Buy Certificate
5 Tonne Carbon Offset Certificate Multi-Project
Our Multi-Project Certificate currently supports these three outstanding projects.
Sustainable Development Goals supported:
United States
Wind Power Crow Lake
2 tonnes carbon offsets
Australia
Reforestation & Biodiversity Eco Australia
1 tonne carbon offset
1 Australian biodiversity unit
Thailand
Biomass to reduce CO2 Siam Group
2 tonnes carbon offsets
Project Details
USA Wind Project
The Crow Lake Wind Project produces enough renewable energy to power as many as 129,000 homes, keeping over 430,000 tonnes of CO2 out of the atmosphere each year. In addition to replacing fossil fuel generated grid electricity, the project provides a training ground for the next generation of renewable energy technicians by providing hands-on experience for students at Mitchell Technical Institute (MTI) in Mitchell, South Dakota. This provides them with critical experience that bolsters the renewable energy industry.
THE SOLUTION
Spanning 36,000 acres in South Dakota, this wind power project is a product of innovative community collaboration between 3 parties. In total the wind farm comprises 108 turbines: Basin Electric Power Cooperative (BEPC) owns 100; a group of south Dakotans, South Dakotan Wind Partners own 7; and 1 is owned by Mitchell Technical Institute (MTI). The Crow Lake Wind project harnesses the wind to power homes with clean electricity, displacing energy generated from fossil fuels. The total installed capacity of the project is around 162MW, 1 MW serves around 800 homes, so at full capacity, 129,000 homes can be served!
THE IMPACT
No other wind project in the country has used this ownership structure, which has yielded many benefits to the community surrounding the Crow Lake project. The local residents involved in the project have taken the opportunity to gain ownership of their energy production and ensure that jobs and taxes stay in the local area. Local economic development is further boosted thanks to the distribution of payments across multiple landowners where the project takes place. Furthermore students at MTI now have the opportunity to gain practical experience working with wind turbines, adding another dimension to their studies, helping them to get a job later on. The project displaces fossil-fuel generated energy; meeting growing demands with clean energy and helping drive a low carbon future in the USA.
Verification
The project has been validated and the carbon emissions reductions have been verified to the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). Future year emissions reductions will also be verified to VCS. The 162 MW Crow Lake Wind Project located east of Chamberlain, South Dakota hosts 108 wind turbines, generating renewable energy and displacing electricity from the grid. 100 of the 1.5 MW turbines are owned by Prairiewinds SD 1, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Basin Electric Power Cooperative, a not-for-profit, wholesale electric generation and transmission cooperative. 7 of the turbines are owned by South Dakota Wind Partners, a South Dakota limited liability company, and the last turbine is owned by Mitchell Technical Institute, a local technical college.
Despite having one of the smallest populations of any state in the USA, South Dakota’s energy-intensive industries and extreme climate mean that per capita it ranks within the top 10 energy-consuming states. Luckily, high winds blow unobstructed across South Dakota’s vast prairie and pastures, which cover nine-tenths of the state, making it one of the best wind resources in the USA.
Project Verification: https://www.thewindpower.net/windfarm_en_15971_crow-lake.php
Project Type: Wind Energy
Location: South Dakota
Vintage: 2019
Standards: Verified Carbon Standard (VCS)
Capacity: 162 MW
The Crow Lake Wind Farm displaces fossil fuel-generated energy, meeting growing demands with clean energy and helping drive a low carbon future for the mid-west. American wind power supports more than 120,000 jobs. At full capacity, the wind farm project’s total installed capacity will be approximately 162 MW. The Crow Lake Wind Farm yields many benefits to the local community. Residents involved in the project have taken the opportunity to gain ownership of their energy production and ensure that jobs and taxes stay in the area. Local economic development has also received a boost from the distribution of payments across landowners within the vicinity of the project.
Eco Australia
This project offers both Carbon Offsets and Australian Biodiversity Units (ABU) through Mount Sandy Conservation, Australia. A solution for reducing global emissions and restoring Australia’s native vegetation with Indigenous land restoration in Australia using native methods
In Australia, land clearing and degradation as well as more frequent extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall and soaring temperatures, pose huge threats to the country’s unique wildlife. Globally, levels of planet-warming gases will continue to rise, particularly in countries that don’t have the capacity or finance to transition to a more sustainable future.
