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We love planting trees – but that’s not all we do. Ecologi also helps preserve the world’s existing forests by supporting carbon reduction projects that prevent degradation and deforestation.

Why are forest protection projects important?

Home to most of the world’s biodiversity, forests also play a crucial role in supporting the supply of water, and help to combat climate change. Additionally, forests all over the world provide livelihoods for local communities and are essential for food production. The forest protection projects Ecologi supports are important because forests across the planet are being destroyed at alarming rates. Since the 90s, roughly <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/ca8642en/CA8642EN.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">420 million hectares of forest</a> have been lost to make room for <a href="https://ecologi.com/articles/blog/industries-and-sectors-driving-deforestation-what-you-need-to-know" target="_blank" rel="noopener">other land uses</a>, like agricultural expansion.   
Tackling deforestation helps us to tackle our planet&#8217;s biggest problems: the climate crisis and the biodiversity crisis. Deforestation is the leading cause of biodiversity loss, while the associated carbon emissions of land-use change are thought to be <a href="https://drawdown.org/solutions/forest-protection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10-15% of the world&#8217;s total</a> emissions – more than the entire global transport sector.

Avoiding deforestation is part of the solution

Put simply, we can combat deforestation just by planting more trees. The FAO 2020 <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/ca8642en/CA8642EN.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">State of the World’s Forest Report</a> says that we need large-scale reforestation to meet the <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UN Sustainable Development Goals</a> and stop –and reverse– biodiversity loss. Through forest restoration can we restore habitats and ecosystems, and create jobs and generate income for local communities. Reforestation is an effective nature-based solution to climate change, but making sure areas of existing forest stay in tact is just as important.

Over <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/ca8642en/CA8642EN.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a third (34%)</a> of the world&#8217;s forests are primary forests. These are naturally generated forests of native tree species where there are no clearly visible indications of human activity. Primary forests are invaluable for their biodiversity, carbon storage and other benefits to ecosystems.
Comparing primary forests with both secondary (those established through natural expansion and around 14–16 years old) and planted forests, <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/104/47/18555" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one study of species richness</a> found that 25% of the species were unique to primary forests, with almost 60% only present in primary forests. If we allow the destruction of primary forests to continue, we risk losing species that we can never get back.

Forest protection projects and carbon storage

Primary forests, or old-growth or virgin forests, are also a priority for valuable carbon storage. The likes of the Amazon, Congo and Great Bear Rainforest have mature canopy trees and complex understories, containing <a href="https://www.drawdown.org/solutions/forest-protection/technical-summary#:~:text=Project%20Drawdown%20defines%20forest%20protection,replaces%20non%2Dprotected%20forest%20land.&amp;text=They%20represent%20massive%20storehouses%20of%20carbon%20in%20soils%20and%20biomass." target="_blank" rel="noopener">an estimated 300 billion tonnes of carbon</a>. 
According to Project Drawdown, forest protection has the potential to avoid the emission of <a href="https://www.drawdown.org/solutions/forest-protection/technical-summary#:~:text=Project%20Drawdown%20defines%20forest%20protection,replaces%20non%2Dprotected%20forest%20land.&amp;text=They%20represent%20massive%20storehouses%20of%20carbon%20in%20soils%20and%20biomass." target="_blank" rel="noopener">5.52 to 8.75 gigatons of CO2e </a>between 2020 and 2050, while <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-019-0485-x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">another recent study</a> shows that avoided deforestation offers between 7.2 and 9.6 times the potential for low-cost climate mitigation as reforestation. 
Of course, forest restoration is still vital, but prevention is better than cure. As well as planting new trees, we should also protect existing forests because they store more carbon, and contain plants and animals that we may never see in planted or restored forests. That&#8217;s why, at Ecologi, we do both!

