Since the launch of the Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor project in 2008, 30 million trees and shrubs have been planted restoring over 13,000 hectares of land.

Quick Facts

TYPE: Australian Native Reforestation

LOCATION: Northern wheat belt ofSouthwest Australia

STATUS: In operation, credits available

EMISSIONS REDUCTION: 1.059M tons of CO2-e over 50yrs

SCOPE: 8,693 ha

VINTAGES: 2018-22

CERTIFICATION: Gold Standard VER & Gold Standard PER

ADDITIONALITY & PERMANENCE: In accordance with Gold Standard Foundation rules

3RD PARTY VERIFIED by Rainforest Alliance

TRANSPARENCY: Provided by Gold Standard Impact Registry

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THE PROJECT

AUSTRALIAN NATIVE REFORESTATION, GOLD STANDARD - VERIFIED EMISSION REDUCTION (VER) & PLANNED EMISSION REDUCTION (PER)

This reforestation project aims to re-establish the natural landscape of a200km corridor in the northern wheat belt of Southwest Australia.

About 90% of our current planting area was cleared by European settlers during the 1900s to allow for the farming of crops and livestock. Over time the soil has degraded, and together with a drying climate, has left parts of the landscape no longer viable for traditional farming.

The removal of the natural woodland environment has threatened many plant and animal species with extinction.

These factors have led to Conservation International identifying the broader region of Southwest Australia as one of 35 globally significant biodiversity hotspots. Conservation International defines a biodiversity hotspot as a region that has a high percentage of endemic plant species and less than30% of its natural vegetation remaining.

The Yarra Yarra project aims to revegetate the landscape of the Corridor and return the environment to its original state while simultaneously removing carbon from the atmosphere.

This is done by planting up to 60 different tree and shrub species indigenous to the region. The goal is to create a green corridor that will reconnect coastal regions with drier inland habitats. The Corridor will provide birds and animals with habitat for food, nests and protection from predators, encouraging them to transition through the landscape.

POSITIVE IMPACTS

+ The project has injected more than $8 million into the community, supporting 140 local businesses.

+ Generation of new jobs for tree plantings, seed collection and integrated agricultural activities.

+ Casual employment for 200+ people, including local indigenous people.

+ Creation of an Australian Sandalwood integrated carbon industry in rural Australia.

+ Five aboriginal heritage sites discovered in archaeological surveys are now registered with theDepartment of Indigenous Affairs Registry.

+ Ecological scientists conducted a baseline biodiversity survey and discovered an amazing diversity of plant and animal species.

+ Combating desertification by protecting and stabilizing the ground with vegetation, which reduces soil salinity and erosion by wind and water.

+ Creation of wildlife habitats and the reintroduction of plant and animals, including over 30 species of conservation-significant native plants, 13 conservation-significant bird species and 100s of insect species.

GOLD STANDARD FOR THE GLOBAL GOALS

Gold Standard projects take climate action together with sustainable development by contributing to the 17Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as agreed on by the United Nations.

The Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor Project is the first premium Gold Standard certified project in Australia. It is certified to remove 1.059M tonnes of CO2-e from the atmosphere over 50 years.

VERIFIED EMISSIONS REDUCTION (VERs)

Carbon credits verified by The Gold Standard Foundation are known as VERs. They may be retired and used for carbon neutrality claims.

PLANNED EMISSIONS REDUCTION (PERs)

In acknowledgement of the time taken and up front finance required to sequester carbon in forests, The Gold Standard Foundation allows the registration of expected carbon emission reductions. These credits are called PlannedEmissions Reductions (PERs) and can be traded but cannot be retired. After a third-party audit validates the sequestration of carbon, the PER carbon credits will automatically become VER credits. In the interim, an equivalent number of verified carbon credits from an international project can be retired to enable the buyer to claim carbon neutrality.

LEGAL

The reforestation is on company owned land. Trees are legally protected for 100 years by a Carbon Right and a Carbon Covenant on the land title.

Carbon credits are assigned unique serial numbers and assigned/retired on the Gold Standard Impact Registry; a public registry that guarantees the credits cannot be double-counted or resold.

MITIGATING FIRE RISK

There are fire risk protection strategies in place including fire breaks, geographic separation of projects planting sites, insurance and light grazing of sheep to reduce fuel load.Native tree plantings are self-regenerating.

If a fire or other disturbance occurs, causing a decline in the amount of carbon stored, re-growth will be managed to allow the carbon stock to return to previously reported values.