Toroto will provide Microsoft with 234,000 carbon removal credits from a tropical rainforest in Mexico

Mexico City, September 10, 2024. Toroto, a leading Mexican startup in the development and operation of projects with nature-based solutions, announced today that it has signed an agreement with Microsoft to provide more than 234,000 carbon credits generated by a project in the state of Campeche. These credits represent the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and are issued under the Mexican Forest Protocol of the Climate Action Reserve (CAR).

Located in the Conhuás ejido, in the Calakmul region of southeastern Mexico, this project focuses on ecosystem restoration together with the people who own the land who live in the project area and seek to safeguard their natural resources. Since 2021, the project has promoted carbon sequestration in more than 47,000 hectares of rainforest, which provide vital ecosystem services and are home to thousands of species of flora and fauna, including endangered animals such as the Central American tapir and jaguar.

This agreement is a milestone for the Conhuás community, which is committed to the restoration and sustainable management of its rainforest.

“For Toroto, Microsoft's commitment to the Conhuás project represents a very important milestone for climate action in Mexico. They are setting an example of how the private sector can invest in nature through mechanisms that channel resources directly to the conservation and restoration of the jungle, while the guardians of this jungle, the Conhuás community, acquire the technical and financial capacities to continue to care for its regeneration,” says Santiago Espinosa de los Monteros Harispuru, CEO and co-founder of Toroto.

“The Conhuás project is an example of the potential of community-led ecosystem restoration to generate a positive impact on the climate. We are pleased to collaborate with Toroto to help encourage both natural ecosystem restoration and community-led climate action,” said Brian Marrs, Senior Director of Energy and Carbon Removal at Microsoft.

“We are constantly learning about the value of the ecosystem services provided by the Conhuás rainforest. The community is holding workshops to return to overlooked aspects and benefits of forest regeneration, including positive impacts on biodiversity, such as flora and fauna, and tree growth,” explains Ruth Chávez, ejidataria from Conhuás, about the process of raising environmental awareness within the community.

The Ejido de Conhuás borders the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, a protected area since 1989. The project area thus offers the potential to act as a biological corridor, allowing the ecological connectivity of the second largest tropical forest in the neotropics, as indicated by the National Commission for Protected Natural Areas (CONANP, 2024). In addition, the project operates under a structure that provides income from the sale of carbon credits to the Conhuás community.

“With this agreement, many people in the community will be able to benefit their homes, their families. We need to take good care of the jungle, our flora and fauna, and protect the environment, which is our future,” adds Sabina Barrientos Carmona, ejidataria and part of the Conhuás fire brigade, who, together with the rest of the community, received compensation for the sale of the credits in June.

The Conhuás project aims to improve the livelihoods of the community, which aspires to protect biodiversity, promote the sustainable management of natural resources and ensure the long-term health of the ecosystem.

CONANP References. (2024). National Commission for Protected Natural Areas: Calakmul. https://descubreanp.conanp.gob.mx/en/conanp/ANP?suri=20

About Toroto

Toroto empowers communities and companies to act against climate change using nature-based solutions, guided by four lines of action: carbon, water, biodiversity and communities. As a passionate team of technical, scientific and creative minds, Toroto operates in Mexico with the hope of reaching all of Latin America, offering its environmental solutions and services to global clients and partners.