Silvestrum | Projects

Contact

Dorpsstraat 4
1546 LJ Jisp
The Netherlands

Tel:+31 653 699610 (Igino)
Tel:+31 612 474741 (Eveline)

Selected project experience

With their respective companies Eveline Trines and Igino Emmer have been working in various contexts to provide strategic business advice on the certification of carbon assets, carbon neutrality, sustainable forest management and environmental services, and climate policy advice for a suite of private and public sector entities. Examples of expertise on mitigating climate change through project activities in the land use and forestry sector of Silvestrum is listed directly below. Further down the page, some examples of our recent projects, assignments and assessments in the business and policy sector are provided.

Development of the UN-REDD programme for Vietnam

Silvestrum has been one of the two international consultancies that - together with two national experts - developed the draft UN-REDD+ programme for Vietnam that is currently going through a public consultation process (including FPIC procedures). A prime minister's decree is expected later this year, formalising the outcome of the consultation and fine tuning process.

Development of CDM A/R methodology for mangroves

Requested by the partnership between IUCN, Ramsar and Danone, Silvestrum has compiled and guided an international team of experts and scientist that jointly have successfully developed a CDM A/R methodology for the establishment of mangrove forests.

Design, implementation and audit of projects and programmes

Silvestrum has experience with AFOLU / LULUCF projects and programmes related to Afforestation/Reforestation (A/R), Improved Forest Management (IFM), Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD), peat conservation and management (PRC) and Payment of Environmental Services (PES). We can assist with the design and development of methodologies, Project Design Documents (PDDs), Project Descriptions (PDs) and the preparation of companies and organizations for certification by assisting them to develop and implement management systems.

The list of developing countries, industrialized countries and countries with an economy in transition countries where work has been conducted includes: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Ecuador, Bolivia, India, Tanzania, Malawi, Gabon, Uganda, Mozambique, Kenya, Sweden, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine, Belarus, Czech Republic and many more.

Forest rehabilitation in Sabah, Malaysia

Started in the early 1990s, the INFAPRO (Innoprise-Face) project of the Sabah Foundation near Danum Valley Conservation Area in Sabah is one of the first forestry carbon sinks projects on an industrial scale integrating silviculture, biodiversity and climate change. Both Eveline Trines and Igino Emmer have been closely involved in the development, management and monitoring of this project and have been responsible for the creation of its carbon asset by validation and verification for the voluntary market.

Development of PES system for Papua New Guinea

One of the 8 countries where the project “Kyoto: Think Global, Act Local” has been active, is Papua New Guinea (PNG; see www.communitycarbonforestry.org for more detail on the project). With Eveline Trines being the project manager, this project has developed a community-based measuring and monitoring methodology that enables local communities to participate themselves in forestry carbon projects predominantly to avoid deforestation and forest degradation. In PNG this is combined with a Payment for Environmental Services (PES) system whereby local communities can connect with the local, regional and national authorities to be rewarded for their carbon saving measures, and that facilitates the national government to participate in the UN-REDD mechanism in future.

Biofuels in Malawi, India, Tanzania

Silvestrum has been assisting clients in these three countries with the development of projects that grow Jatropha and/or Pongamia for the generation of biodiesel from its nuts. In all cases, these are projects that work with local farmers as outgrowers of the crops, on land that is degraded and often derelict. Under such conditions these projects can contribute significantly to poverty alleviation and reduce the susceptibility of the farmers and their families to food shortages. These projects also play a role in the provision of local or regional biofuel, whilst the seedcake is an important fertilizer for the agricultural crops and the crude oil is used for lighting. Whilst generating biofuel, the cultivation also reverses soil degradation, reduces erosion, and provides additional rural income. The project in Malawi has nearly completed its VCS validation process as the 1st Grouped Project ever.

Assessment of investments in and financing of the forestry sector

The secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) received a mandate of the Parties in 2007 to map the costs of the operationalisation of the climate change mitigation potential towards 2030, with particular reference to Developing Countries’ needs. Eveline Trines was commissioned with the part of the report that covered the Forestry sector, analysing current investment flows and finance schemes in the sector and provided estimates of the costs to implement REDD and realize the mitigation potential of good forest management practices and forestation activities. The report can be downloaded from the UNFCCC website.

Market Study for GTZ Ecuador related to the ITT Yasuni Initiative.

The ITT Yasuni Initiative is an initiative that establishes a fund in Ecuador to change the energy matrix in Ecuador and to reduce emissions and enhance removals in the forestry sector in Ecuador. Silvestrum was the leading agency in a consortium of Profafor, Climate Focus and Silvestrum analysing the Initiative, its compatibility with the Kyoto Protocol and its associated markets, in particular the Emission Trading System of the European Union. The original idea of the ITT Initiative was to seek financial compensation for the foregone revenues of the non-exploration of the Yasuni oilfield, but was gradually amended to convert to a fund pledged by countries, companies, agencies and individuals for REDD and conversion to renewables. Silvestrum assessed the magnitude of the potential of such a fund for Ecuador.

GTZ Brochure Making REDD work

Silvestrum has been the lead author of a REDD brochure commissioned by GTZ (‘Making REDD Work’ – published in 2010). To download the brochure click onhttp://www2.gtz.de/dokumente/bib-2011/giz2011-0108en-making-redd-work.pdf

Lead authorship of VCS AFOLU guidance document and Merge of AFOLU requirements into the VCS standard

The Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) accepts projects in the Agriculture, Forestry and other Land Use (AFOLU) categories. A Guidance document was drafted by various lead authors, covering 4 project categories (ARR, ALM, IFM, and REDD). Igino Emmer was lead author for ARR and participated in coordinating meetings on all project categories. The integration of the Guidance into the overall VCS standard was commissioned to Eveline Trines. The merge of AFOLU requirements into the VCS was successfully completed and the new standards, including two new tools (methodological issues related to REDD and a risk assessment tool for REDD projects) were launched in the last quarter of 2008. Version 3 of the VCS standard includes a new project category which is called Peatland Rewetting and Conservation (PRC) which has been developed for peatland management projects in tropical and temperate regions with Igino Emmer as coordinating lead author. Currently Silvestrum is contributing to the development of the extension of that section to cover wetlands in general.

Development of modules to compile VCS-approved REDD methodologies

In order to develop and implement REDD projects that are successful under the VCS, a project methodology needs to be elaborated by project proponents. A small group of 6 international experts from renowned agencies has been commissioned by AD Partners to develop these standard modules that will facilitate the process of getting VCS REDD methodologies approved. Igino Emmer and Eveline Trines are 2 of the 6 members of the writing team, while Igino Emmer is the technical coordinator.

Training courses on forestry and climate change issues

Silvestrum provides capacity building materials and training materials, whilst also conducting trainings for clients to strengthen the knowledge base of advisors, negotiators, practitioners, auditors, certifiers, communities and other stakeholders.