On the last week of September 2024, CTaT‘s Sebastien Chenard and John Kendall, accompanied by Pessamit Innu Council representative, Melanie Bellefleur, met with prospective financiers, buyers and stakeholders interested in boreal forest regeneration failure (post-2023 wildfires ) ARR restoration projects that will be indigenous-led and integrate indigenous science to ensure that ARR restoration outcomes reflect First Nation/indigenous values and culture. Pessamit is planning an 8000-hectare wildfire regeneration failure ARR project and a 400,000 to 600,000 tons or reduced CO2e emission reduction IFM project. These projects are part of the Pessamit Innu Council`s efforts to reassert its right to be stewardship of its Traditional Territory. The highlights were meetings with Chloris Geospatial`s CEO, Marco Albani, and Ecosystem Restoration Standard (ERS) CEO, Thibault Sorret. CTaT and DTEC are collaborating with both organizations to help adapt their LiDAR based MRV and certification protocols to be able to effectively monitor and certify indigenous-led ARR and IFM projects in Canada`s boreal region. This is part of a broader effort by the Pessamit Innu Council to foster a move towards a regenerative forest economy that better reflects Innu indigenous cultural values. The delegation also met with Rubicon Carbon representatives on potential financing of those Innu led ARR and IFM projects, as well as Deloitte Climate and an Amazonian project developer, Ecosystem Restoration Associates.