Forest protection projects Ecologi has supported

These projects are part of the Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (<a href="https://www.un-redd.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">REDD+</a>) scheme. They place an area of forest under protection through long-term forest management. These are some of the forest protection programmes Ecologi has supported most recently:

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<h3>1. Preserving prime Brazilian rainforests</h3>
This project is protecting and restoring 186,219 hectares of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. This area of the rainforest hosts eight endangered mammal species, and numerous endangered bird and plant species. The project will prevent the deforestation of 30,0006 hectares over its 30 years project lifetime, which equates to 14,507,808 tCO2e in emissions reductions. 
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<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Emissions avoided by Ecologi through this project: 1300 tCO2e </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Sustainable Development Goals supported: Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, Goal 13: Climate Action and Goal 15: Life on Land. </li>
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<h3>2. Protecting the Amazon Rainforest from deforestation in Brazil</h3>
Ecologi has supported a fantastic project protecting 496,988 hectares of the Brazilian rainforest, rich in biodiversity and containing several species of extreme ecological and social importance. Six critically endangered or threatened species will benefit from the reduction of threats as a result of the project activities. For the 30-year phase of the project, an estimated 15,491,971 tonnes of CO2e will be saved from entering the atmosphere.
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<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Emissions avoided by Ecologi through this project: 1750 tCO2e </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Sustainable Development Goals supported: Goal 2: Zero hunger, Goal 4: Quality Education, Goal 5: Gender Equality, Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, Goal 13: Climate Action, and Goal 15: Life on Land </li>
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<h3>3. Protecting and restoring the Pacific Coast of Columbia</h3>
This avoided deforestation project based on the Pacific coast of Columbia protects 83,452 hectares of land containing over 831 bird species, 195 amphibians, 167 mammals, 210 reptiles and 5124 plant species. Illegal timber extraction has historically been an important source of income within this project zone, and the project aims to relieve the pressure on the forests by supporting the development of sustainable economic and livelihood alternatives. 
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<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Emissions avoided by Ecologi through this project: 2500 tCO2e </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Sustainable Development Goals supported:  Goal 1: No Poverty, Goal 2: Zero Hunger, Goal 4: Quality Education, Goal 5: Gender Equality, Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and Goal 13: Climate Action.</li>
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<h3>4. Preserving the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor in Guatemala</h3>
This project sets out to protect and restore 54,157 hectares of land in the Guatemalan section of the Mesoamerican biological corridor by saving the existing areas of forest, establishing areas of reforestation, reducing illegal logging and providing alternative revenue streams from forest production, like sustainable agroforestry. 
Additionally, this project offers community objectives, like providing full access to reproductive health information and care for local women, and ensuring that a sufficient household income for local people is provided from sustainable practices.
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<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Emissions avoided by Ecologi through this project: 4400 tCO2e </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Sustainable Development Goals supported: Goal 2: Zero Hunger, Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, Goal 13: Climate Action, Goal 14: Life below Water and Goal 15: Life on Land. </li>
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<h3>5. Peruvian protection of the Amazon</h3>
We have supported this project which is protecting 98,932 hectares of the Amazonian rainforest in the Madre de Dios region of Peru. This project secures the long-term conservation and sustainable management of the forest, promotes a healthy wildlife habitat, and will prevent 659,793 tonnes of CO2e from entering the atmosphere each year. 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Emissions avoided by Ecologi through this project: 4450 tCO2e </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">SDG co-benefits: 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Goal 1: No Poverty, </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Goal 4: Quality Education, </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Goal 5: Gender Equality, </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Goal 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Goal 10, Reduced inequalities, </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Goal 11: sustainable cities and communities, </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Goal 12: responsible consumption and production, </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Goal 13: Climate Action, </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Goal 15: Life on Land, </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Goal 16: Peace justice and strong institutions; </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Goal 17: partnerships for the global goals. </li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>

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The co-benefits of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

Ecologi only supports and funds carbon offsetting projects which support SDG 13 – Climate Action. However, many of the projects we support – especially those avoiding deforestation – offer SDG co-benefits. This means that they provide a verified and well-documented benefit to other goals in addition to Climate Action. To find out more about our SDG co-benefits, have a look at our <a href="https://ecologi.com/articles/updates/ecologi-impact-report-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2020 climate impact report.</a>