THE SOLUTION
Our unique EcoAustralia product provides the opportunity to support the regeneration and preservation of Australia’s biodiversity and measurably address global climate change, at the same time. Each EcoAustralia credit consists of one Australian Biodiversity Unit, equal to 1.5m2 of government-accredited, permanently protected Australian vegetation, bundled with 1 tonne of avoided greenhouse gas emissions from a Gold Standard certified project. The Australia Biodiversity Unit supports the Mount Sandy Conservation project, which is located on South Australia’s Limestone Coast. The project covers the traditional lands of the Ngarrindjeri people, Traditional Custodians of the Coorong – and is a rare pocket of intact native vegetation in the region. The project brings together indigenous and non-indigenous communities of Australia by promoting traditional land management for biodiversity conservation.
THE IMPACT
The Mount Sandy project permanently protects a regionally and culturally important pocket of biodiversity-rich land in partnership with its Traditional Owners. Local birds, animals and plants flourish undisturbed, while native plants for revegetation are supplied by the local nursery at Raukkan Aboriginal Community, a self-governed Indigenous community 50 kilometres northwest of the project site. Raukkan community members are also employed for onsite works including vegetation monitoring and mapping, fencing, and pest and weed control. By supporting EcoAustralia, Australia’s unique heritage and vegetation are protected for generations to come; while certified emission reductions are helping to slow the climate crisis and create a circular economy.
The Coorong National Park and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert are the meeting point where the Murray Australias largest river, with a catchment of over one million square kilometres feeds into the Southern Ocean. Part of South Australias Limestone Coast, this region features some of the countrys most breathtaking landscapes. However, land surrounding these national treasures has been largely cleared for agriculture.
Promoting partnerships for conservation between Traditional Landowners and non-Indigenous Australians through vital conservation work
This project earns Gold Standard carbon credits and government accredited Australian Biodiversity Unit purchased from Mount Sandy, meeting stringent standards for NCOS Climate Active eligibility.
Partnerships for Reconciliation
Non-Indigenous Australians and Ngarrindjeri Traditional Owners working together for conservation management. Saving Australia’s traditional lands, and the rightful natives who have strived for thousands of years to maintain the balance between nature and humans, is our duty. Preserving the unique flora and fauna of the diverse landscape is imperative. The land, spanning over 200 hectares, is slowly slipping into agriculture and farmlands which directly impacts the natural wildlife found in this region and result in the extinction of the sacred native plantations. To prevent this, we wish to help build a strong community that recognises the relationship between the Ngarrindjeri people and Mount Sandy.
Thailand Biomass
The Siam Cement Group Biomass to Energy project is responsible for over 600,000t C02 emissions avoided per year. It Enables a circular ‘waste’ economy – reusing rice husks for fuel rather than leaving them to decay which produces methane emissions and the fine particles can also lead to respiratory problems. It creates supply chains and manufacturing processes for renewable biomass fuels, increasing their availability for local use.
The project has also funded and implemented a range of social and environmental programs to the benefit of communities in the areas around the cement factories, including providing local job creation & additional income for farmers.
Community & Location
This project involves five cement manufacturing plants across three provinces in Thailand; Saraburi, Lampang and Nakon Si Thammarat. As of 2021, Thailand had 15 cement plants across the country, with the country’s largest manufacturer Siam Cement Group owning six of these.
Project snapshot
Thailand relies heavily on the burning of fossil fuels to supply electricity to its population and industries. In addition, cement production is a highly emissions-intensive activity, estimated to account for 5% of total man-made CO2 emissions globally.
This project involves the modification of five cement manufacturing plants, which previously burned a mix of fossil fuels to operate, to largely replace this with renewable biomass, such as rice husks, wood processing residues and other agricultural waste.
Why we fund this project
Cement production is a foundational component of the construction industry worldwide, but unfortunately, it does not perform well on the sustainability front, so significant R&D and investment is required to shift this industry to more sustainable practices to help in the reduction of global emissions. This project provides a genuine financial alternative to fossil fuels, enabling a shift to more sustainable production methods, all while benefitting the local community. Siam Cement Group was the first company in Thailand to adopt a new approach to become more sustainable, with the additional revenue from the sale of carbon credits funding the substantial costs associated with modifying existing plants, establishing new supply chains and overcoming various technology risks and barriers.