The story so far…
Carbonxchange is a social enterprise established to facilitate the establishment of the first certified Tree Cooperative in Timor-Leste and to create an online carbon trading service to allow direct carbon trading between the Tree Cooperatives and those wishing to purchase carbon credits.
The sustainable reforestation undertaken by the Tree Cooperatives will have four major impacts:
- Enhancing livelihood security for subsistence farming communities through adaptation to the impacts of climate change
- Creating wide-reaching opportunities for additional spin-off programs and further community growth
- Reducing climate-related risk through the use of 21st-century technology for communication, education and enterprise development
- Providing a model to be replicated to assist other communities vulnerable to the effects of climate change in the Pacific.
Carbonxchange Tree Cooperative will be established to manage the reforestation process. The Tree Cooperatives will have three major impacts:
- Contribute to climate change adaptation and carbon emissions abatement
- Create a sustainable livelihood based on agroforestry as an integrated approach by combining trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock to improve soil quality, increase groundwater supplies and boost wildlife numbers
- Bring about long-term social, economic, technological and environmental benefits to subsistence farming communities. Providing a future sustainable business opportunity in rural areas is of particular benefit to the next generation.
How it’s working
Community adaption
Integrated adaptation strategies will encourage community development through the infrastructure provided for the Tree Cooperatives.
Rural communities will be encouraged to network and cooperate with subsistence farming families to live flexibility and sustainability.
Preliminary meetings between farmers have already seen a willingness to adapt to new circumstances and new social realities.
Significant employment opportunities will be created as a direct result of the Carbonxchange enterprise. The jobs will be across the local economy in the villages participating in Tree Cooperatives and in the broader District of Baucau. These jobs will include labouring, security, monitoring and nursery hands.
Education and training will deliver opportunities for village families to gain knowledge and skills in farm management, enterprise development, new technologies, alternative energies and climate change and will create employment opportunities across other industries, both now and into the future.