Summary: Why forest protection projects are important

Protecting existing rainforests is a vital strategy to tackling the climate and biodiversity crisis. Forests contain vast amounts of biodiversity and store masses of carbon. That&#8217;s why Ecologi plants thousands of trees AND funds forest protection projects through carbon credits, benefiting both wildlife and the community. 
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<a href="https://ecologi.com/plan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up</a> to Ecologi today to help fund these amazing projects to protect existing rainforests around the world.

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Hopescrolling: The good news timeline

It’s not all bad. While there’s a lot of negative news about the climate, let’s not forget the good stuff. Find climate wins, reasons to be hopeful and plenty of positivity in our good news timeline.

The good news timeline

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In Depth

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Just as we make sure all our reforestation projects are designed in a way that is most beneficial to our planet, our other terrestrial restoration projects need to be of the highest quality too. Wildflower, Wetlands and Wildlife projects have the potential to provide vital support to a wide array of species, boosting local, national and international biodiversity, as well as being an important and secure carbon store. But for these benefits to come to fruition the projects must be implemented properly, in line with best practices.
We know you might have some questions about this new type of project, so we’ve put together answers to some FAQs to help you learn more about our Wildflower, Wetlands and Wildlife project.

Your questions answered

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Before and after: See how your climate action is making a difference

Before and after: This is how your Ecologi impact is transforming landscapes and lives.

We love a before and after shot at Ecologi. They&#8217;re an incredible way to show the impact of the projects supported by our community. Whether it’s deforested land turning back to verdant green, or solar projects springing to life, sometimes two simple images are worth a thousand words.
On this blog you’ll find snapshot images that paint pictures of the difference our supported climate projects are making, all around the world. Thank you to our community for making it all possible! 
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📍 Location: Ouarzazate, Morocco
⌛ Dates: 2015 –2020
🌱 Project: Verified Carbon Standard
🌳 Type: Solar energy

Morocco

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From a bare area of desert to a haven of clean energy. The Ouarzazate II solar project is a major milestone in Morocco&#8217;s journey towards a clean energy future. It is one of the largest concentrated solar power plants in the world and is expected to supply around 500 GWh per year to Morocco’s power grid.
The project uses thousands of concave mirrors to concentrate solar energy and generate electricity, which can be stored for up to 7 hours. This allows the project to continue generating electricity even after the sun sets.
The Ouarzazate II solar project supplies electricity to nearly 2 million Moroccans and will prevent emissions equivalent to 300,544 tCO2e per year over its 10 year crediting period. The project has also created around 7,000 local jobs and incorporated co-projects that promote the creation of cooperatives, educational opportunities, and skills training.
Learn more about this<a href="https://ecologi.com/projects/morocco-solar"> project</a>.

📍 Location: Brodoclea, North Ayrshire, Scotland
⌛ Dates: 2018 –2021
🌱 Project: Future Forest Company
🌳 Type: Temperate reforestation

Scotland

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Nestled in North Ayrshire, Brodoclea is a sprawling 174-hectare haven of broadleaf woodland that plays host to woolly pigs, the incredible ecological restoration engineers! 
Under <a href="https://thefutureforestcompany.com/">The Future Forest Company</a>&#8216;s guidance, these pigs awaken the soil seed bank, nourish soil microbiology, create space for sapling growth, reduce competition, and form pondlets for breeding amphibians and invertebrates. This enriches the ecosystem, offering sustenance for birds and materials for nests. 
Since 2018, the Ecologi community has helped make a significant impact on this site, funding the planting of 56,170 trees, with a focus on native broadleaf species including oak and birch, creating important habitat for local invertebrate and bird species.

