Paraguay

Creative Carbon, in partnership with Atenil S.A., is developing the largest REDD+ project in Paraguay, with over 187,000 hectares (ha) – over 462,000 acres – under management (REDD+ stands for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation). The Project entails the sustainable management of forests, the conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks, the protection of biodiversity, and tremendous positive social impact.  We call this project – “Chaco Vivo.”

The Gran Chaco in Paraguay has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world and there is little debate that the Chaco Forest is at high risk of severe deforestation.

• The Gran Chaco is the second-largest forest in South America, behind only the Amazon, and is one of the most deforested areas on the planet.

Legal deforestation occurs at an extreme rate in the Chaco, with native Chaco forestland being converted into crop and cattle pastures at a staggering rate of more than 120 ha or nearly 300 acres per day.

A recent analysis of economic drivers indicates the strong likelihood that all suitable forestland (i.e., forests not located within national nature reserves, private protected areas, or reserved for indigenous communities) will have been deforested through conversion to pastureland, and/or soybean production by 2025. This situation is dire and requires drastic efforts to reverse this trend.

Due to the high risk that ecosystems, biodiversity, and communities face in the project region, Chaco Vivo is a high-impact carbon project that will protect over 187,000 ha of critical Paraguayan Chaco Forest and impact local communities living near the project zone. Chaco Vivo will help protect and improve important and threatened biodiversity, marginalized rural and indigenous communities, and critical ecosystems.

Chaco Vivo is designed under two leading carbon standards – the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and the Climate, Community, and Biodiversity Standard (CCBS) with triple Gold Distinction. Chaco Vivo will preserve a wide range of ecosystem services and mitigate the release of over 30 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions during the life of the Project.

Integral to Creative Carbon’s work is addressing the key drivers of degradation across both landscapes and livelihoods. Our unique approach aims to provide solutions to the unsustainable use of resources, which is directly related to a lack of economic development. Our “L.I.F.E.” Program (Land-use Initiatives & Forest Enterprises Program) is one of the most significant tools to help achieve sustainable carbon projects. The LIFE Program is funded, in part, by committing a portion of project revenues to the four key LIFE Program components.

Click here to learn more about our LIFE Program here for how we are addressing the UN SDGs.

Stay tuned as Project Chaco Vivo continues to develop!