We are pleased that Verra has finally lifted the hold on the Wildlife Alliance Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project after an exhaustive, 14-month review that confirmed the project’s full compliance with Verra’s VCS, CCBS and SD VISta standards.
Our statement:
Verra’s review re-examined eight years of the project’s work and independent audits, and found no non-conformities to their standards, which reinforces what our due diligence has shown all along: the project delivers exceptional benefits for both conservation and communities in an exceptionally challenging operating environment.
The actions for further strengthening SCRP noted in Wildlife Alliance’s reports to Verra reflect continuous improvements that Wildlife Alliance has already implemented or is currently implementing. We stress that these improvements are above and beyond the requirements of Verra’s standards and are built upon recommendations that emerged from the project’s ongoing consultation with communities. SCRP has always complied with VCS, CCBS and SD VISta; the project is now exceeding them.
But despite the project’s proven impact and integrity, after more than a year on hold SCRP faces an uncertain future. This puts at risk the survival of the Southern Cardamom rainforest, the survival of the 62 globally threatened species the project protects, and the well-being of 29 local and Indigenous communities who rely on SCRP for funding to provide safe drinking water, improve food security, and for healthcare and education.
Most importantly, the project has overwhelming support from these communities; in recent FPIC (Free, Prior and Informed Consent) meetings 93% of community members voted in favour of the project.
Therefore, we remain steadfast in our commitment to SCRP and the communities it serves.
With the hold now lifted, we will do all we can to support Wildlife Alliance and secure urgently needed investment for the project – to fund community development, protect biodiversity, and reduce global emissions by conserving an irreplaceable forest ecosystem under constant threat.
We encourage everyone to read Wildlife Alliance’s statement on today’s news.
