Context
What is REDD+?
REDD+ stands for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, with the '+' representing the conservation and sustainable management of forests and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks.
REDD+ projects protect existing forests from deforestation and degradation, helping to prevent the release of carbon dioxide stored in trees and vegetation. By keeping forests standing, these projects also preserve important natural carbon sinks, protect biodiversity and support the livelihoods of communities that depend on forest ecosystems.
Through carbon finance, REDD+ projects provide an economic incentive for forest conservation, helping to make protecting forests a financially viable alternative to activities such as agricultural expansion, logging and cattle ranching.
Project
The Gran Chaco is South America's second-largest native forest region, spanning approximately 1.1 million square kilometres across Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil. It is a globally important ecosystem, home to thousands of plant and animal species, including rare and endangered wildlife.
Despite its ecological importance, the Gran Chaco has experienced extensive deforestation over recent decades, driven primarily by the expansion of cattle ranching and commercial agriculture.
Between 1985 and 2016, approximately 14.2 million hectares of forest were lost across the Gran Chaco, representing around 20% of its forest cover. Paraguay has experienced particularly significant forest loss, with large areas of native forest converted into agricultural land.
The expansion of cattle ranching presents an ongoing threat to the region's remaining forests. In parts of the Paraguayan Chaco, landowners can legally convert substantial portions of their land into agricultural use, creating economic incentives for continued deforestation.
Beyond the release of stored carbon, forest conversion threatens the region's biodiversity, fragments critical wildlife habitats and places additional pressure on the natural resources upon which local communities depend.
The Corazón Verde del Chaco Project was established to address these challenges by creating an economically viable alternative to deforestation. Through carbon finance, the project incentivises landowners to conserve their existing forests rather than convert them into cattle ranches or agricultural land.
In 2023, the project completed validation under Verra's Verified Carbon Standard and Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards, receiving CCB Gold Level Distinction for its exceptional biodiversity benefits. It subsequently completed its first VCS and CCB verification for the 2020–2021 monitoring period.
Through its integrated approach to climate mitigation, biodiversity conservation and community development, the Corazón Verde del Chaco Project demonstrates how carbon finance can support the long-term protection of threatened forests while creating economic opportunities for the people who live and work in the region.
Chaco by Numbers:
32,000 hectares protected
150 mammal species
500 bird species
5 endangered, threatened or vulnerable species
220 reptile and amphibian species
3,400 plant species
