Mosaic Forest Management today introduced the BigCoast Forest Climate Initiative, which will defer harvesting on nearly 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) of private land throughout Coastal British Columbia – an area over 3 times the size of Vancouver – for 25 years, and potentially longer.
By removing old forest from the company’s baseline harvest plan, Mosaic will increase carbon storage and avoid future greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from logging operations. This reduction in GHG emissions will be packaged into high-quality nature-based carbon credits to be available for sale to reputable organizations to help them achieve their net-zero commitments.
The sale of BigCoast Forest carbon credits will generate revenue for Mosaic, with a portion of the proceeds flowing each year to the Pacific Salmon Foundation and the Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCA) Innovation Program to support scientific and First Nations cultural research on and around the project lands. BigCoast Forest also provides the opportunity for other managers on the BC coast to add their forests to this initiative, further increasing its potential to reduce emissions and generate ecological and economic value. Carbon credits generated by BigCoast Forest will be certified under the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), the world’s most widely-used and rigorous voluntary carbon program. BigCoast Forest will:
• Capture and store more than 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide;
• Conserve some of BC’s oldest trees, sensitive ecosystems, wildlife habitats and drinking watersheds, as well as lands with cultural significance to coastal First Nations; • Be the largest initiative of its kind in Canada; and
• Be subject to regular, independent audits under the VCS protocol.
“Mosaic is proud to be a leader in sustainable timberland management through this new carbon credit initiative,” said Jeff Zweig, Mosaic Forest Management’s President and CEO. “The BigCoast Forest Climate Initiative brings high-quality, large-scale, nature-based carbon credits to a growing international market. The initiative generates economic value, contributes to the global effort to reduce carbon emissions, and benefits our local partners at Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas Innovation Program and Pacific Salmon Foundation.”
Emission reductions generated from this initiative align with Mosaic’s sustainability goals including achieving net-zero by 2035. The BigCoast Forest Climate Initiative is part of Mosaic’s responsible forest stewardship program, which includes planting more than 10 million seedlings of local species each year.
What others are saying about BigCoast Forest
Federal Government – “Congratulations to Mosaic and the entire BigCoast Forest Climate Initiative team for developing such an innovative nature-based solution to improve our climate outcomes in Canada and the world. Protecting and conserving our old forests like this will go a long way towards tackling the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.” Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
BC Government – “Mosaic’s BigCoast Forest Climate Initiative promises to deliver real benefits for primary forests throughout Coastal British Columbia. This innovative approach supports our government’s vision for forestry where we take better care of our oldest forests, First Nations are meaningful partners in forest management, and communities benefit from sustainable, family-supporting jobs for generations to come.” Honourable Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas – “This initiative provides decades of certainty for First Nations to research these lands and identify priority areas for consideration as Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs). The funding we receive from the BigCoast Forest Climate Initiative will be leveraged by dozens of our partners and deployed respectfully through the advice of each of the Nations whose territories are involved to confirm locations of the most important ecological and cultural sites.” Chief Gordon Planes, IPCA Innovation Program
Pacific Salmon Foundation – “Forested watersheds are the connection between land and sea – and integral to the health and sustainability of wild Pacific salmon, which will see real benefits as a result of this initiative. We are delighted to expand our decades long relationship with Mosaic to include the BigCoast Forest Climate Initiative. The funds received from the sale of these carbon credits will be used to support research to help salmon and their ecosystems adapt to climate challenges across coastal BC.” Michael Meneer, CEO, Pacific Salmon Foundation
To learn more about the BigCoast Forest Climate Initiative and upcoming information sessions, visit BigCoastForest.com.
For inquiries and comments on this initiative, visit our implementation partner at Green-Raise.com/projects.
