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Quebec’s Viridis Terra brings TreesofLives financing, tech platform to Peru

Quebec-based Viridis Terra is proud to announce its first TreesOfLives impact investments in Peru as part of its large-scale forest landscape restoration projects to fight against climate and ecological crises. The organization is also thrilled to announce its partnership with the Amazon Business Alliance, an initiative led by Conservation International and The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), including a contribution that could attain US$3 million to promote TreesOfLives sustainable investments in the country.

Moreover, Viridis Terra joins Peru 2021-2030 announcement through an agreement with the Peruvian government’s National Forest and Wildlife Service (SERFOR) to promote the restoration and sustainable management of forest and agroforest landscapes in some of the country’s most pressing regions. This initiative will help the government reach its goal of restoring more than 2.15 million hectares of Peruvian degraded land by 2030 to close the gap in the fight against deforestation.

TreesOfLives is a sustainable impact investment fund and digital platform that allows individuals and organizations to invest in projects dedicated to the reforestation and restoration of degraded lands. The platform provides investors with an unparalleled level of transparency, thus allowing them to track any given project’s progress. They can see the current and future impacts – financial, environmental, and social –on their own lives, the planet, and communities.

“Viridis Terra’s goal is to develop a green economy based on sustainable activities. The TreesOfLives investment vehicle is a unique way of investing in our projects in exchange for financial, social, and environmental returns, all while offsetting one’s greenhouse gas emissions. Our TreesOfLives initiative is ideal for businesses and individuals who wish to reduce their carbon and ecological footprint and become key players in the fight against climate change and land degradation. We are proud to announce the first TreesOfLives investments in Peru in 2021 – a starting point for our Integrated Forest Landscape Restoration (IFLR) project,” explains Martin Beaudoin Nadeau, founder and CEO of Viridis Terra.

As part of its restoration of degraded land activities in Peru, Viridis Terra has confirmed its partnership with Conservation International – an organization with more than 30 years’ experience in the country – via the Amazon Business Alliance and financed by USAID. The Amazon Business Alliance’s mission is to encourage investors, entrepreneurs, and businesses in the conservation industry to promote sustainable development and reduce deforestation and deterioration of natural resources while improving the livelihood of communities in the Peruvian Amazon. The Amazon Business Alliance is slated to contribute to the development of initiatives in Peru by co-financing, up to one dollar for each dollar invested by TreesOfLives, during the first phase in the country.

“We are thrilled to be contributing to and facilitating Viridis Terra’s projects. By supporting Viridis Terra, we are contributing to an inclusive and sustainable economic development through the restoration of forest and agroforest landscapes, as well as fighting against land degradation and climate change,” says Claudio Schneider, senior technical director at Conservation International in Peru.

The first phase of the project will oversee the restoration of 3,000 hectares of degraded land in new forest and agroforest landscapes, the protection of an additional 2,100 hectares, and the sequestration of more than two million tonnes of carbon over a 30-year period. Viridis Terra, in collaboration with the land owners, debuted the project by restoring 200 hectares in Peru in 2021, which, according to Conservation International, will lead to more control over the country’s natural resources and a more sustainable management of more than 1,000 hectares.

The Government of Peru identified 8.2 million hectares of degraded ecosystems as a high restoration priority in the country’s fight against climate change. The agreement between the National Forest Service and Viridis Terra includes joint efforts to mobilize mixed funding to help reinforce the ability of Amazonian communities to sustainably manage new forest and agroforest landscapes by way of demonstration and training centres in the Amazon.

“We know that restoration isn’t just about planting trees; it’s about creating value for the people who will be tasked with managing these new forest and agroforest landscapes. We know that restoration is a complex challenge, the success of which depends on our understanding of and taking into consideration the social, environmental, and economical aspects. We want to develop alliances to help us overcome this major challenge, contribute to reducing GHG emissions, and help protect the planet. With its new integrated business model, Viridis Terra offers a concrete, sustainable solution to this complex challenge by creating benefits for all stakeholders involved. We are happy to be partnering with them and contributing to the restoration of our country’s degraded land,” concludes Carmela Gina Quintanilla Centenaro, economist for the National Forest and Wildlife Service (SERFOR).