SUNYA Energy

Toroto to Provide Microsoft with 234,000 Carbon Removal Credits from Rainforest in Mexico

September 12, 2024
SUNYA Summary
- Toroto has announced the sale of 234,000 nature-based carbon credits to Microsoft. - The project aims to enhance community livelihoods by restoring natural capital in one of Mexico's key rainforests. - The agreement was signed on September 10, 2024, and involves carbon credits from Campeche, Mexico. - These credits represent the removal of carbon dioxide and comply with the Climate Action Reserve Mexico Forest Protocol. - The project is based in the Conhuás ejido within the Calakmul region and focuses on ecosystem restoration with local landowners. - Since 2021, the initiative has promoted carbon sequestration in over 47,000 hectares of tropical rainforest vital for biodiversity. - The community is committed to the sustainable management of their rainforest, which harbors endangered species like the Baird's tapir and jaguar. - Santiago Espinosa de los Monteros Harispuru, the CEO of Toroto, emphasizes Microsoft’s commitment as a significant step for climate action in Mexico. - Microsoft’s collaboration with Toroto supports both ecosystem restoration and community-led climate action. - Community workshops are held to educate local residents about the benefits of forest regeneration for biodiversity and ecosystem services. - The project borders the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, offering ecological connectivity for the neotropics' second largest rainforest. - Income from carbon credit sales is directed to the Conhuás community, benefiting many of its members. - Sabina Barrientos Carmona, an ejido member, highlights the importance of protecting the rainforest for future generations. - The Conhuás project focuses on improving livelihoods while protecting biodiversity and managing natural resources sustainably.
PRESS RELEASE
Toroto to Provide Microsoft with 234,000 Carbon Removal Credits from Rainforest in Mexico

Toroto is delighted to announce our recent sale of 234,000 nature-based carbon credits to Microsoft. This project aims to enhance community livelihoods by restoring natural capital in one of Mexico's key rainforests.

Mexico City, on 10 of september 2024. Toroto, a leading Mexican startup in the development and operation of nature-based solutions projects, announced today that it has signed an agreement with Microsoft to deliver over 234,000 carbon credits generated by a project in the state of Campeche. These credits represent the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and are issued under the Climate Action Reserve (CAR) Mexico Forest Protocol.

Located in the Conhuás ejido (community-owned land), in the Calakmul region of southeastern Mexico, this project focuses on ecosystem restoration alongside the landowners who live in the project area and seek to safeguard their natural resources. Since 2021, the project has promoted carbon sequestration in over 47,000 hectares of tropical rainforest, which provide vital ecosystem services and are home to thousands of species of flora and fauna, including endangered animals like the Baird's tapir and jaguar.


This agreement is a milestone for the Conhuás community betting on the restoration and sustainable management of its rainforest

"For Toroto, Microsoft’s commitment to the Conhuás project represents a very important milestone for climate action in Mexico. They are setting an example on how the private sector can invest in nature through mechanisms that channel resources directly to the conservation and restoration of the rainforest, while the guardians of this rainforest, the Conhuás community, acquire the technical and financial capacities to continue caring for its regeneration," says Santiago Espinosa de los Monteros Harispuru, CEO and Cofounder at Toroto.

“The Conhuás project is an example of the potential for community-led ecosystem restoration to drive positive climate impact. We are pleased to collaborate with Toroto to help incentivize both natural ecosystem restoration and community-led climate action,” said Brian Marrs, Senior Director of Energy and Carbon Removal at Microsoft.

“We are constantly learning about the value of ecosystem services provided by the rainforests of Conhuás. The community conducts workshops to revisit overlooked aspects and benefits of forest regeneration, including positive impacts to biodiversity, i.e. flora and fauna, and tree growth,” explains Ruth Chávez, ejido member of Conhuás, regarding the environmental awareness process within the community.

The Conhuás ejido borders the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, a protected area since 1989. The project area thus offers potential to act as a biological corridor, allowing for the ecological connectivity of the second largest rainforest in the neotropics, as stated by the Natural Protected Areas National Commission (CONANP, 2024). Additionally, the project is operated under a structure that provides income from the sale of carbon credits to the Conhuás community.

“With this agreement, many people in the community will be able to benefit their homes, their families. We need to take good care of the rainforest, our flora and fauna, and protect the environment, which is our future,” adds Sabina Barrientos Carmona, an ejido member and part of the firefighting brigade at Conhuás, who, along with the rest of the community, received their compensation for the sale of the credits in June.

The Conhuás project aims to improve the livelihoods of the community, who aspire to protect biodiversity, promote the sustainable management of natural resources, and ensure the long-term health of the ecosystem.

References

CONANP. (2024). Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas: Calakmul. https://descubreanp.conanp.gob.mx/en/conanp/ANP?suri=20