On February 24, the implementing partners of the Chyulu Hills REDD+ Project met at MWCT, which serves as the coordinating project office. Reducing Emissions through Degradation and Deforestation (REDD+) offers a means to generate income through conservation. The Chyulu Hills REDD+ project covers 410,534 hectares of the Tsavo-Amboseli landscape, including ecosystems from mountain cloud forests to grasslands savannah. Project partners include Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Forest Service, Big Life Foundation, David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, African Wildlife Foundation, Conservation International, and the Maasai Group Ranches of Kuku, Kuku A, Rombo and Mbirikani.
The Project is pursuing verification under both the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and the Climate, Community and Biodiversity (CCB) standards
Over its thirty year life, the project aims to prevent the emission of 37 million metric tons of carbon dioxide by preventing deforestation, forest degradation and grassland conversion. Next year, the project hopes to sell the first round of credits, comprising emissions reductions from 2013-2015. The project must pass a verification* by the end of the year to generate verified carbon units. In addition to measuring biodiversity, soil and other factors, the verification will assess how the project operated in compliance with all of its policies and with the Free Prior Informed Consent of the local communities.
Project partners left the meeting with a commitment to each play their part to create a successful verification process!