📍 Location: Belavenika, Madagascar.
⌛ Dates: 2019 –2022
🌱 Project: Eden Reforestation Projects
🌳 Type: Mangrove reforestation

Madagascar

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Madagascar’s mangroves are amazing habitats that, sadly, have been deforested over the years and become degraded. This project is one of three currently being supported by the Ecologi community that are replanting mangroves in Madagascar to bring benefits to local biodiversity and communities.
Creating new sustainable income streams for local people is a key component of the project, as is female empowerment. The project employs an average of 85 people per month, with female employees making up approximately 37.5% of the workforce in 2022.
As a result of their involvement in this project, local people are now able to purchase more nutritious food, leading to improved health, and can afford to send their children to school.
To date, the Ecologi community has funded 7.9 million trees on this site in north-west Madagascar.
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📍 Location: Marotaola, Madagascar.
⌛ Dates: 2019 –2022
🌱 Project: Eden Reforestation Projects
🌳 Type: Mangrove reforestation

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This was the very first project we supported, so it holds a special place in our hearts. Seeing its progress over the last four years has brought us so much joy! 
Native mangrove species are being planted on this site, including Avicennia marina, Rhizophora mucronata, and Ceriops tagal. To date, the Ecologi community has funded the planting of over 10 million trees here, and there’s room for another million. 
This site is particularly fascinating as the mangroves are only separated from the open ocean by a thin strip of sand about 100m wide. Despite being more exposed to the ocean, mangroves that have successfully become established are growing well, creating an important habitat for coastal biodiversity and protecting the coastline from erosion by the waves.
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📍 Location: Vĩnh Hảo, Tuy Phong District, Bình Thuận, Vietnam
⌛ Dates: 2018 –2023
🌱 Project: Verified Carbon Standard
☀️ Type: Solar

Vietnam

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Vietnam&#8217;s demand for energy has been rising sharply since the 1990s, and it’s a demand that the country has struggled to fulfil, with an overreliance on coal and frequent power outages.
This project, in the Vinh Hao commune, Vietnam, is generating electricity using photovoltaic technology, which transforms sunlight into electricity. The project is on around 60ha of salt farm, and will generate 83,750MWh of power annually.
Local people have been involved throughout the design phase and operation of the project. The construction process of the project was carefully managed to minimise the impact on the local environment. During the operation of the project, pollution will also be minimised through a series of measures, including ensuring no littering takes place, and waste materials will be responsibly disposed of off-site.
Over the 10-year crediting period, the project will prevent 704,110tCO2e from being emitted by replacing energy in the grid that would otherwise have come from fossil fuels.
The project has given a real boost to the living standards of local communities through economic support funds: the commune gratitude fund in the Vinh Hao commune, and the learning promotion fund in the Binh Thuan province.
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📍 Location: Mount Elgon, Uganda. 
⌛ Dates: 2021 – 2023
🌱 Project: Trees for the Future
🌳 Type: Reforestation and sustainable agroforestry

Uganda

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Trees for the Future’s innovative Forest Gardens approach is all about engaging farmers in reforestation and sustainable agroforestry. The farmers take part in a 4-year programme, learning the skills they need to better manage their land. This brings multiple benefits, including protected crops, stabilised soils, and habitats for pollinators, as well as increasing household incomes.
Over the past two years, the Ecologi community has funded the planting of 766,663 trees in Forest Gardens through this project. Three hundred farmers (57% of whom are women) are involved, with 3,522 people benefitting from the project so far. 
Pictured is 56-year-old Philister Khana, a farmer enrolled in the programme. In just two years she’s taken the number of trees on her plot from 4 to 2,001!
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Ecologi’s Forest Protection Projects

Why are forest protection projects important?

Avoiding deforestation is part of the solution

Protecting primary forests

Forest protection projects and carbon storage

Forest protection projects Ecologi has supported

The co-benefits of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

Summary: Why forest protection projects are important

More posts

Hopescrolling: The good news timeline

Your questions answered about our Wildflowers, Wetlands and Wildlife project

Before and after: See how your climate action is making a difference

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