Partnership will bolster local conservation efforts
The Saint Lucia National Conservation Fund has entered into a major new private sector partnership to advance funding support for some of Saint Lucia’s national conservation priorities including the creation of sustainable livelihoods and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Through a partnership agreement with Wayaj Inc, a private entity that provides innovative and effective solutions to the hospitality industry to reduce its impact on the environment, the SLUNCF has made significant progress towards implementing two dynamic and exciting initiatives, a Carbon Offset Project and a Sustainability Actions Projects (SAP) program.
Carbon Offsetting contributes to the global goal of reducing carbon emissions by either supporting projects that decrease emissions production or removes emissions from the atmosphere, including increasing the capacity of natural ecosystems to process or absorb Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions.
Left: Chairwoman of SLUNCF, Karolin Troubetzkoy. Right: Founder & CEO of Wayaj Nelly Gedeon
These programmes are intended to compensate for the emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as a result of industrial or other human activity, especially through the burning of fossil fuels.
Projects which involve restoration/ rehabilitation of mangroves, seagrass meadows, or terrestrial forests usually qualify as carbon offsetting activities given these resources are highly effective at absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere. In this vein, the SLUNCF is on course to implementing Saint Lucia’s first (as well as in the OECS) Carbon Offset project which is aimed at restoring a critical mangrove forest along the northeast coast.
Left: Founder & CEO of Wayaj, Nelly Gedeon. Center: CEO of SLUNCF, Craig Henry. Right: Chairwoman of SLUNCF, Karolin Troubetzkoy
The Saint Lucia National Conservation Fund is working with other local agencies including the Department of Forestry to help design and deliver the project which is at its final stages of development. A critical component of this Carbon Offset project is the Carbon Calculator which was developed by Wayaj to allow travelers to determine or calculate their carbon emission and offset contributions based on their travel and accommodation plans.
At the same time, the SLUNCF is also working with local partners to develop other projects that could be incorporated into its Sustainability Actions Projects (SAPs) programme. Although not carbon offsetting, SAP’s nonetheless have significant potential in contributing to the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while at the same time responding to local needs.
All projects will need to be approved by both the SLUNCF and Wayaj Inc to qualify for solicitation of funds on the online platform. This model of fundraising is akin to the concept of crowdfunding but with a focus on contributing to prioritized environmental conservation and community development activities.
This means that projects can access donations from anyone or anywhere around the world. Moreover, the SAP programme also provides the opportunity to include multiple projects through this model of fundraising – giving potential donors a wider range of specific actions for which they may hold particular sympathies.
According to SLUNCF CEO, Mr. Craig Henry, “this partnership is expanding and diversifying the organization’s fundraising portfolio to include more long-term sustainable finance arrangements that also help the Fund to support its ambitious mandate”. The CEO also highlighted the uniqueness and flexibility of the organization to dialogue with partners in Government, the private sector, and civil society and others to explore collaborations which could be beneficial to Saint Lucia.
The SLUNCF Chairperson, Mrs. Karolin Troubetzkoy, added that the Wayaj Inc partnership was an important achievement for the SLUNCF in its efforts to identify and develop sustainable funding mechanisms with private sector partners. Both projects will be featured on the SLUNCF and Wayaj websites.
“It is our privilege to be working with the Saint Lucia NCTF on the development of the first verified Carbon Offset Project (COP) in the region and to include projects from the NCF to our Sustainable Actions program,” stated Nelly O. Gedeon, Founder and CEO of Wayaj Inc. “We applaud the team for their focus and know that this partnership will bring greater awareness to these projects globally, giving travelers the ability to easily offset or support one of Saint Lucia’s Sustainable Actions even if they do not travel to the island.”
About the SLUNCF
The SLUNCF is dedicated to the conservation, restoration, and effective management of Saint Lucia’s biodiversity and natural resource which also includes working towards and building national capacity for the creation of sustainable livelihoods. The SLUNCF was established as not-for-profit incorporation in 2016 and is part of a network of regional conservations trust funds forming a Caribbean region sustainable finance architecture, at the core which is the CBF, and whose main aim is to act as a long-term conservation finance mechanism for nationally determined biodiversity and natural resource conservation priorities.
About Wayaj
Wayaj Inc is a global leader in providing innovative and effective solutions to the hospitality industry to reduce its impact on the environment and foster sustainable communities. We are the originators of the IMPPACTTM (Imperative Metamorphosis to Preserve our Planet and Communities for Tomorrow) program, a global initiative to reduce greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere and support projects that benefit people and the environment, and Alight. travel, the dynamic new booking website offering carbon offset opportunities to guests at checkout. Alight is purpose-built to have a positive impact on travel and ignite change by connecting sustainability-minded travelers with trusted hotels and travel ideas worldwide.