Carbon Balanced Paper announces new conservation project in Uganda

Welcome to Albertine Rift!

Carbon Balanced Paper is delighted to announce that it’s raising funds for a new conservation project in Uganda. Run by World Land Trust in partnership with local organisation, The Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda (ECOTRUST), the project focuses on maintaining biodiversity and reforestation, as well as supporting the local communities that rely on the forests for food, shelter and employment.

The project is located in Uganda’s Albertine Rift region, a stunning landscape of rivers, crater lakes, wide valleys and forests. Its importance as a refuge for wildlife – especially primates – has led to the creation of many protected areas and reserves. However, outside these areas, the deforestation of native trees for agriculture and timber has begun to affect the reserves themselves, threatening the habitats of countless species.

Biodiversity hotspot

The environmental importance of Albertine Rift cannot be understated. A biodiversity hotspot, it’s home to a large number of species that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Not only does it contain half of Africa’s bird population, it provides a vital habitat for a range of endangered animals, such as the African savannah elephant and the grey parrot, as well as the last remaining wild chimpanzees in Uganda.

However, agricultural land expansion is posing a large threat to the area, with the unsustainable harvesting of wood causing deforestation that’s fragmenting the landscape. To tackle this deforestation, ECOTRUST is running a Trees for Global Benefits programme, working with local farmers to plant millions of native species. So far, the project has seen over two million trees planted and fostered partnerships with over 50,000 farmers. ECOTRUST also works closely with the local communities, helping them to develop more sustainable livelihoods through a range of income streams, such as growing coffee, honey and herbs. In addition, farmers are encouraged to sell carbon credits through tree planting. Not only does this encourage the planting and maintaining of native trees, but it helps the shift towards new income that doesn’t result in deforestation.

A member of the family

Albertine Rift in Uganda joins Sierra de Xilitla in Mexico and the coastal forests of Guatemala as the key conservation projects funded by Carbon Balanced Paper. As businesses and consumers look for ways to minimise the impact they have on the planet, Carbon Balanced Paper not only offers a sustainable solution to paper and print, but also directly funds organisations working to slow and eventually reverse the ongoing harm being done in vulnerable areas of the globe.

The habitats World Land Trust protects are home to hundreds of threatened species and millions of acres of ecologically important habitat. By helping to fund these projects, you are making a significant contribution to their protection.

Carbon Balanced Paper is run by Grafkom in the Nordics. If you want to learn more about the projects and how to balance emissions, please contact us – cbp@grafkom.io