Projectos eco

Fossil-fuel phase-out in a coal paradise

Soacha is a fast-growing suburb in the metropolitan area of Bogotá. Young people from rural areas try their luck there; others had to leave their villages during the civil war. Countless simple mudbrick houses are being built, and brick kilns make a good living. Since coal is cheaply available in Colombia, nearly all of the region's 40 brickworks use it to fire their kilns.

Except for the Santander brickyard, that is. Its owner, Miguel Diaz, has converted his business so that it operates modern, energy-efficient kilns – and he also runs them with up to 80 percent renewable biomass. This way, the brickyard saves 18,000 tons of carbon emissions each year.

This exclusive ClimatePartner carbon offset project was the first project in Colombia to receive Gold Standard certification.

HOW DOES BIOMASS PROJETS HELP FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING?

Biomass projects involve energy being created from renewable biomass, which could be coconut shells, sawdust, wood chips, the residue of sugar cane processing, bamboo or wood from sustainable sources. No trees are felled, or fossil fuels burned, so no CO₂ is emitted. As an additional greenhouse gas reduction measure, such projects mostly involve preventing biomass from rotting in the open air, so that no methane (CH₄) is released.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDG's)

SDG 1 - End poverty in all its forms everywhere (The project secures jobs and income for 115 people in Soacha)

SDG 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages (Less air pollution from burning coal, high health and safety standards for employees)

SDG 7 - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all (Efficient energy production from renewable biomass; the project is a positive example of modern biomass technology)

SDG 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all (Long-term jobs with good conditions, combating child labour and modern slavery)

SDG 9 - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation (Transfer of a modern, clean technology and corresponding vocational training)

SDG 12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns (Use of renewable biomass and waste products instead of coal for energy production)

SDG 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (The project saves 20,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year)

SDG 15 - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss (The project owner supports the protection of the Bosque Andino Biome from deforestation)

SDG 16 - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels (Long-term employment opportunities help reduce social conflicts)

SDG 17 - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development (Our carbon offset projects are building bridges from companies from industrialized countries to people in the world's poorest countries)

Project Standard: Verified Carbon Standard (VCS)

Technology: Biomass

Region: Soacha, Colombia

Annual volume: 20.000 t CO2

Verified by: TÜV NORD CERT GmbH