Region: North Dakota, USA

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In the Northeastern corner of North Dakota, the Langdon windmills stand nearly 300 ft tall and generate enough clean energy to power over 40,000 homes. The facility provides over 10% of the electricity requirements for the Minnkota Power Cooperative, a regional cooperative made up of 11 member-owner rural distribution cooperatives serving North Dakota and Minnesota.

Despite having the greatest wind generating potential of any state, North Dakota now gets most of its electricity from coal. But with the help of renewable energy credits (RECs), wind power is becoming an economically viable clean energy alternative.

This wind farm not only generates clean power, which doesn't require water for production, but also brings jobs, and preserves the surrounding land's agricultural use. Because the windmills stand on land leased from local landowners, it also brings economic stimulus to the area.

Through the REC system, if your utility can not sell you wind generated electrical power, you can buy it anyway, from projects like Langdon. Renewable energy sources are typically more expensive, and so the demand for renewable energy isn't always in the areas where it's produced. Your support of a renewable energy credits means that you are basically buying the green energy that local buyers are not. According to the EPA, RECs provide buyers flexibility in procuring green power across a diverse geographical area. This flexibility allows organizations to support renewable energy development and protect the environment when green power products are not locally available.

RECS are slightly different than carbon offsets, and are intended to address emissions associated with electricity consumption. While the process used to create, document, and validate the benefits of RECs is slightly different from offsets, your carbon footprint is reduced by supporting the credit producing project. For the travel and automotive portion of your footprint, we recommend offsets. But if you are a fan of wind energy (and who isn't!), you can support this project and our Wilton offset project, and make wind your path to carbon neutrality.

Different states and utilities already have some green power in their energy mix. That's why ClimatePath offers RECs in terms of metric tons of CO2 avoided. If you use our calculator, you can estimate the carbon impact of the non green portion of the electricity you use in your state. For this project, each ton avoided equals 1200 kWh of green energy, enough to power a typical home for roughly 6 weeks.

Region: Cambodia

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Cambodia has one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world. And yet 80% of the Cambodian people depend on fuelwood for their daily cooking.

The NGO GERES has been working in Cambodia for over 15 years on how to reduce the amount of wood and charcoal used by Cambodians. One of their solutions is The New Lao Stove. This simple bucket stove has improved insulation and air flow, which reduces charcoal consumption by about 25% compared to a traditional charcoal cookstove. This in turn reduces carbon emissions while improving the lives of the stove users, who spend less time gathering wood, less money for charcoal and are exposed to much less smoke. Over 850,000 New Lao Stoves are now in use in Cambodia.

The carbon savings and associated credits from the New Lao Stove project are verified by the Voluntary Carbon Standard. Geres uses the funds earned from carbon finance to support the development, manufacturing, distribution, and training programs necessary for the growth of the efficient cookstove sector. The New Lao Stoves are sold for roughly $3 and last for 3 years, making them accessible and convenient for the average Cambodian family, and has helped develop a local manufacturing and service industry. This developing world "low tech - clean tech" approach has significant benefits to both people and the planet.

GERES is a member of Nexus, Carbon For Development, an alliance of pro poor project developers whose shared vision is that the carbon market can serve both climate change and poverty alleviation in a sustainable way.

Region: Southern Brazil

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A small brick and ceramics factory in southeastern Brazil is investing in kiln retrofitting and fuel switching, to stop cutting down their region's native old growth trees. While they previously used up to 3,000 tons of native wood per month, they now use material destined for landfills, such as coconut husks, sugar cane waste, wood chips and bamboo.

The Brazilian savannas (cerrados) are threatened and disappearing at an alarming rate. 57% of these forests has already been destroyed, and the country is on track to lose all cerrado land by 2030. The cerrado is characterized by an enormous range of plant and animal biodiversity, and is considered to be on of the most biologically rich savannas in the world. The cerrado has 10,000 species of plants, almost half of which are unique to the region. It is also home to several endangered species, including the giant anteater and jaguars.

Replacing native firewood with biomass as a fuel source helps conserve the cerrado, and also burns cleaner. Carbon finance for these reduced emissions has helped the owners modify the kilns and add the equipment necessary to make the conversion, and burn fuel more efficiently.

The modified kilns also reduce factory workers' exposure to smoke and particulates. This is just one of several areas where improvements are being made. By submitting to the Social Carbon verification, Ceramica Luara is required to focus not just on reduced emissions, but also on elevating the overall conditions for workers.

Region: Louisiana, USA

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New Orleans residents are still struggling to rebuild after the destruction of Hurricanes Katrina, Gustav and Ike. By providing and installing free CFL light bulbs in low income areas, this project educates and empowers residents in their very personal fight against global warming. The ultimate goal is to replace 3 million bulbs, thus avoiding 18,000 million tonnes of emissions over the lifetime of the program. This roughly equates to taking 120,000 cars off the road for a whole year.

Low energy bulbs use on average 75% less energy than regular light bulbs. By replacing all the bulbs in a house (around 30 bulbs on average), over $650 can be saved over the lifetime of the new bulbs for some of the city’s most impoverished inhabitants.

This reduction in energy usage has real results in the fight against global warming. Lighting accounts for 20-25% of electricity consumed in the U.S. and replacing just one incandescent bulb will keep 500 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere over the life of the bulb.

Through the process of installing the new bulbs, the volunteer is in every corner of the person’s home and a human connection is made. Most of the volunteers leave the experience deeply enriched from the interactions and feel they have received more than they have given. The recipients learn about energy conservation and begin to see their role as stewards of our fragile environment. From the simple act of spending a few hours together changing light bulbs, both lives and the planet are changed.

