Back in 2007, myclimate developed exclusive carbon offset projects for Coop in collaboration with the WWF. The projects are part of a comprehensive partnership with ambitious environmental objectives between WWF and Coop. New Climate Protection Project have been developed exclusively along the Coop supply chains since 2011. At the time, this approach was trailblazing. Projects are implemented in the regions where products to be found on the shelves at Coop are grown and are normally implemented on location by the WWF. Since 2017, this commitment has been supplemented by Climate Protection Projects in Switzerland.
The collaboration can point to many specific successes and advances. In Nepal, India and Papua New Guinea, for example, new projects have been initiated and existing activities expanded.
In India, 3,900 biogas plants have been erected through close partnership between Coop, the WWF, Helvetas and myclimate. The project was implemented within the Coop added value chain, meaning that the farmers who benefit produce organic fair-trade rice for Coop and already profit from other Coop measures. Coop initiated this project and is responsible for full financing.
Preliminary financing made it possible for thousands of small biogas plants to be built in Nepal, which were reliant on this sort of start-up funding. In Papua New Guinea, thanks to the initiative by Coop, a technology has been introduced for sewage treatment – something that is almost non-existent in the country. The project is therefore taking on a pioneering role in the region.
All Carbon Protection Project developed comprehensively by myclimate and the WWF not only reduce CO₂ but also contribute locally and regionally to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the UN. In all of these projects, more than 411,000 people have been able to benefit from the climate protection measures locally, around 1,800 permanent jobs have been created and 141,900 tonnes of wood have been saved thanks to the commitment of the WWF and Coop up to the end of 2019. In addition, about 1,185 hectares of forest in Madagascar and Nepal have been protected, and 600 million litres of wastewater have been cleaned in a climate-friendly manner. Through the utilisation of environmentally harmful methane gas emissions in biogas plants, almost 16 gigawatt hours of electricity have been produced.
Here you can find all additional information on the international climate protection projects that are being developed and supported by Coop and WWF Switzerland with myclimate:
