Energy giant TotalEnergies has announced a new agreement with a project developer based in Arkansas in the US to protect forests as carbon sinks.
The agreement with NativState covers 13 projects for improved forest management (IFM) in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. These cover 247,000 acres of forested land and over 280 private family owners. The programme seeks to improve the land’s value as a carbon sink by providing an alternative sustainable income to the landowners. This enables them to then focus on restoring the health of their forests rather than harvesting heavy timber, which is common practice in the region.
The ACR, a programme for carbon crediting that is internationally recognised, will certify the carbon credits produced through the programme. TotalEnergies, which makes the Total coolant and metalworking ranges, will then purchase the credits for its own use. After seeking to avoid or reduce emissions first, the company says it will utilise these credits to offset some of its remaining Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
The CEO and founder of NativState, Stuart Allen, said about the agreement:
“We are honoured and deeply grateful for our partnership with TotalEnergies and our forest landowner families, which creates extraordinary opportunities to build a lasting legacy for small forest landowners in our communities across the southern United States, while supporting TotalEnergies in addressing the challenges of global energy markets.”
He added that it was a privilege to give landowners the ability to incorporate more sustainable practices for forestry and improve the health of forests for future generations.
