Responsible forest management in Costa Rica

In 2007, the BaumInvest Company established an ecologically sustainable and socially sound afforestation project with precious tropical woods in northern Costa Rica. Using a mixture of indigenous tree species and teak, this project aims to afforest pasture land that was previously used for extensive cattle ranching. The project covers 216 hectares in the biosphere reserve "Agua y Paz" and 520 ha in the biosphere reserve "Cordillera Volcanica Central", both recognized under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Program.

Currently, the project in San Rafael is combined with a biomass project in Heilongjiang, China that is registered under the Clean Development Mechanism (with CERs) (#1411). Combined climate projects to date: wind power, Karnataka, India (#1394) and wind power, Tirupur, India (#1493). This high-value project combination allows the project in Costa Rica to be pre-financed with Planned Emission Reductions (PERs) under the terms of ICROA.

How do PERs support international afforestation projects?

Afforestation projects are very cost-intensive, among other things, because of their long lifespan. Therefore, the Gold Standard provides a secure way to cover initial costs and realize high-quality afforestation projects. Investors can purchase so-called Planned Emission Reductions (PERs), which are registered and can be traded, and will be converted into verified emission reductions (VERs) after 5 years at the latest. This provides transparent support for the financing of the project activities. ClimatePartner is a member of ICROA and additionally combines PER projects with CER projects to meet all market requirements. Find out more about international standards.

Forests are one of the most important CO2 reservoirs on our planet. However, global forest areas have declined sharply in recent decades due to increasing settlement, agricultural use, illegal logging and raw material extraction. It is therefore enormously important to preserve the CO2 storage capacity of the biosphere by afforesting new areas or reforesting degraded land.

Contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Responsible Consumption and ProductionThe aim of the project in San Rafael is to create a close-to-nature forest and establish sustainable forest management practices.
Climate ActionForests store large amounts of CO2 and have positive effects on the global, regional and local climate. The afforestation project in San Rafael, Costa Rica saves about 3,330 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
Life on Land30 percent of the project area near San Rafael in Costa Rica is used for conserving wetlands and forest habitats. These are home to some Red-Listed species such as ara, jaguar, and tapir.
Project standardCombined Project: CERs + Gold Standard PERs (Planned Emission Reductions) TechnologyAfforestation + biomassRegionSan Rafael, Costa Rica, China