GreenZone Reforestation Project Achieves Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Validation

[Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; 17 December 2024]

Climate Investment Partners, in partnership with DGB Group, proudly announces that the GreenZone Reforestation Project has achieved validation under the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). This milestone underscores the project’s contributions to combating climate change, restoring biodiversity, and improving community livelihoods in Cameroon.

A Transformative Initiative

The GreenZone Reforestation Project, spearheaded by DutchGreen Project Management BV and supported by Climate Investment Partners, focuses on reforesting degraded communal lands in Cameroon. By planting native and agroforestry tree species, the project enhances biodiversity, restores wildlife corridors, mitigates soil erosion, and sequesters carbon dioxide. It also empowers local communities with sustainable income opportunities through perennial crops like avocado, citrus, and cashews.

Scaling Up & Building Partnerships

With the Project now fully validated under the Verified Carbon Standard, DGB and CIP are focused on scaling the reforestation efforts while also working towards:

• Scaling Reforestation Efforts: Identifying additional lands and reforesting the landscape.
• Securing Project Financing: Drawing investor interest to bring the Project to full scale.

VCS Validation: What It Means

The GreenZone Reforestation Project directly supports the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• No Poverty (SDG 1): By providing farmers and local workers with sustainable income opportunities.
• Zero Hunger (SDG 2): Through agroforestry crop cultivation, ensuring access to nutritious food and marketable produce.
• Gender Equality (SDG 5): Promoting equal employment opportunities for men and women.
• Climate Action (SDG 13): By sequestering CO₂ and combating climate change through large-scale reforestation.

Community and Environmental Benefits

The GreenZone Reforestation Project supports carbon reduction and fosters socio-economic development. Highlights include:

• Sustainable Jobs: Providing local employment for nursery workers and tree care teams.
• Income Diversification: Enabling farmers to benefit from perennial crops.
• Ecosystem Restoration: Expanding forest cover in degraded landscapes.
• Gender Equality: Promoting equal employment opportunities for men and women.

External Endorsements and Collaborations

The project has received strong support from local communities, and government officials. Key meetings, including consultations with village chiefs and elites, ensured free, prior, and informed consent from all stakeholders.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has highlighted the importance of species like Prunus africana (African cherry), which the project is actively planting to restore ecosystems and support local farmers. This initiative aligns with global biodiversity efforts, including the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Looking Ahead

The GreenZone Reforestation Project represents a scalable model for addressing environmental degradation and poverty through nature-based solutions. Climate Investment Partners remains committed to expanding these efforts and delivering measurable impacts for both people and the planet.

Learn More

For detailed project insights, visit the GreenZone Reforestation Project page.

For media inquiries or further information, please contact:

info@ClimateInvestmentPartners.com