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Vaillant Group
Our own afforestation project
The SEEDS sustainability programme is moving forward with great strides: in Costa Rica, the Vaillant Group has begun its first forest project for CO2 compensation.
Improving energy efficiency, using electricity from renewable sources and switching to electric mobility: with these steps, the Vaillant Group’s CO2 emissions will be cut in half by 2030 compared to the reference year 2018. Emissions that cannot be avoided have so far been offset by the purchase of CO2 certificates from a certified afforestation project in Panama. In the long term, however, the company’s own forests are to provide the CO2 compensation. The Vaillant Group has now come a great deal closer to this goal: a new rainforest is going to grow on an area of more than 1,000 hectares in Costa Rica.
The Vaillant Group is investing in the large-scale afforestation project together with Munich Re. “With Munich Re, we have a strong partner at our side who thinks in the long term and brings a high level of climate and risk expertise to the table,” says Claudia Altenrath, Head of Sustainability Management at the Vaillant Group, who is pleased about the new cooperation. TreeTrust, a subsidiary of the Munich Re Group, initiated and structured the project for CO2 compensation. The project developer BaumInvest, which has been gaining experience with afforestation in Costa Rica since 2007, is responsible for the implementation on-site.
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Audited CO2 compensation
Over the next 40 years, the trees on the selected areas will absorb over 600,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere. An intended side effect: the restoration of the near-natural rainforest will contribute to the preservation of biodiversity in Costa Rica, create new habitats for endangered animal species and generate job opportunities with fair wages for people in a rural region with economic challenges. In this way, the climate protection project also helps to foster sustainable development in Costa Rica. The afforestation activities are certified according to the internationally recognised Gold Standard for the Global Goals. This standard demands that climate protection projects not only make a lasting contribution to reducing emissions, but also demonstrably promote at least three of the 17 declared United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
In five years, accredited Gold Standard auditors will check how much emissions the plants bind and whether the sustainability targets are met. Only after verification will the Vaillant Group be 44 able to use its own compensation certificates for the first time. New certificates will be issued every five years, with the amount of carbon dioxide bound increasing gradually as the trees continue to grow.
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Costa Rica: from climate sinner to role model
Claudia Altenrath explains why Costa Rica is the ideal host country for the current Vaillant compensation project: “The tropical, humid climate there is ideal for forest development. The trees do not lay dormant for the winter, but grow all year round. In the process, they constantly absorb and capture CO2. In addition, Costa Rica is a pioneer in nature conservation and reforestation.” This is evidenced by 15 national parks and 40 biodiversity corridors. Almost 30 per cent of the country’s land area is under environmental protection. This was not always the case: at the end of the 1980s, deforestation and logging had progressed so far that only a good 20 per cent of Costa Rica’s land was still covered by forest. Then came the turnaround. Mass deforestation – legal or illegal – has now become a thing of the past. Moreover, the population supports the renaturation projects. The advanced education system of the Central American country also plays an important role in this. Children are already taught in school about climate protection and sustainability.
Costa Rica is a pioneer in nature conservation and reforestation.
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Veni, vidi, plantavi
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In July last year, Claudia Altenrath was able to see the progress of the Vaillant Group’s latest climate protection project for herself. Together with representatives of Munich Re, TreeTrust and BaumInvest, she travelled to Costa Rica to inspect the areas and even lent a hand with the planting. The plots of land for the project are located in a remote region in the north of Costa Rica.
A new rainforest is being grown on more than 1,000 hectares in Costa Rica.
Vaillant Group
The rainforest that once grew there was previously cleared for livestock farming. Some of the depleted pastures had been lying uncultivated for some time. The Caño Negro site, Los Chiles, is located in a flat and widespread area close to the border with Nicaragua. It is on one of the largest water reserves in Central America and home to countless bird species. A few hours’ drive south lies the Guatuso region; here, too, new forest is being planted as part of the project. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the national park around the Tenorio volcano. In contrast to Caño Negro, the landscape here is very hilly. It is no coincidence that reforestation is taking place on the edge of these nature reserves. The sites were specifically chosen to expand existing biodiversity corridors. In a few years, new habitats for native plant and animal species will be created there, including jaguars, capuchin monkeys, tapirs and many birds.
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From seed to tree
Meanwhile, the planting in Caño Negro and Guatuso has been completed. A natural forest of predominantly native tree species is now being grown on the project lands, which will manage without pesticides and work against climate change.
This is made possible by an innovative afforestation concept, explains Antje Virkus from the project developer BaumInvest: “We plant up to 24 different types of trees in various arrangements, which each differ in terms of growth rate, carbon storage capacity and lifespan. In addition, supporting vegetation is planted to protect the seedling or sapling.” Specifically, it will work like this: a seedling or seed of the tree is put in the ground together with a seed mix consisting of annual or perennial companion plants such as ground cover and black beans. The companion vegetation protects the young trees from the sun, ant infestation and wildfire, and pushes back invasive grasses. It also helps to retain moisture in the soil and, after withering, provides the soil with nitrogen – with natural fertiliser.
Under the eyes of the forest conservationists in charge of the project, the trees gradually grow into a near-natural mixed forest. Intensive care is necessary during the first five years: overgrown grass is removed, dead trees are replanted. “After this period, we deliberately refrain from any significant interventions. The forest is left to grow naturally. At measuring stations set up as part of the certification process, we monitor the development of the trees and their CO2 storage,” says Antje Virkus. At the end of the project period, the forest will be registered in the state nature conservation programme. This will place it under permanent protection
In the end, the forest will be placed under permanent protection.
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The seed of the tree is planted with a seed mix of companion plants. 24 different treespecies providebiodiversity.
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The planting of the natural forest has now been completed. The young treesneed intensive carefor about five yearsafter planting.
Gradual reduction of purchased CO2 certificates
“By 2030 at the latest, we will fully cover our CO2 compensation needs with our own projects. Gradually, we will reduce the number of CO2 certificates purchased from the Tropical Mix project in Panama,” says Claudia Altenrath with regard to the Vaillant Group’s plans. In future, the project in Costa Rica will account for about half of the Vaillant Group’s offset requirement. Another project in South America is already being conceived.
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