The RSPB’s Gola Rainforest Conservation Project delivers beyond carbon. Here’s how

The RSPB has published a feature about the Gola Rainforests of West Africa. It highlights its role as a biodiversity hotspot and the RSPB’s work with The Nature Conservancy and the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone to develop a thriving nature-based project in the region.

We are proud to include this CCB Double Gold validated project in our flagship portfolio. 

By halting deforestation in this threatened landscape, the Gola Rainforest Conservation project prevents about 500,000 tonnes of CO2e from entering the atmosphere.

But it’s not just climate mitigation. The project focuses on strengthening the conservation strategy and effective management of the area by addressing the drivers of deforestation. It works with local communities to encourage sustainable development and land use planning, this includes cocoa mapping and growing to produce sustainable chocolate and loan schemes to help small businesses.

The project runs 35 farmer field schools to help local farmers integrate commercially viable and sustainable practices into their work. To date, 90 ‘master farmers’ have been trained and a further 66 have qualified as gender inclusivity trainers. The project runs 35 community-managed loan schemes. To date, 450 people have benefited, primarily women.

Learn more about Gola Rainforest Conservation on our flagship portfolio.