---

1) What can be offset?

Products, services, events, enterprises, citizens. See more examples here.

2) How are the Greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions calculated ?

An emissions inventory is developed based on data such as the electricity consumption, transportation and other emission sources. This inventory is elaborated following the GHG Protocol standard. To convert the electricity consumption and fossil fuels to CO2 equivalent, emission factors (approved by the United Framework Convention on Climate Change) are utilized. These factors are the same used in the Kioto’s Protocol Clean Development Mechanism

A factor relating activity data (such as tonnes of fuel consumed, tonnes of product produced) and absolute GHG emissions. Eg. The global warming potential of the Methane is 21, meaning that the emissions of 1 ton of methane is equivalent of 21 tones of CO2.

3) How does trees absorb carbonic dioxide ?

In the photosynthesis process, trees absorbs CO2 and liberate O2 fixing carbon (C) on its biomass. The carbon is stored until its death.

4) How does the GHG emissions are converted in to trees?

Levando-se em consideração que metade do tronco de uma árvore é carbono, calcula-se o diâmetro médio do tronco da árvore (ou das espécies de árvores) a ser plantada para saber a quantidade de CO₂ que ela irá absorver durante seu crescimento, que leva cerca de 40 anos. Depois, basta dividir a quantidade de CO₂ equivalente que se deseja neutralizar pela capacidade de absorção de CO₂ da árvore para se ter o número exato de mudas que se precisa plantar. A Iniciativa Verde calcula uma margem de erro para cima, já que 20% das sementes não costumam vingar.

Para isso usa-se a seguinte equação:

N = (Et / Ff) x 1,2

Onde:

N – número de árvores a serem plantadas

Et – emissão total de GEE estimada no Inventário de Emissões (tonelada de CO₂ equivalente ou tCO2e);

Ff – fator de fixação de carbono em biomassa no local de implantação do projeto (tCO2e/árvore)*

1,2 – Fator de compensação a perdas naturais.*

* Este fator de fixação de carbono (0,19 tCO₂e/árvore) foi retirado de um estudo (Martins, 2004) que analisou fragmentos de mata ciliar nativa na região de São Carlos, interior de São Paulo - e está de acordo com diversas pesquisas sobre reflorestamentos e fragmentos de Mata Atlântica. A quantidade de biomassa em um hectare de floresta foi estimada considerando os troncos, galhos e raízes das árvores. Para chegar ao Ef mediu-se o diâmetro do tronco da árvore para saber a quantidade de CO₂ que ela irá absorver durante seu crescimento, que leva cerca de 40 anos.

* Projetos de reflorestamento com espécies mistas apresentam uma perda normal de mudas (de 10 a 20%). Por isso, nos reflorestamentos plantamos 20% a mais de árvores como garantia de que todas as emissões contabilizadas serão absorvidas pela floresta em crescimento.

5) Where are the trees planted?

The trees are planted in Permanent Protection Areas, which are riparian areas in São Paulo state, with a partnership with the Environment Secretariat (Secretaria do Meio Ambiente do Estado de São Paulo), the areas are previously registered and aprooved by the Secretariat.

6) Why these specific areas?

When choosing to recover a degraded Permanent Protection area, more than absorbing carbon, the project carries a number of local benefits as conservation of water resources, soil and local biological diversity.

The state of São Paulo, accordingly with the last survey by the Fundação Florestal (Forestry Foundation), has 3.3 million of hectares covered by native vegetation, which represents 13.4% of the estate total area (Barbosa, 2000). The remaining vegetation is distributed in a heterogenous form, concentrated in areas of greater declivity, in the area near the ocean, called Serra do Mar, and in preservation unities administrated by the government. Vast areas are practically null in native vegetation. The situation concerning the riparian areas is especially worrying.

Surveys done by the Fundação Florestal, estimates that more than 1 million hectare of marginal areas and water courses are without riparian vegetation.

To recover these areas it would only be necessary to produce, plant and maintain around two billion seedlings.

In one hand the State Forestry Code gives special attention to the matter, the biggest hurdle to the areas’ recuperation are financial. The Green Initiative with a partnership with whom wishes to offset carbon emissions contributes to recover these areas.

7) How can I make sure that the trees were planted?

On our website you can find a section for each area that contains the forest’s development pictures, periodical maintenance reports as well the areas coordinates. Every partner who had joined the Carbon Free Program are envited to the planting ceremony, as well receive a certificate containing the number of trees and the amount of CO2.

8) Are the recovered areas monitored?

Yes. To assure the success of the reforestation, and consequently the carbon fixation, the project has a life span of 30 months, sufficient time so the seedling will be strong enough to survive over the invader species. After the 30 month period, the areas are continuosly monitored, since the areas of Permanent Protection, resulting that any logging on the referred areas are considered crime against the environment on the Brazilian environment law.

Furthermore, we utilize the methodology “Reforestation of degraded land” AR- AM0001 approved by the UNFCCC’s executive board. The main action contemplate by the methodology are: 1) Verify the rate of mortality of the planted seedlings 3 months and 3 years after the planting date - if the mortality rate are greater than 10%, the replanting has to be done. 2) Permanently certify the permanency of the using samples; 3) Eradicate any kind of a weed that can difficult the trees development; 4) Conduct researches on supplementary samples in order to collect data containing number, species, and diameter of the existing trees as well, signs of human intervention as pastures, fires and logging.

9) Can I offset the emissions myself?

Yes, on our website you can use the GHG Calculator where you can insert your electricity, and fossil fuel consumption data and calculated your annual GHG emissions. That means, anyone can calculate their emissions and plant a tree to offset their emissions. Here, you can also find the list of the Atlantic Coastal Forest (Mata Atlântica) species and how to plant them. Note: the list available is intended to recover the Brazilian Coastal Forest. Check the appropriate species for your region.

10) What is the benefit to offset your emissions through The Green Initiative ?

The main reason is that the areas where we implement our reforestation are degraded riparian areas, and therefore the benefits are not only offset carbon emissions but to recover the local water resources, the local biological diversity and to halt the desertification process.

The recovery projects consists of a minimum of 80 different native species each hectare to guarantee an optimum result to the project.

The seedlings growing is personally monitored for 2 years, in order to guarantee the seedlings development, considering the loss average of 10% during the planting. On this cases the replanting are done in order to reach the desired number of healthy seedlings

The projects also contributes to stimulate the local economy due to the partnership with the local communities.

11) How does the riparian area contributes to water resouces, soil and biological diversity conservation?

Areas that had the riparian areas supressed, the surroundings of the water body is altered and consegquently, the phisical-chemical water properties (as pH, temperature) are modified. Such modifications directly affects the population that are, in some way, related to the water body. The riparian areas works as “green corridors” where animal species are able to circulate, colaborating to its genetics dispertion. Therefore, the lack of riparian areas represets great loss to the locak biological diversity, as well, it helps to reduce erosion. It works as a great obstacle to the rain water wich carries soil sediments. To the aquactic population, the sediment concentration, and water turbidity represents a hurdle to the aquactic species to obtain food until the interruption of the reproduction cycle. To the local comunities the erosion process of a river ultimately will cause wather shortage.

12) How long it takes the process to join the Carbon Free Program?

After we receive the previous emission survey, it takes around a week to the information processing and reach the results, and consequently the costs to offset the emissions projetc joining the Carbon Free Program.

This first stage of the process has no cost to the partner. The project’s global cost is directly proportional with the necessary number of trees that has to be planted in order to offset the proposed activity. Once the project is approved, the Carbon Free certificate is granted to the project activity and is valid accordingly with the contract validity.

---