Reducing emissions by purchasing carbon credits
By purchasing carbon credits and permanently withholding them from carbon markets, emission reductions can be achieved, if the acquired certificates could otherwise be used to justify emissions within the boundary of a compulsory emissions trading scheme (like the European Emissions Trading Scheme, or EU ETS).
For this reason, the Climate Concept Foundation buys EU Allowances, the carbon credits of the EU ETS. This reduces the total emissions of the installations covered, because the amount of EU Allowances available is ex ante defined and thus limited. By purchasing such credits and permanently withholding them (or initiating their cancellation), the total amount of greenhouse gasses that can be emitted by plant operators is being reduced.
Right now, the amount of carbon credits permanently withheld by the Climate Concept Foundation surpasses 50'000 credits. This amount corresponds to CO2 emissions of burning more than 20 million litres of petrol.
Biosphere conservation projects
The Climate Concept Foundation improves the ecological value of remarkable habitats. By protecting valuable ecological niches, we secure withdrawal spaces for endangered animals and plants, thus permitting them to survive.
Our measures also aim to help biotopes adapt to the consequences of climate change. At the same time, we are aware that the integrity of our project areas cannot be guaranteed over time as climate conditions change. For this reason, we abstain from „CO2 compensation“ or other kinds of “monetization” of ecosystem services.
Our work in securing and improving rare ecosystems aims to slow down the loss of biodiversity and thus enhance the resilience of living beings against the foreseeable changes most likely to come.
Life on earth is not primarily meant to grant humankind a fulfillment of its needs. It has a value in and of itself.
Funding of Scientific Research
Climate Policy can only be effective if it is based on scientifically established data and facts. Whereas the essentials of climate science have been assessed and reassessed over the decades, there are fields of natural science climate research where, in spite of being relevant, gaps of knowledge remain.
For example: How do ecosystems’ CO2-absorption and storage capacities change in shifting climate conditions? What effects do such shifts have on vulnerability to harmful insects? What are the dependencies of CO2 absorption capacity of soil?
Here, the Foundation provides limited financial and other support.
Moreover, we support research activities within the liberal arts that are focusing on the evaluation of climate policy instruments that are likely to enhance their effectiveness or improve the general publics’ understanding of climate change and climate policy.
Advocating effective climate policy
The unavoidable transformation into a “zero carbon economy” requires an ambitious policy framework setting. This is because it constitutes a gigantic leap across society, which will only happen when there are clear guidelines.
The current practice of externalizing ecology costs, based on which our economic system functions, sketches a misleading picture of advancement. This is why we have to overcome this partial blindness in our evaluation of economic activities. As long as value creation also causes – an until now ignored – destruction of ecological value, we endanger life on earth and live at the cost of future generations.
Since 2011, the Climate Concept Foundation has been accredited with the United Nations Framework Convention (UNFCCC) Secretariat as an observer organization. We do not only feed into the UN process, but also contribute in the European and National climate policy context, acting as “solicitors for ecology”.