THE GIVING TREE ALLIANCE
(ASHOKA, Conservation International, Impact Alliance)
Currently an unprecedented 1 billion people worldwide are suffering from acute food shortages. One of the contributing factors leading to the food crisis has been the devastating effects of climate change. The Giving Tree Alliance seeks to connect communities in developing countries to carbon markets in order to improve livelihoods in an effort to alleviate hunger while mitigating climate change.
In 2006 alone the global carbon market grossed $30 billion dollars and is estimated to grow to $400 billion by 2010. This high profit potential has attracted the participation of many large corporations in the carbon market. Participation allots each corporation a predetermined quota of carbon credits. If they go over this amount they are required to buy additional credits on the open market, which can be costly.
Developing communities have the unique opportunity to participate in carbon markets through carbon offset projects which allow them to generate income by engaging in sustainable natural resource management. The Giving Tree Alliance will identify and educate community participants as well as create a framework to connect communities to carbon markets. This framework includes the establishment of a system of carbon project management as well as a project database. This intermediary would provide a resource for corporations, giving them the opportunity to invest in these projects which offer carbon credits at a lower cost.
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Activity Domains
(List all) |
Identification & Education |
Carbon
Credit Connection |
Capacity Building
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Making communities aware of the opportunity and educating them on the process for becoming involved. |
Database and carbon project management framework (linking communities in developing countries to carbon markets). |
Training toolkit (TOT, Participatory analysis, Improved natural resource management practices, project management training). |
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Actors
(List and describe) |
Ashoka: Fellows (in Agricultural practices at the ground level); Overall capacity Building; Carbon Credit Connection = framework, solution brokering.
Impact Alliance: Carbon Credit Connection (Database, networks); Partner with in house organizations to unpack toolkits; Capacity Building and Education.
Conservation Intl: CCC (best practices); Biodiversity Science Expertise (Toolkit creation); Identification/ Education. |
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Process Factors
(Typically 3-5 factors) |
Green Development |
Social Entrepreneurship |
Scale-up |
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A holistic approach to development that not only addresses the needs of the community but improves environmental sustainability. |
Empowering communities through livelihood improvement. Hunger alleviation through income generation. |
Creating a framework for the connection of communities in developing countries to carbon markets. |
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Value-Adding Mechanisms
(List and describe top 3-5) |
Project innovation, scale up, networking, grassroots movements |
Government capacity building, training, and networking |
Biodiversity science, research and development and carbon market experience |
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Community training and innovative approaches to connecting communities to carbon markets
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Income generation through carbon projects and community capacity building in natural resource management |
New technology sharing and land and resource mapping |
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Impact on Service Coverage and Quality
(Describe) |
Social Value:
Community Empowerment Change
Enhanced Resource management Change and Food Security
Improved Socio-Economic Status
Market:
Scale up
Connections
Climate Change Mitigation
Sustainability:
Community Awareness of Assets
Long and Short Tem Hunger Alleviation
Project Ownership
Sustainable Development
Global Awareness and Capacity building
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