What is a carbon footprint?
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas in the earth’s atmosphere that captures and retains the sun’s heat. Human activity such as deforestation, excessive consumption, and the burning of fossil fuels creates CO2 emissions. Because of our actions, there is now an excess of CO2 in the atmosphere, heating the earth’s surface and causing climate change.
Your carbon footprint represents the sum of all CO2 emissions derived from your daily activities, including electricity use, transportation, and travel.
How does carbon offsetting work?
Trees and plants capture CO2 from the atmosphere as they grow, transforming and storing it in their trunks, roots, and stems. More trees and healthy forests means that more CO2 is removed, or sequestered, from the atmosphere.
By donating on Carbon Neutral Planet, you provide forest owners in the Sierra Gorda with funds to regenerate and protect their forests. In this way, you directly finance actions that combat climate change and, in doing so, offset your carbon emissions.
In addition to mitigating climate change, you also protect biodiversity and support resilient communities when you offset with us.
How do I calculate my carbon emissions?
To calculate your carbon emissions, visit our calculator section and fill in your information.
Using data from our own studies as well as data from the International Panel on Climate Change, we have determined the quantity of carbon captured by our local oak forests. Therefore, we know the forest area that must be protected in order to mitigate a certain quantity of emissions, as well as the cost to protect it.
I know how much carbon I want to offset. Now what?
Once you have calculated your carbon emissions, you can offset them by paying through the checkout page.
When we receive your donation, we will begin to work with one of the landowners interested in regenerating a forest plot. The landowner will eliminate logging, hunting, and ranching from the plot and your donation will provide payment for the ecosystem services provided by the restored plot. The forest biomass and the number of tree saplings will increase, capturing ever greater quantities of carbon.
Please note that the Biodiversity Carbon offsets are effective for one year only. We invite you to become our long-term partner and offset your carbon footprint annually.
Where does the money go?
We believe that local economic development must accompany conservation in order for conservation to succeed. That’s why we work hard to make sure that local communities stand to gain economically for their conservation work.
80% of your donation will be paid directly to landowners who regenerate forests, thus stimulating the local economy and supporting rural communities. The rest of your donation ensures on-going MRV, training and follow-up sessions for participating landowners on subjects such as the forest ecosystem and the flora and fauna we seek to protect so that they become long-term stewards of their forests, and covers the cost of continually updating the Geographic Information System, the database of available carbon, and the distribution of funds to beneficiaries.
Why oak forests?
Mexico has the largest variety of oak species in the world, many of which are endemic. Querétaro is home to 37 of these species. Oak forests cover a major part of the Sierra Gorda and are home to threatened species such as jaguars, pumas, great curassows, and bearded wood-partridges.
Not only do oak forests have an extremely high conservation value; they also absorb high levels of carbon from the atmosphere.
What about the livestock?
Cows, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, and pigs were first brought to the Americas in the 16th century. They are exotic species in Mexico and harmful to natural ecosystems.
For generations, local landowners have allowed livestock, especially cattle, to roam free in their forests. This has caused soil erosion, deforestation, and vegetation deterioration.
Your donation will make it economically possible for a landowner to remove his or her livestock from the forest, thus beginning a process of regeneration in which the forest’s original biodiversity reestablishes itself.
How do you make sure that landowners honor their commitments?
We provide ongoing training and support to participating landowners so that they can become true stewards of the environment. We also monitor forest plots to ensure compliance with commitments.
As a testimony to the effectiveness and thoroughness of Biodiversity Carbon, the government of Querétaro offsets the carbon emissions of all vehicles in the state with us.
