Ethical Engagement

Down To Earth Carbon (DTEC) puts major emphasis on creating strong and ethical alliances with our community partners, starting from the early planning stages. With its on-the-ground implementation partners, DTEC aims to have smallholder farmer and IP Community Based Organisations actively involved in planning and directing the whole initiative. That requires a dynamic buy-in, supported by inclusive participatory governance. The technical challenges are important, but the greatest obstacle to the necessary transformative change at the local level is disunity within the community and distrust of outside actors who are asking to partner. Developing shared decision-making and trust is an essential foundation for success and must receive adequate attention and resources. Project certification to the Verified Carbon Standard, integrated with Climate Community Biodiversity Standard, or to the Gold Standard implies that benefit sharing must be transparent, substantive and fair.

DTEC projects will aim to provide a high level of climate/carbon and non climate/carbon benefits. The total value should be much greater than in the business-as-usual baseline scenario, so that participants/project owners will be sufficiently incentivized to keep the enhanced levels of tree cover. DTEC Afforestation Reforestation (AR) projects often will be in support of regenerative agriculture pilots and will provide tangible ecosystem services, such as erosion control, slope stability and shade, as well as sustainable inputs of green manure, poles and renewable energy. DTEC projects that support non-food crops will be set up to ensure that community food security is not jeopardized. DTEC is planning impact AR projects that are a giant step forward from baseline land uses and require a level of incubation to create and maintain the enabling environment and to achieve the ambitious but necessarily high level of project scenario benefits. DTEC and its financial partners understand that it is essential to build platforms that allow communities to transform themselves in the face of a challenging climate emergency.