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Plan Vivo News

March 2008

Plan Vivo feaured in the Economist on 27th March, as one of the ways in which forests are being protected at present.

March 2008

WWF's recent report Making Sense of the Voluntary Carbon Market: A Comparison of Carbon Offset Standards was published and discusses Plan Vivo amongst the standards which are currently featuring in the voluntary market for offsets.

February 2008

On the 21st February the World Bank presented Michael Bloomberg (Mayor of New York) with a Plan Vivo carbon offset certificate of 1tCO2 from the Scolel Te project in Mexico. Plan Vivo was chosen as it addresses both poverty in Mexican communities and can potential address climate change for the people of New York. He was addressing the World Bank employees on urban transformation issues and poverty reduction was published and discusses Plan Vivo amongst the standards which are currently featuring in the voluntary market for offsets.

December 2007

The State of Food and Agriculture: Paying Farmers for Environmental Services published by the FAO discusses evidence from the Plan Vivo system (page 107, box 25).

October 2007

Trees for global Benefit is mentioned in the Commonwealth People's forum as it helps offset the emissions from the CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) in Uganda this year. Please follow the link to see the executive director of ECOTRUST Pauline Nantongo Kalunda speaking about the threat of climate change (transcript available).

July 2007

The latest report from the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee: The Voluntary Carbon Offset Market published 23rd July 2007 stated that the Plan Vivo standards were 'created for projects in rural communities which promote sustainable livelihoods'.

July 2007

Plan Vivo was mentioned in the Ecosystem marketplace's report entitled State of the Voluntary Carbon Market 18th July as a project which is particularly focused on 'positive social and environmental co-benfits'.

Also view the presentation Carbon Finance and The Voluntary Carbon Markets as a Conservation Tool from Ecosystem Marketplace.

May 2007

The Ecosystem Marketplace's document analysing The state of play of Carbon, Water and Biodiversity Markets discusses Trees for global Benefit in Uganda as an example for an operation project in Eastern and Southern Africa. This will be available for download shortly.

April 2007

BR&D hosted a meeting with potential project investors. Presentations are available for download here.

March 2007

The influential online technology website Ars Technica, published a feature article about Carbon Neutral Motorsports which use Scolel Te Carbon Offsets.

January 2007

Scolel Te, Mexico is celebrating its 10th Anniversary of the establishment of it as a voluntary carbon trading initiative. This auspicious anniversary will be marked during 2007.

November 2006

The Climate Trust's recent document on Carbon offsetting, lists Plan Vivo and CCBA (Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance) as 'the two most credible schemes for Carbon offsetting using land use and forestry projects'. Click here to view the document.

November 2006

The Plan Vivo system was discussed in the context of its experience in payments for carbon services at the Katoomba Group meeting: Catalyzing Payments for Ecosystem Services in Africa.

October 2006

The Nhambita Community Carbon Project, Mozambique was included in the influential Stern Report on the 'Economics of Climate Change' and was cited as an example of the 'potential beneficial relationship between emissions reductions and poverty reduction'.

October 2006

An IIED paper on the Voluntary Carbon Market concluded that '4% of retailers used the Plan Vivo standard on their projects'.

September 2006

Gregory Barker MP for Bexhill and Battle visited the Nhambita project, Mozambique to view the sustainable forestry and meet the government officials and farmers involved. This visit has drawn attention to the value of community forests.

April 2006

The Scolel Te project was featured on the Tropical Forest Group website, which aims to create pioneering solutions for the planets most vital biome. View the feature article or the interview with Elsa Esquivel of Ambio.

2006

Uganda received some positive publicity from Ugandas two leading dailies, - The New Vision and Daily Monitor.

Summer 2005

During 2005 a new subspecies of orchid was found within the project area in Mexico. The Scolel Te project in Mexico has a high level of international collaboration and research with both the community and experts in Mexico who will ensure the flower is protected. This area already supports the rare orchid Oeceoclades maculate which has only been recorded five times in Mexico.

November 2005

Beatrice Ahimbisibwe a participant and group leader in the Trees for global Benefit project was featured in the Katoomba Groups Ecosystem Marketplace. The article highlights how the project has benefited local communities, local biodiversity and local businesses which helping the global climate.

November 2005

Kenya Airways inflight magazine gave a glowing review of the Trees for Global Benefit project, Uganda.

September 2005

The Plan Vivo system appeared in the Katoomba groups news page, as a project that is 'an opportunity for buyers to put their money to good use'.

July 2005

The Nhambita community carbon fund was the focus of the recent report by Girling in the Sunday Times Magazine supplement. It was entitled 'Mozambique is still suffering from the devastation of its civil war. But in one village, the people are paving their way to a healthy future by planting trees'.

May 2004

Staff from Ecotrust Uganda were involved in a panel discussion about sinks for carbon sequestration in the Carbon Expo: global Carbon Market Fair and Conference. There were over 700 trade fair and conference visitors exhibiting from 50 companies and 58 countries.

January 2003

Plan Vivo featured in the popular magazine 'Environmental Finance', which notes in particular the 'highly additional nature of Plan Vivo projects' and concludes 'the high social and environmental benefits associated with the Plan Vivo give these projects an edge in what is becoming a highly competitive market'. See the full document.

March 2002

The IIED (International Institute for Environment and Development) published a guide outlining the response required by the land use sector to the CDM. The Scolel Te project was highlighted as a project which 'introduced the structured framework required and also the monitoring and verification procedures required for carbon offset projects'.

2002

Plan Vivo became fully commercial and was selling to a number of different organisations and individuals.

June 2001

The Scolel te project was cited as an example of a good Joint Implementation carbon project in the FAOs (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) State of the Worlds Forests 2001. The report concluded 'the project was well developed' and it praised the 'forest restoration activities that are both financially beneficial and conserve carbon'.

1998

The Plan Vivo system began to be managed independently by the not-for-profit BioClimate Research & Deveopment.

1997

The first offsets were sold - to Formula 1 who continues to be a regular buyer of offsets.

1996

The first Plan Vivo project (Mexico) entered its pilot phase.

Early 1990's

Dr Richard Tipper was involved in a project in Mexico and had the idea to set up a bottom up approach to development. Funding was sourced for the first Plan Vivo project.

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