CarbonZ is thrilled to launch the country’s first pubicly available biodiversity action credit to protect and enhance Aotearoa’s native species. See the full Newshub coverage here.
The biodiversity credits provide financial backing for conservationists and landowners who are taking steps to make the environment safer for native species, but who currently lack funding to achieve their goals.
It aims to enable people from all corners of the motu to get involved in preserving local wildlife and strengthening native forests. 40% of News Zealand’s landmass is sheep and beef farms. This credit is designed so it can be scaled up to support biodiversity on private land around the country which has been chronically underfunded.
The credit is for pest control action, designed for an impact lead, pragmatic way to get results on the ground.
Aotearoa has the highest proportion of threatened endemic species on the planet, these species don’t live anywhere else. Therefore, we need to dedicate significant resources to conserve them.
Not everyone has the land, time, or ability to replant riparian waterways or degraded forests, undertake pest control, or fence off vulnerable areas to help look after our native flora and fauna. Therefore, investing in biodiversity credits is a great way for people to directly support the environment.
Biodiversity credits are an important first step business’s can take on a journey to a nature positive future. Carbonz biodiversity credits with full traceability connect businesses, individuals and investors more deeply with nature.
The first project supported by CarbonZ’s biodiversity credit is the Eastern Whio Link. The Eastern Whio Link is a fantastic hunter and fisherman-led project, situated in the upper reaches of the Waioeka Gorge near Gisborne, which exists to protect Whio (blue duck).
Hamiora Gibson, also known as Sam the Trap Man, leads the Whio Link project. He says when the project first started there was a population of just four breeding pairs in the project area.
“Whio are a taonga species, meaning they are treasured and need to be protected. So, we took it upon ourselves to put mechanisms in place to protect them,” says Hamiora.
“In 2020 we established 30kms of trapline, enough river to be home for 10 breeding Whio pairs. Miraculously, all four breeding pairs achieved success in our first year which was a first on the river for many years.”
“Since then, we have seen 46 Whio chicks fledge which has more than tripled the Whio population in the region. Our team of more than 70 active volunteers are extremely proud of that.”
“With CarbonZ’s biodiversity credits we’ll be able to scale up this meaningful work thanks to Kiwi investors who want to get behind our mahi.”
The project now includes more than 1,000 traps across 30,000 hectares of land protecting not only Whio but also Kiwi, native bats, and other endemic bird species.
The CarbonZ biodiversity action credit (CBAC) already has seven companies signed up to purchase units: EcoStore, Victory Knives, Go Well Consulting, Native Sparkling, Troydon Contracting, Two Islands, and Yu Mei.
One CBAC protects 100m of new habitat. CarbonZ doesn’t believe biodiversity can be owned, so the credit is for trapping and protection of new habitat, with the funds going to this purpose. There is also an option to protect 3km of newly protected habitat, the home range for a Whio pair.
CarbonZ plans to extend the CBAC to other conservation projects over the next year, facilitating biodiversity enhancement for farmers and conservationists across the country.
Our launch today coincided with the government announcing a comprehensive package of measures to support nature-positive actions around the country including suggestions of a biodiversity credit scheme. We welcome this report and look forward to contributing to the collective good of biodiversity projects around the country during this next consultation period.
The CBAC is available now on the CarbonZ exchange.
