Livelihoods, launched in Paris on the 4th of July, 2011, is a unique investment fund that allows the partner companies to experiment a new approach to the carbon economy while engaging in the preservation of environmental and social balance. At the origin of the initiative lies the expertise developed by Danone Group. Since 2008, the company has been supporting large-scale projects that articulate carbon sequestration, biodiversity restoration and fight against poverty in Asia and in Africa. To gain in efficiency, Danone invited other companies to create a common platform: the Livelihoods Fund. Crédit Agricole, Schneider Electric and CDC Climat are the first to get involved.
30 to 50 million euros allocated
“Livelihoods is born from the acknowledgement that mitigating the climate change and fighting poverty are closely related objectives. The Fund is open to all the companies that share the same philosophy and want to develop carbon compensation projects of high social value”, explains Bernard Giraud, the president of the Fund.
30 to 50 million euro allocated to the fund will be invested in 3 types of projects: restoration and preservation of natural ecosystems, agroforestry and soil conservation through sustainable agricultural practices and promotion of rural energy that helps to avoid deforestation. 900 000 tons of CO2 will be stocked in 20 years. Projects that are already operating will give the example. Thus, in Senegal, 450 villages recreate their food-producing ecosystem by replanting 7000 hectares of mangroves that provide them with fish and crops protection.
High-quality partners
In order to bring together necessary competences, Livelihoods will be structured around 3 pillars: “Livelihoods Network”, a group of experts and local NGOs with relevant field experience; “Livelihoods Venture”, a small company competent in project management, engineering, carbon economy and sustainable development; and “Livelihoods Fund”. The Advisory Board is formed by symbolic figures such as Anada Tiega, Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands; Julia Marton-Lefevre, Director General of IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature); Luc Guyau, Independent Chairman of the FAO Council; Tony Simons, Director General of ICRAF (World Agroforestry Center, Nairobi); Michel Griffon, agronomist and Chairman of the Scientific Committee of FFEM (French Fund for Global Environment). Livelihoods is a collective adventure. Welcome aboard!