what integrity means to us
For Nakau, integrity means the rights and livelihoods of Indigenous participants are supported and strengthened. Their position as land and carbon-rights holders is upheld. Ecosystems within project areas are protected and restored. And the emission reductions in credits are real (additional) and long-lived.
Projects that use the Nakau Methodology are certified by Plan Vivo, the leading international standard for community-led payment for ecosystem services (PES) projects. This guarantees that projects and traded carbon credits meet the standards and strict requirements on transparency, inclusiveness, equal benefits and environmental integrity.
COMMUNITY COME FIRST
We commit to a long-term engagement with partner communities to make sure that, aside from the financial benefits, there are many other environmental, social and cultural benefits that result from these projects. Forest carbon as a nature-based solution is about so much more than carbon credits and carbon. The projects provide additional benefits and opportunities for people for 30 years.
Working directly with customary landholders and communities who rely on forests for their livelihood ensures more equitable distribution of carbon credit revenues to people who own the carbon, and directly addresses poverty as a driver of deforestation.
We commit to a long-term engagement with partner communities to make sure that, aside from the financial benefits, there are many other environmental, social and cultural benefits that result from these projects. Forest carbon as a nature-based solution is about so much more than carbon credits and carbon. The projects provide additional benefits and opportunities for people for 30 years.
Working directly with customary landholders and communities who rely on forests for their livelihood ensures more equitable distribution of carbon credit revenues to people who own the carbon, and directly addresses poverty as a driver of deforestation.
high value credits and better regulation
The carbon credits generated by projects that use the Nakau Methodology are of high value: we price them at the top end to reflect the value of the benefits generated for people and nature. This provides companies who buy credits with the certainty their credits are real and long lasting. It also provides a price signal to companies to use these credits in addition to emissions reductions, not instead of them.
We advocate for strong regulation and price signals that encourage buyers to reduce their emissions first, and then use credits only for residual emissions they cannot reduce.
When a company buys a Nakau carbon credit they are really paying for the time, labour and knowledge (traditional and new) put into protecting a forest or any other ecosystem. We are putting a price on what it costs for a person to care for, support and restore nature.
We agree that forest protection and the carbon trade on their own will not solve the climate crisis. We all need to stop emitting, stop digging up and burning coal and gas. We also emphasise that for customary landowners, Nakau, Live & Learn Environmental Education, conservation really matters. But it should be funded too. We believe the emitters in the global north should be the ones who are funding this conservation work.
