Banking Giant Standard Chartered Plans to Sell 5 Million Dollars Worth of Its Website Proceeds for Amazon Rainforest Conservation
Standard Chartered and the Acre State Government Partner to Preserve the Amazon Rainforest
In a significant move towards global climate action, Standard Chartered Bank and the Brazilian state of Acre have signed a five-year deal to sell up to five million carbon credits. These credits will be issued in the "avoided deforestation" category starting in 2026 [1].
The Amazon rainforest, one of the planet's most important carbon sinks, absorbs approximately 2.2 billion metric tons (2 billion tons) of CO2 each year [6]. This deal aims to preserve this critical ecosystem, contributing to global climate goals.
The carbon credits will be created within a REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) framework, a global system aimed at cutting emissions from deforestation and forest degradation [7].
Under this partnership, 72% of the proceeds from the credit sales will go directly to local and Indigenous communities for forest protection and sustainable development activities [1]. These activities include low-emission livestock farming, reforestation of secondary forests, sustainable community-based tourism, and creating clearings without deforestation [1][2][3][5]. The remaining 28% will support project management, governance, forest monitoring, verification, and emergency response to extreme weather events [1][2][3][5].
Standard Chartered, which aims to achieve net-zero operations by 2025 and has a 2050 net-zero target for its financed emissions [4], partners with Puro.earth, a top carbon removal registry, to provide clients access to high-quality Carbon Dioxide Removal Certificates (CORCs) [8].
The financing deal, supported by British Airways, includes insurance and long-term offtake agreements [9]. The transaction supports adherence to the Core Carbon Principles developed by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market, ensuring the quality and transparency of the carbon offset projects [10].
Marisa Drew, Standard Chartered's Chief Sustainability Officer, remarked that the deal aims to preserve standing forests that act as vital carbon sinks and help communities continue to realize economic and social returns they provide [11].
This partnership is significant ahead of COP30, the global climate summit set to be hosted in Belém, Brazil, in 2025. It shows how nature-based solutions can achieve financial, environmental, and social goals [12]. The voluntary carbon market (VCM), where this deal falls, was valued at around $2 billion in 2024 and could grow significantly in the coming years, potentially reaching over $50 billion by 2030 under favorable conditions [13].
The Standard Chartered-Acre partnership focuses on real climate outcomes, community benefits, and market integrity, which may serve as a model for future deals [14]. By engaging the government of Acre and leveraging Standard Chartered’s global networks and carbon market expertise as the exclusive seller, the deal establishes a scalable, jurisdiction-wide model for forest protection [15]. This approach helps safeguard biodiversity, reduce carbon emissions, and improve socio-economic outcomes for communities that depend on the Amazon rainforest, making a significant contribution to global climate mitigation efforts [3][5].
[1] Standard Chartered signs five-year deal to sell up to five million carbon credits on behalf of the Brazilian state of Acre [2] The Amazon rainforest: a carbon sink in danger [3] Standard Chartered and Acre State, Brazil, launch ground-breaking partnership to preserve the Amazon rainforest [4] Standard Chartered sets out ambitious net-zero targets for its operations and financed emissions [5] Standard Chartered and Acre State partner to preserve the Amazon rainforest [6] The Amazon rainforest: a carbon sink in danger [7] What is REDD+? [8] Standard Chartered partners with Puro.earth to provide clients access to high-quality Carbon Dioxide Removal Certificates (CORCs) [9] Standard Chartered and Acre State, Brazil, launch ground-breaking partnership to preserve the Amazon rainforest [10] Standard Chartered and Acre State partner to preserve the Amazon rainforest [11] Standard Chartered and Acre State partner to preserve the Amazon rainforest [12] Standard Chartered and Acre State, Brazil, launch ground-breaking partnership to preserve the Amazon rainforest [13] The voluntary carbon market is expanding, but it's still small and risky [14] Standard Chartered and Acre State partner to preserve the Amazon rainforest [15] Standard Chartered and Acre State, Brazil, launch ground-breaking partnership to preserve the Amazon rainforest
- The Standard Chartered-Acre partnership advocates for the additionality of carbon removal projects, focusing on real climate outcomes in the Amazon Rainforest.
- This partnership in environmental-science could pave the way for sustainable living in the surround community, promoting low-emission livestock farming and reforestation of secondary forests.
- The science behind carbon markets is crucial for the regulation of emissions, ensuring that investment in home-and-garden and real-estate projects aligns with global climate goals.
- In the realm of education-and-self-development and lifelong-learning, understanding the role of data-and-cloud-computing in the voluntary carbon market can enhance informed lifestyle choices related to carbon footprint minimization.
- By supporting technology-driven solutions for forest monitoring, verification, and emergency response, this partnership strengthens the resilience against climate-change impacts in the Amazon Rainforest.
- The finance from this deal will also contribute to sustainable community-based tourism, potentially boosting the local economy and offering new opportunities for sports enthusiasts, such as horse-racing.
- As more entities adopt policies for net-zero targets, the notion of carbon offset projects through racing events like horse-racing could become a viable option for mitigating carbon emissions.
- The partnership between Standard Chartered and Acre State Government demonstrates the potential of the voluntary carbon market to deliver financial, environmental, and social benefits, influencing policy directions worldwide.
- The investments in this partnership could diversify the revenue stream of sustainability-minded individuals, offering alternatives to traditional finance and increasing the overall impact on the environment.
- This groundbreaking collaboration could inspire further initiatives within various sectors, such as the racing industry, encouraging joint efforts for climate-change mitigation and sustainable living globally.
- By learning from case studies like Standard Chartered and Acre State, we can promote a culture of community involvement in climate action, ultimately contributing to the worldwide effort in fighting climate-change.