If you are looking to invest in or develop your own carbon offsetting project, EcoAct can support in every step of the process: project feasibility, development, certification, monitoring and financing.
To qualify, projects must meet our minimum criteria. Before submitting a proposal, please ensure the project complies with our acceptance criteria.
| Project type | Project size |
|---|---|
| Forest conservation | ≥ 20,000 hectares of standing forest |
| Land-based restoration | ≥ 1,000 hectares to be restored |
| Mangrove restoration | ≥ 500 hectares to be restored |
| Agroforestry | ≥ 1,000,000 trees planted |
| Improved cookstoves | ≥ 15,000 beneficiary households |
| Water access | ≥ 15,000 water filters / water kiosks |
| Renewable energy | ≥ 10MW installed capacity |
| Coastal and marine ecosystems preservation in French territory | Label bas-carbone specific requirements/criteria |
| Orchard plantation in French territory | Label bas-carbone specific requirements/criteria |
| Biochar production | Standard-specific requirements/criteria |
Our carbon offset projects follow a rigorous development and assessment process in accordance with the highest standards and certification bodies. EcoAct works closely with local partners throughout the life of the project from feasibility studies to ongoing monitoring post-certification, and manages the marketing and sale of the project to clients. The process of developing a carbon offset project usually takes between 12 and 36 months, depending on the project’s typology and complexity, as well as how advanced the project is on the ground. It takes on average 18 to 24 months to issue the first credits for renewable energy, energy efficiency or community-based projects, and around 24-36 months for forestry projects. The process will often be defined on a case-by-case basis as each project has its own intricacies, especially as we work within diverse territories, legal frameworks and ecosystems. The project development process is outlined in the 5 steps below.
The first step taken by our Nature & Technology-based Solutions team is to seek and/or respond to potential partners either wishing to develop a project from scratch or in search of technical support to certify projects in advanced stages of development.
The proposed projects are assessed against a set of strict criteria aligned to ICROA standards and best practices identified by EcoAct and Atos through their long experience. The criteria consider factors such as the project size, technology, legal framework, financial viability, and local context.
If our minimum conditions are met, the team engages in the feasibility study phase, which grows in complexity over a period of 3 to 6 months. During this time, our team will use our ©EcoScore tool for project development to assess more than 30 criteria around 6 main risks categories: financial and political, legal, owner experience, reputation, social and environmental and certification. On-site audits are also a central component of our enhanced due diligence, a fundamental complement to off-site analyses.
If the due diligence phase is passed, work begins with local partners on the project design and implementation plan, the action plan and the financial model. Local beneficiaries are at the heart of this process.
Budgets are designed individually through a bottom-up approach, to identify and deliver on specific needs to fulfil the main project activities, and to ensure the delivery of co-benefits such as improved education, health, water and energy access, amongst others. All of these elements are reported internally in our Project Identification Note and formalised after the closure of contracts between the parties involved.
As most projects require additional, external funding, our team will, once the due diligence has been completed, start to present it to potential investors and develop a communication strategy to promote it externally.
At this stage, the team proceeds to support our partners in the certification process. The initial phase includes the development of the Project Design Document, which describes all the project activities, including details related to the emissions reductions or removals, and the parameters to measure the co-benefits, which will be monitored throughout the project lifetime.
Upon completion, and once project activities have started on the ground, the project is registered and validated externally by a verification body, approved by the chosen voluntary standard. Once approved, a validation report is issued, certifying it as a carbon offsetting project.
Over the course of the project lifetime, which lasts around 15-30 years, depending on the methodology applied, EcoAct will continuously pilot the implementation of project activities and ensure the periodical monitoring and verification process to issue carbon credits.
EcoAct will present the project to potential clients throughout its lifetime, including at feasibility stages for investment opportunities, and boost its marketing and communication to ensure maximum reach and the ongoing success of the project.
If your project meets our basic criteria, fill in the template below and submit your proposal.
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