Offsetting Fuel Emissions through Nature-based Projects

ERIKS seeks to avoid and minimise carbon emissions, where this is not possible, offsetting is the next best option.

In 2019, ERIKS became part of an SHV wide initiative to offset vehicle emissions through an agreement with a fuel supplier. Purchases of vehicle fuel will be eligible for carbon offsets from an independently verified nature-based project.

A single CO2 credit represents a verified reduction of 1 tonne of CO2 in the atmosphere. ERIKS CO2 emissions are calculated over a calendar year and the total offset for the litres of fuel purchased will be purchased at the end of the year.

The CO2 emissions are calculated by multiplying the litres of fuels purchased by a local emission factor provided by independent sources, such as the European Commission and the Netherlands Government.

The carbon offsets purchased will support the Cordillera Azul Project in Peru. The project is certified by the Verified Carbon Standard, currently the largest source of the voluntary nature-based projects. The project is also certified by the Climate Community and Biodiversity Standard, which guarantees that projects jointly address climate change, support local communities and conserve biodiversity.

The Cordillera Azul National Park Project is part of the United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+). The project is designed to transform local communities and ecosystems by helping to prevent illegal logging and promote climate friendly activities such as agriculture, textiles and crafts. The project targets are to:

  • protect over 1.6 million ha of threatened forest protected in 2021.
  • support 440 communities living in the project zone including 30 indigenous communities
  • support 716 jobs supported – 30% held by women
  • support 24 sustainable enterprises s
  • protect 28 High Conservation Value Species
  • improve schools for 6 communities
  • avoid 22.1 million tonnes of CO2 emissions by 2021

Leading academics advise that nature-based solutions have the potential to provide over a third of the cost-effective climate mitigation needed between now and 2030 to stabilise warming to below 2oC on average.