Region: South Africa

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This project installs of solar water heaters, compact fluorescent lighting, solar cookers, better fuels and electricity generation for low income households in Welbedacht, KwaZulu-Natal in eastern South Africa. These alternative energy supplies are more cost-effective, reduce grid-electricity consumption in the face of an unreliable, dirty energy supply, and decrease emission of greenhouse gases, while also improving the quality of life for residents.

Feedback has been very positive. Resident Mbali Ntuli commented: "The biggest difference is when there is no electricity I can still have warm water." Other residents appreciate the money saved on electricity bills. One young boy mentioned that he loves his solar hot water heater because he no longer has to get up at 4am to collect wood for the fire. Conversion kits are sold at 50% of their cost to interested households, who make their payments via microfinancing with a monthly repayment schedule. Funding from carbon credits and other sources (including USAID) makes up the difference, and pays for ongoing equipment maintenance.

Region: Southern Brazil

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Nobrecel is a mid-sized paper producer in Southeast Brazil that is replacing fuel-oil-fired boilers with biomass, and generates carbon neutral excess power in the region. Biomass is a renewable energy source which can be cleanly burned to generate electricity. The new boiler burns wood residues from the paper making process, and turns Nobrecel from a fossil fuel energy buyer into a producer of renewable energy. The new biomass boiler and turbines have the added benefit of avoiding the disposal of wood residues in landfills, which prevents the release of additional harmful greenhouse gasses as they decompose.

The project is an example of how a “waste stream” can be used for economic value. By taking an innovative approach to waste, Nobrecel is creating a solution for waste disposal, maximizing resources, and minimizing dependence on a fossil-fueled grid energy, all while generating meaningful greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Carbon credits generated by the project help fund the investment.

Biomass projects are also a newer strategy for sustainable development and poverty alleviation. Despite pockets of wealth, Brazil has a very large impoverished population, and taking advantage of the country’s extremely favorable conditions for providing energy from renewable sources is one strategy for improving conditions. Environmental protection, job creation, security of supply as well as alleviation of external debts are all benefits of non-fossil-fuel-based energy for developing nations like these.

*No longer accepting donations for this project*

Region: Guatemala

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Located in Guatemala near the Pacaya Volcano, this project will harness the power of heat stored beneath the earth’s surface to generate a clean, sustainable and reliable electricity source for the local communities. Guatemala's energy grid is very carbon intensive. Increasing renewable energy use is an integral part of Guatemala’s development strategy, and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also stabilizing supply, thus helping economic development.

In addition to climate benefits, the project seeks to implement a program to reduce flooding of the local area through the repair of road infrastructure and reforestation of hillsides with over 5,000 trees, increase employment opportunities in the surrounding area, and enhance the local investment environment through programs specifically targeted to direct local financial assistance towards lasting improvements that the surrounding communities will manage.

Region: Northern Turkey

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The Rotor Elektrik Uretim Osmaniye Wind Farm consists of 54 wind turbines located between Bahce and Hasanbeyli towns in the Osmaniye Province in Turkey. Historically, Turkey has been reliant on coal generated electricity, and this renewable energy project is expected to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by an estimated 300,000 tons/year.
In addition, the project also contributes to sustainable development, through creating employment opportunities in the area where the project is located, and training and hiring staff locally when possible.
Turkey is a newcomer to the renewable energy market, and the sector received an important boost in 2005 when the government passed a law on electrical energy generation using renewable energy resources, and established a seven-year government tariff support of "clean" electricity. Southern Turkey's climate and geography is perfect for wind and solar, and some day 10-20% of the country's energy could be supplied by these renewables.
Turkey did not sign the Kyoto Protocol limiting greenhouse gas emissions, and consequently emissions have grown at an alarming rate in the last decade. 80% of Turkish citizens support action on climate change, and supporting and subsidizing renewable energy in Turkey can have a significant impact on reducing carbon and giving the country a foothold in clean development.

Region: Chiapas and Oaxaca, Southern Mexico

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Meaning "the tree that grows", Scolel Te enables over 2000 families of indigenous Mayan and mestizo farmers in Southern Mexico to make a modest income by preserving local forests, and find sources of income which allow them to sustainably use their land. The farmers are establishing tree plantations on land previously used as pasture, growing timber and fruit interspersed with corn and coffee crops, and restoring degraded forest land to return it to a healthy habitat for wildlife and a valuable watershed to prevent erosion.

Each farmer draws up his or her own work plan - called a "Plan Vivo" - which is unique to their land and its conditions. The plan describes what areas will be restored, what types of trees will be planted, and what the environmental benefits will be. Farmers begin the projects without any financial aid, with technical support from local nonprofit organization Ambio. Once established, financing is available and the projects are monitored for efficacy.

Without financial support for these sustainable efforts, desperation for food and necessities will lead the residents to sell off the land for cattle grazing or large-scale intensive farming.

Region: North Dakota, USA

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In central North Dakota, near the Missouri River, the Wilton windmills stand nearly 300 ft tall and generate enough clean energy to power 30,000 homes. Basin Electric Power Cooperative, a consumer-owned, non-profit energy cooperative headquartered in Bismarck, purchases all the electricity produced at the Wilton Wind Energy Center. Made up of 126 customer-owned rural electricity providers, Basin is also working on possible carbon sequestration and using its wind power to create hydrogen fuel for its vehicles.

North Dakota now gets most of its electricity from coal, but with the help of renewable energy credits, wind power is becoming an economically viable clean energy alternative.

This wind farm not only generates clean power, which doesn't require water for production, but also brings jobs to central North Dakota, and preserves the surrounding land's agricultural use. Because the windmills stand on land leased from local landowners, it also brings economic stimulus to the area. Wind is rapidly becoming a cash crop in the plains.