REDD in the global carbon marketplace.

It rewards exceptional effort in the efficient use of energy, as implemented in our Think 15% More campaign of 2008. The award recognizes excellence in marketing and communication by companies who have made an extraordinary effort to promote energy efficiency to employees. In addition, Investec received a runner-up award for the commercial category which recognizes the application of sound energy efficiency principles in the commercial sector.

Investec is the only company to have been shortlisted in two separate categories.

Contact Information:
www.investec.co.za

It’s a given that we will continue to reproduce… its part of the survival function of our race. Our environment is being spent at an alarming rate. Global warming is rising exponentially partly due to a lack of education on our part. Nature always finds a balance but in the case of global warming that balance is going to be found somewhere where we are no longer part of the picture. What can we do?

For a start, lets all become responsible and accountable for the impact we have on the environment. You could live without electricity and home comforts and resort to using a bicycle instead of a car but that is not very practical to the man on the street. Or… we could adapt our lifestyles to be more eco-sensitive without cutting our earthly comforts.

Here are some adaptations we could make:

* Install solar water heating systems. Not only will you reduce your electricity bill but will also be part of the green movement.
* See what appliances you could run off solar power. Get a solar power station and run basic things around the house for free using the abundant sun energy available.
* Reduce your water and sewage usage. Fit basin aerators and shower adaptors which will reduce the amount of water used by up to 50% without any loss in comfort to you. Doing this will also directly reduce your water heating requirements. Also, install a water saving unit in your toilet cistern like Save-A-Flush to reduce the amount of water being flushed away by up to 5%.
* Use a fuel combustion enhancer in your vehicles which will drastically reduce emissions and reduce your fuel consumption by 10-20%. The long term benefit is a longer lasting engine too.
* Use energy efficient light bulbs. Why use a 100W bulb when a 15W CFL lamp will give you adequate lighting?

We at Green Online supply a range of products which could help you adapt your lifestyle to be more “green”. Our prices are cut to the bone as we believe “going green” should be as attractive as possible so we can all make a difference. Visit us at www.greenonline.co.za . We have many products which will make that special gift over the festive season. Why not give the environment a gift and buy a “green” product for that someone special!
Green Online is a secure online store available to South Africa and is operated by Velisa Agencies cc. Velisa Agencies cc have been supplying green products since 2006 and take pride in their customer service levels. Put us to the test!