Carbon Credits: 2021

In 2021, Wyld worked with South Pole to purchase and retire carbon credits from several projects to help offset our operational greenhouse gas emissions for that year. Below are descriptions and impacts of these amazing projects.

Darkwoods Forest Conservation:

Wyld worked with South Pole to purchase and retire carbon credits from this project to help offset its 2021 operational greenhouse gas emissions.

Location: southeastern British Columbia, Canada. The property is bounded by the town of Creston in the south and Lake Kootenay in the east.

Description: Darkwoods Forest Conservation is a carbon sequestration project that achieves emissions reductions by preventing emissions otherwise caused by commercial logging activities.

The project area connects a surrounding network of protected lands into one contiguous conservation area of over 100,000 hectares, preserving habitat for at-risk native wildlife including an endangered herd of mountain caribou. The property also serves as an ecological corridor for roaming keystone species such as grizzly bears, wolverines and elk. The Darkwoods conservation area is also a ‘living laboratory’ for scientists who conduct a wide range of research, from insect impact studies to conservation strategies. – source: South Pole

Project Standards: The Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) or “Verra” & The Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB)

Project Proponent: Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) who acquired the project’s 54,792 hectares of land in 2008.

Project Impact & Related Sustainable Development Goals (SDG):

• SDG 8 – Decent Work & Economic Growth: 292 new jobs created to date and increasing annually
• SDG 13 – Climate Action: 146,000 tonnes of CO2e mitigated on average annually by the overall project
• SDG 15 – Life on Land: 54,792 hectares protected from commercial logging to sequester carbon

Kayonza District Borehole Project:

With South Pole, Wyld purchased and retired carbon credits from this project to help offset 2021 operational greenhouse gas emissions.

Project Standards: Gold Standard | Location: Rwanda, Africa

Description: The quality of water in Rwanda is typically not safe to drink; for clean water, families must either boil it over inefficient wood-fuelled fires or travel long distances. The burden to source water, sometimes hours each day, or suffer respiratory illnesses from inhaling smoke from the indoor fires, especially impacts women and children. This project restores and repairs existing boreholes to provide clean drinking water to Rwandan communities, removing the need to boil water for purification. Each borehole is up to 100 meters deep, and can be operated with a simple hand pump. The boreholes will be maintained over the project lifetime.

Impact: By providing access to safe water to communities, this project sparks a chain of positive benefits. Children do not have to spend as much time gathering water or firewood, so they can dedicate time to studying. Families’ resources are freed up as they don’t have to spend money or time on firewood, instead, they can take part in other income-generating activities, household tasks or taking care of each other. Water-borne and respiratory diseases are reduced thanks to better sanitary conditions and less indoor smoke. By removing the need to boil water the project significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions as well as deforestation pressures on surrounding forests where firewood is sourced. – source: South Pole

Project Impact & Related Sustainable Development Goals (SDG):

• SDG 1: 68,000 people benefit from the project, improving the livelihoods of communities
• SDG 6: 50 million liters of clean water is supplied by project boreholes annually
• SDG 13: 140,000 tonnes of CO2e mitigated on average annually by removing the need to boil water on wood fires for purification
• SDG 15: 85,000 tonnes of wood saved, relieving pressures on surrounding forests

Crow Lake Wind Power:

Wyld worked with South Pole to purchase and retire carbon credits from this project to help offset its 2021 operational greenhouse gas emissions. Additional registry link.

Project Standards:The Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) or “Verra” | Location: South Dakota, USA

Description: Spanning 36,000 acres in South Dakota, this wind power project is a product of innovative community collaboration between 3 parties. In total the wind farm comprises 108 turbines: Basin Electric Power Cooperative (BEPC) owns 100; a group of south Dakotans, South Dakotan Wind Partners own 7; and 1 is owned by Mitchell Technical Institute (MTI).

Impact: The Crow Lake Wind project harnesses the wind to power homes with clean electricity, displacing energy generated from fossil fuels. The total installed capacity of the project is around 162 megawatts (MW) – 1 MW serves around 800 homes – so at full capacity 129,000 homes can be served. The project displaces fossil fuel generated energy, meets growing demands with clean energy, and helps drive a low carbon future in the USA. – source: South Pole

Project Impact & Related Sustainable Development Goals (SDG):

• SDG 4: Training of wind technicians at MTI college, creating the next generation of renewables experts
• SDG 7: 513,000 MWh of clean renewable energy generated on average per year
• SDG 9: 108 wind turbines installed thanks to the project
• SDG 13: 432,000 tonnes of CO2e mitigated on average per year

Clean Water Kiosks Cambodia:

Wyld worked with South Pole to purchase and retire carbon credits from this project to help offset its 2021 operational greenhouse gas emissions.

Project Standards: Gold Standard & Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) | Location: Rural areas across 19 provinces in Cambodia

Description: In underserved areas of rural Cambodia contaminated drinking water is a big problem. Many people have no choice but to drink contaminated water or purchase water. The latter is a significant expense so many people end up risking their health by drinking the contaminated water. In cases like these, decentralized water treatment stations can be a solution.

In underserved areas of rural Cambodia, many people have little choice but to drink contaminated water from rivers, ponds, and swamps which they must then collect firewood to boil and purify it or, if they have the resources, purchase water. The latter is a significant expense for the poorest households in Cambodia, meaning many instead must risk their health. In such cases, decentralized water treatment stations can be a solution.

Impact: This project provided microfinance to small enterprises and entrepreneurs to set up local, environmentally-focused water treatment stations. Currently, more than 260 enterprises are providing clean, affordable water to over 800,000 Cambodians. As well as increasing access to clean water, this project fosters economic opportunities by creating jobs and enabling people to earn a living by purifying and distributing sourced water to neighboring communities. – source: South Pole

Related Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) & Project Impacts:

• SDG 3: 800,000 people provided with access to affordable, clean water, lowering the risk of disease
• SDG 6: 300,000 school children have access to safe water
• SDG 8: 890 jobs created in rural communities, boosting local economies
• SDG 13: 15,000 tonnes of CO2e avoided on average annually by removing the need to boil water to purify it

*Compliance information relevant to carbon credits that have been purchased via CA Bill 1305:

SBTi – Net Zero Approval Letter

SBTi – Approved Science-Based Targets