A big funding boost for Gola Rainforest

Thanks to a new partnership, the Gola Rainforest is about to get an income boost that will help protect hundreds of threatened species.

The RSPB and its conservation partners in Sierra Leone have joined forces with sustainable development experts ClimateCare to offer a unique carbon credit scheme. The new Gola REDD+ Project will allow corporations to take responsibility for their carbon emissions while supporting wildlife conservation in the Rainforest.

Through the scheme, there are now over 950,000 tonnes of Voluntary Emissions Rights for sale. By purchasing VER credits, environmentally responsible corporations can invest in the protection of the Rainforest, preventing the release of the 5 million tonnes of carbon it stores – this equals a significant reduction in the impact of climate change.

The scheme will also help raise vitally needed funds to protect the largest remaining area of Upper Guinea Tropical Forest in Sierra Leone – recognised as one of the 25 most important places in the world for wildlife. The magnificent 140,000-hectare Gola Rainforest National Park teems with a mind-boggling diversity of species – including pygmy hippos, chimpanzees and 327 bird species – many of which are rare and threatened.

Funds raised through the scheme will also support the indigenous communities living in the Rainforest. These families depend on the Rainforest for their livelihoods, so it’s vital that we work in partnership with them, encouraging them to live and work sustainably, in a way that supports the forest and all the wildlife living within it. From establishing schools, to helping the communities develop a sustainable cocoa production business, the funds from the new scheme will make a massive difference to rebuilding the lives of people who have endured more than a decade of civil war and the recent Ebola outbreak.