Carbon Offsetting

The environment is in a constant state of change, and due to man’s activities such as: deforestation, Carbon Dioxide CO2 and Methane CH4 emissions, over farming and land pollution, the environment is moving towards an irreversible tipping point, which will effect everybody, in every corner of the world.  No one will be able to escape from, earth temperature rise, degradation of natural resources, increase in the price for food commodities, rising sea levels and the increase in the prevalence and severity of draughts, floods and hurricanes.   Man has helped contribute to the current circumstances, though man is also in the best position to cope with the changes, plan for the future and work towards minimising the worst of the impacts.

One way of addressing many of these interlinked impacts and issues is reforestation.  Trees:  absorb carbon from the atmosphere, improve soil conservation and reduce erosion in rivers and lakes and reverse the effects of deforestation. 

Carbon Offsetting (through planting of trees) is now seen as a key weapon against environmental impact, whilst at the same time working in a coordinated way (with all stakeholders) it can also help address some of the Millennium Development Goals, especially reducing poverty (MDG1).

With a background in the private sector, together with practical project experience, BFA is in a good position to help projects understand the business and financial implications of starting carbon offsetting projects.  With a wide network of contacts in: environmental programs, NGO field projects, private sector investment, carbon offsetting authorities and certifiers, BFA can help your organisation design a financially sustainable project which will help both the environment and the livelihoods of implementing members i.e. farmers.

Below are links to two PDF documents about carbon offsetting and the associated financial implications.

basic-explanation-of-carbon-offsetting

financial-considerations-of-carbon-offsetting

To practically see if your organisation can benefit from Carbon Seuestration and to understand some of the practical issues surronding financial sustainability, go to the Carbon Sequestration Financial Tool page.