Media Contact:
Karin Burns
press@coderedd.com
(415) 322-9599
Press Release
UNESCO Director-General, Major Corporations, Global NGOs and Indigenous Community Leaders Unite and Take Action to Stop Deforestation
SAN FRANCISCO, June 12, 2012 – Code REDD, an emergency action campaign to save the world’s endangered forests, announced today that five major corporations are joining the campaign and changing the course of history by making multi-million dollar pledges to buy emissions reductions from high quality REDD+ projects protecting threatened forests around the world.
The founding corporations who are making their pledges include multinational financial services provider Allianz, global luxury sport & lifestyle premium brands giant PPR, international sustainable energy provider Eneco, German renewable energy provider Entega, and the leading South African bank, Nedbank.
Code REDD also announced that a global group of pioneering REDD+ Project Developers including international NGOs, Indigenous forest owners, and private sector developers are joining the campaign for the launch, by pledging to sell the emissions reductions generated by their REDD+ projects.
The founding REDD+ project developers include BioCarbon Pty Ltd. (Ecuador), ERA (Democratic Republic of Congo), Forest Carbon Offsets (Belize), The Surui Project (Brazil), Wildlife Alliance (Cambodia), Wildlife Conservation Society (Madagascar), and Wildlife Works (Kenya).
Natural forests are disappearing at the alarming rate of 13 million hectares per year (FAO) and deforestation accounts for an estimated 17% of total annual global greenhouse gas emissions (UNIPCC) The effects of deforestation are having devastating impacts on people and wildlife throughout the world and are threatening the resources humans need for survival. Climate change experts largely agree that climate stability cannot be achieved without the conservation of the world’s remaining forests.
While the UNFCCC continues to work on the critical challenge of creating a broad climate change solution, the market place waits for direction. Meanwhile forests are burning and forest communities need help now.
“Reducing your carbon footprint is not a UN obligation. It’s a global responsibility. It is inspiring to see these Code REDD Corporate Champions showing innovation and leadership by doing something REDD” said Mike Korchinsky, Founder of the Code REDD Campaign and CEO of Wildlife Works.
The goal of the Code REDD Campaign is to dramatically increase the demand for REDD+ project emissions reductions now. With increased demand, REDD+ can scale to overcome the massive threat to the world’s forests and make a significant contribution to mitigating climate change.
“REDD+ brings a positive change to our region with real and direct solutions for poverty alleviation that will uplift our community ” said Chief Kizaka, who represents over 12,000 people of the Kasigau corridor REDD+ project in the Voi District of Kenya. Chief Kizaka added, “This is not charity. Carbon money helps us meet basic needs and improve our lifestyle. The money is earned through conservation activities that afford us the ability to protect our environment.”
Code REDD will launch on June 19th ahead of the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, Major Corporations Global NGOs and Indigenous Community Leaders and REDD+ experts will come together at a press conference in Rio de Janeiro, held at the Royal Tulip Hotel at 11am on June 19th, to promote the critical importance of the Code REDD Campaign.
On the night of June 19th, following the press conference, Code REDD will launch its public emergency action campaign with an outdoor multimedia event at the Arcos da Lapa aqueduct in the heart of Rio de Janeiro. The event will include the world premiere of the Code REDD short-film by Brazilian filmmaker Jarbas Agnelli, and will transform the historic aqueduct with large scale architectural projections by Obscura Digital. The public will be encouraged to join the Code REDD Campaign and use social media activities to encourage corporations to support Code REDD.
About Code REDD
Code REDD is an emergency action campaign designed to motivate corporate leaders to save the threatened forests of the world, by dramatically increasing the demand for REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) emission reductions. The Code REDD Campaign was founded by Wildlife Works, a leading REDD+ project development and management company, but is an open initiative that brings together corporate emissions reductions buyers, REDD+ project developers, indigenous forest owners, forest nation governments, NGOs, verification organizations, standards bodies, market platforms and other concerned entities to develop and finance high quality REDD+ projects.
To gain Code REDD Campaign approval REDD+ projects are required to be validated and verified under both the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and the Climate Community and Biodiversity Standard (CCB) and to agree to a code of ethics to ensure the project’s integrity.
For more information, please visit: codereddms.wpengine.com.