First ever standards linking climate change, biodiversity and poverty seek global p...( The first ever set of standards certify...)

This "multiple benefit" approach which incorporates climate, environmental and social issues addresses shortfalls in existing land-based climate strategies. With input from environmental organizations, academic institutions and the private sector, the Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Standards will help companies, conservation organizations, governments and international funding groups to efficiently identify cost-effective carbon emission reduction projects that also have a positive impact on biodiversity and local communities.

The CCBA members include: BP, Conservation International, GFA Terra Systems, the Hamburg Institute of International Economics, Intel, The Nature Conservancy, Pelangi, and SC Johnson. Other institutions helping refine the standards and ensure broad input include the World Agroforestry Center (formerly ICRAF) in Kenya, the Centro Agronomico Tropical de Investigacion y Ensanansa (CATIE) based in Costa Rica, and the Center for International Forestry Research based in Indonesia.

"Integrated projects are the most immediate and realistic solutions to combat biodiversity loss, reduce poverty and fight climate change," said John-O Niles, CCBA project manager. "The standards will help the private sector and government funding agencies identify multiple-benefit projects that solve three pressing global problems. The standards will also ensure that land management efforts do not narrowly address one important problem while ignoring or exacerbating others."

All parties interested in reviewing and commenting on the standards can do so online at www.climate-standards.org. The first stage of the public comment pe
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Contact: Jason W. Anderson
j.anderson@conservation.org
202-912-1464
Conservation International
7-Jun-2004