Discover how funds raised by the Carbon Balanced programme were used to protect huge areas of threatened land in 2024
As we sprint into 2025, it’s a great time to look back on the past 12 months and review all the fantastic conservation work done by Carbon Balanced Paper’s charity partner World Land Trust (WLT). The money raised by the Carbon Balanced Paper scheme helps to fund a range of WLT projects around the world, from the mountains of the Sierra Madre Oriental in Mexico to the Khe Nuoc Trong forest in Vietnam.
What each of the four projects funded by the Carbon Balanced programme has in common is the conservation of land threatened by deforestation. By securing the land and preventing it from being turned into farmland or exploited by logging companies or poachers, WLT is not only preserving the habitats of thousands of animal and plant species but providing a huge carbon benefit, helping to slow down the effects of climate change.
Sierra de Xilitla, Mexico
In Mexico, there are currently two areas protected by WLT’s local conservation partner, Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda (GESG): 9,538 hectares within the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve and 4,710 hectares in the neighbouring Sierra de Xilitla.
In Xilitla, GESG not only protect and monitor the forest but deliver a vital education programme to local communities, with over 150 classes delivered to 27 schools in 2024. These programmes explain the importance of the forests and the nature they hold, as well as encourage waste collection and climate awareness.
Sierra Gorda, Mexico
Meanwhile, the team at Sierra Gorda has to tackle the ongoing threat of wildfires, with record-breaking heat contributing to fires starting in several different areas. One of the initiatives funded by the Carbon Balanced programme is GESG’s fire brigade, which was called upon to put out a series of fires before they caused devastating levels of damage to the forest.
“Because of the climate crisis, cloud forests are burning now,” said Roberto Pedraza Ruiz, GESG’s Head of Conservation. “It is our pressing duty to protect them and stop the flames. Without a doubt, having the brigade thanks to WLT’s Carbon Balanced programme was crucial. It’s amazing to have our own firefighters to defend the reserves.”
Nangaritza, Ecuador
Located in south-eastern Ecuador, Nangaritza Valley is a forest corridor that connects the mountainous Andes to the west with the vast Amazonian rainforests to the east. The valley is home to more than 3,500 plant species, over 40% of which are found nowhere else on Earth. But today, these forests are under threat, not only from deforestation for agriculture but also illegal gold mining.
Protecting over 2,190 hectares, WLT’s local partner Nature and Culture in Ecuador (NCE) has safeguarded a crucial area of environmental importance, bringing many parts of it back to life by planting over 35,000 trees of 30 native species. This has raised the total estimated carbon benefit of the project to 78,9662 tCO2e.
Khe Nuoc Trong, Vietnam
One of the first conservation projects funded by the Carbon Balanced programme, the Khe Nuoc Trong forest in North Central Vietnam contains a staggering number of different species, many of which are classified as Critically Endangered. However, the area comes under constant threat from illegal logging and poaching activities.
Thanks to the funds raised by the Carbon Balanced programme and the work of local partner Viet Nature, those activities have largely stopped, enabling the forest and its inhabitants to thrive. Teams of rangers patrol the forest to protect the wildlife and, in one year alone, removed over 3,000 traps and snares from the forest.
In addition, the organisation has encouraged the growing of new tree saplings, providing over 13,600 seedlings of native hardwood timber species to over 160 households in local villages. Once fully grown, these trees provide abundant timber, reducing demand on the Khe Nuoc Trong forest. Thanks to the success of this initiative, the rate of illegal logging has fallen substantially.
