Carbon Offset Pilot Program
As the human and financial cost of climate change continues to rise, governments are setting ambitious targets to stem greenhouse gas emissions. It has become clear that these climate targets cannot be met without the protection, restoration and sustainable use of nature and biodiversity.
Forests and grasslands store high levels of carbon in their soils and vegetation, but a significant fraction is being lost through conversion, overharvesting or overgrazing. Improving forest management and avoiding the conversion of grassland to cropland can help reduce carbon emissions. Carbon markets can help finance the protection of forest and grasslands, creating a new source of revenue for landowners engaged in sustainable management and conservation of natural and working lands. For land trusts, the carbon markets can help raise revenue to pay for land acquisition, conservation easements and stewardship.
To help land trusts better access these opportunities the Land Trust Alliance in partnership with Finite Carbon and The Climate Trust is excited to launch a new carbon offset pilot program. The carbon offset pilot program will provide land trusts access to carbon markets and a new source of conservation funding. The pilot consists of two parts: The first, with Finite Carbon, assists land trusts with forested fee-land ownerships that are too small to qualify for carbon projects on their own gain access to the voluntary carbon offset market by combining their holdings with those of other land trusts. The second, with The Climate Trust, will facilitate the protection of grasslands by providing upfront cash payments to land trusts, based on anticipated future carbon revenues, to help finance the purchase of no-till grassland conservation easements. The Land Trust Alliance will facilitate the participation of land trusts, coordinate the various stages of the project and provide grants to help select land trusts cover their staff and out-of-pocket expenses. The Climate Trust and Finite Carbon will serve as technical project developers for grassland and forest projects respectively, including assessing project feasibility, negotiating commercial terms and marketing and selling carbon offset credits.
