Launch of the direct partnership platform: Nexus engages companies on a fair approach to offsetting

The cooperative of grassroots development organizations connects directly with companies and institutions

Nexus launched an initiative to enable companies and public institutions to support access to clean energy and water for the poorest populations of developing countries.

An increasing number of organizations are “offsetting” their greenhouse gas emissions, by supporting clean development projects in developing countries. However, carbon finance has often been misused, and has benefited little to the poorest people of developing countries, who are also the most vulnerable to climate change.

For the first time, internationally acclaimed grassroots project developers - Nexus members - directly engage with companies and public institutions on a fair approach to offsetting which increases the impact of the funding on poor populations.

The direct partnership platform – the first of this kind – was launched on April 11th, 2012, during a social event organized by Green Drinks Singapore and the Lien Centre for Social Innovation. Raphaele Deau, Nexus Partnerships Director and Suzanne Chew, Nexus Alliance Director presented views on what carbon finance can do to eradicate poverty and provide sustainable development. The presentation was followed by a debate facilitated by Bhavani Prakash, from Eco WALK the Talk.

On April 13th, Nexus presented the newly launched partnership platform to a business audience at the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore. In a panel discussion, Raphaele Deau presented how, in the context of a green economy and the road to Rio+20, access to energy and clean water will be central in eradicating poverty and delivering sustainable development. She showcased success stories where private sector engagement upscale the dissemination of pro-poor low carbon technologies.

More information: Marion Santini, Communications Manager, Nexus-Carbon for Development, contact@nexus-c4d.org

Notes for editors

  • Nexus-Carbon for Development is an alliance of pro-poor project developers whose shared vision is that the carbon market should tackle both climate change and poverty in a fair and transparent way.  As a global alliance of social ventures, Nexus acts as a peer-to-peer services platform, creating synergies between its members and providing awareness raising, capacity building, carbon project documentation, and carbon asset management. www.nexus-c4d.org
  • Nexus-beyond offsetting is the partnership created by Nexus members who join forces to engage companies and public institutions on a fair approach to offsetting. Nexus cooperative delivers offsets through projects that positively impact communities and vulnerable populations, and connects directly with partners seeking high quality carbon offsets. www.nexusbeyondoffsetting.org
  • Nexus members are the most credible social ventures working on disseminating low carbon pro-poor technologies. As of April 2012, these members are: Appropriate Rural Technology Institute (ARTI) in India, Approtech Asia in the Philippines, Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC), Global Environment Institute (GEI) in China, Groupe Energies Renouvelables, Environnement et Solidarités (GERES), headquartered in France, Hivos in the Netherlands, Hydrologic Social Enterprise in Cambodia, IDeA in Sri Lanka, Parikrama Mahila Samiti in India, The Small Scale Sustainable Infrastructure Development Fund, in India and the U.S.A., TerraClear in Lao, The Center for Rural Communities Research and Development in Vietnam, The Centre for Rural Technology in Nepal (CRT/N), The Village Education Resource Center (VERC) in Bangladesh, Yayasan Dian Desa (YDD) in Indonesia.
  • What is carbon offsetting? Emission-reduction projects in developing countries can earn emission reduction credits also known as carbon credits. These saleable carbon credits can be used by industrialized countries to meet a part of their emission reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol. Institutions, corporations or individuals, totally or partially, substitute a reduction of their own GHG emissions by purchasing an equivalent quantity of carbon credits emanating from a project which reduces carbon emissions somewhere else. This is called carbon offsetting.

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