We believe that the projects we’ve chosen will make a real difference. Initially, our pre-purchase obligations have been secured with certificates for the following projects:
Carbon Conscious Capture Project 1 in Western Australia
Southern Phone has pre-purchased and retired Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) from the Carbon Conscious Capture Project 1, developed by Carbon Conscious Investments Ltd (Carbon Conscious), a member of the Carbon Market Institute and a foundation signatory of the Australian Carbon Industry Code of Conduct.
Carbon Conscious’ reforestation of 5,700 hectares of land in Western Australia, sequesters carbon from the atmosphere following the plantation of more than six million native trees on land previously cleared for dryland cropping and grazing.
This region is recognised as significantly over-cleared, and the reforestation is providing protective habitat for native flora and fauna, reducing wind and water erosion and in some cases reducing soil salinity, as well as providing a useful environment for sheep and honey bees.
BURN Stoves Project in Kenya
Southern Phone has pre-purchased and retired Gold Standard Verified Emissions Reductions (GSVERs) from the BURN Stoves Project, developed by ClimateCare Limited, who have pioneered carbon finance for community development projects and delivered some of the largest carbon offsetting programs in the world.
The project directly addresses several certified Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) impacts: 1, No Poverty; 3, Good Health and Wellbeing; 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth; and 13, Climate Action.
The BURN Stoves Project provides communities with an efficient cookstove that benefits the environment, creates employment opportunities, promotes business and infrastructure development, and provides cleaner, more efficient cooking options.
The stoves are manufactured at a solar powered factory in Nairobi, which employs more than 100 people. It is important to note that 80% of Kenya’s primary household energy still comes from solid fuel. The majority of this is burnt on smoky open fires and inefficient cookstoves, leading to indoor air pollution causing respiratory disease, and contributing to global climate change.
The stoves sold by the project use 45% less charcoal – meaning families can recover the initial outlay within two to three months of purchase and then save up to $300 in fuel costs every year.
Ceramic Water Purifiers Project in Cambodia
Southern Phone has pre-purchased and retired Gold Standard Verified Emissions Reductions (GSVERs) from the Ceramic Water Purifiers Project, developed by Hydrologic Social Enterprise Company Ltd, a social enterprise which has a mission to ensure all families in rural Cambodia have access to safe, clean drinking water. The use of water purifiers eliminates the need for wood fuel, therefore reducing the depletion of Cambodia’s forest resources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving indoor air pollution.
With the assistance of carbon finance, this project can be economically sustainable and provides a significant improvement in public health and household welfare. This project is expected to provide access to adequate levels of clean drinking water to an estimated 1.7 million people across 312,000 households over seven years. This project directly addresses several of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including Goal 4 and 7, and especially to halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. It also integrates the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs and seeks to reverse the loss of environmental resources while also reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating disease, and ensuring environmental sustainability.