Project description:

Challenge: The population of the company’s target area lived far below the poverty line, with an estimated 95% poverty gap ratio. Roads connecting these communities to nearby villages and cities were nearly unusable, children suffered from severe malnutrition, and women had to work excessively to obtain basic water supplies. The surrounding rainforests faced deforestation caused by unsustainable farming practices, which encroached on local territories and threatened wildlife.

Solution: Leveraging the strong relationships of its project coordinator with local communities, the company launched a holistic project aimed at replanting and protecting the surrounding rainforest while improving the financial, health, and educational conditions of the local population. The company introduced a sustainable agroforestry farming method, established several plant nurseries, and created opportunities for better nutrition and education for children, among other initiatives.

Result: The company’s project aims to run for 40 years, because some native trees require this time to reach their maximum potential. So far in the first year, the company has planted more than 100,000 native tree species and, as reflected in the results of its first-year monitoring survey, managed to increase the average yearly income of the local population by $9.5 (26,600 Congolese Francs). More than 25 km of road have been restored. A local hospital has been renovated and equipped, a school has been renovated, and more.

Partners:

ASBL Bilanga (a community-driven organization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Category: Environment & Climate Action

Company: United Eco Solutions International AB

About the company: 

United Eco Solutions International AB is a Swedish company that provides sustainability services and carbon credits to businesses and invests the revenues into climate activities such as planting native rainforest trees and protecting existing rainforest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as uplifting the lives of the local population in the area, under a project listed by Gold Standard (with the ID GS12860).