Offsetters Climate Solutions Inc.: North America's Largest Forest
Carbon Project in the Great Bear Rainforest Receives Final
Verification
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Dec 9, 2013) -
Offsetters Climate Solutions Inc. ("OCS" or the "Company")
(TSX-VENTURE:COO)(FRANKFURT:9EA) is proud to announce that the
Great Bear (Haida Gwaii) Forest Carbon Project, has completed its
first verification with international auditing firm KMPG
Performance Registrar Inc. The Project was verified under British
Columbia's Forest Carbon Offset Protocol ("FCOP"), which is
sanctioned by the BC Emission Offsets Regulation ("BC EOR").
The Haida Gwaii Project is the third and final Project Area of
the Great Bear Forest Carbon Project undertaken by the Coastal
First Nations ("CFN") and the Nanwakolas Council ("NC"), and is
part of the largest forest carbon project developed in North
America. The CFN is an umbrella group that represents First Nations
on the North and Central Coast and Haida Gwaii and the NC is
comprised of seven First Nations whose traditional territories are
between Smith and Bute Inlets, and on Northern Vancouver Island.
This verification follows the 2011 verification of the North and
Central Mid-Coast Project and the 2012 verification of the South
Central Coast Project. The member Nations of the Coastal First
Nations and the Nanwakolas Council have entered into
an Atmospheric Benefit Sharing Agreement (ABSA) with the BC
Government which defines how benefits from the Great Bear Forest
Carbon Project will be shared between the governments.
In total, with the current Land Use Objectives the Great Bear
Forest Carbon Project delivers up to 1 million tonnes of carbon
offsets per year over 25 years from a total project area that
covers more than 7 million hectares of coastal temperate
rainforest. The Haida Gwaii Forest Carbon Project achieved 654,427
tonnes of emission reductions from the 2011/2012 verification
period.
The Great Bear Forest Carbon Project represents a milestone in
Canadian history and a milestone for human well being and
conservation on land with unextinguished Aboriginal Rights and
Title. First Nations hold unextinguished Aboriginal Rights and
Title in the Great Bear Rainforest, while the Province of British
Columbia asserts Crown title to the land. The CFN, NCS and the
Province negotiated a number of landmark agreements, including
Reconciliation Protocols that acknowledged carbon assets on the
land and included a commitment to share benefits. The benefit
sharing agreement for carbon with the Province gave the Nations a
tool to develop a conservation-based economy utilizing carbon
finance.
Great Bear Carbon Corporation ("GBCC") president Chief Harold
Leighton commented, "The verification of the Haida Gwaii is an
important milestone for the Coastal First Nations. The Great Bear
Forest Carbon Project is the result of government to government
negotiations that resulted in the establishment of over two million
hectares in Conservation Areas, and major reductions in harvest
volumes throughout the entire Rainforest." Chief Leighton further
added, "Carbon Financing was necessary in the negotiations for
securing our support of legislative commitments, and is an
essential component in building the conservation economy that will
support healthy ecosystems and healthy local communities."
Offsetters worked closely with the GBCC and NCS on the Haida
Gwaii project. Offsetters was the Project Manager, developing the
required Project Design Documentation, completing the harvested
wood products and risk assessment analysis as well as providing
input regarding carbon model and leakage analysis. In addition,
Offsetters established a monitoring plan to meet the requirements
of FCOP and the BC EOR. Offsetters managed the validation and
verification processes of all three project areas on behalf of the
CFN and NCS. Offsetters utilized its proprietary Forest Carbon
Asset Management System ("FCAMS") to meet the long term data
management requirements of the Great Bear Forest Carbon
Project.
"We are very proud to have been so closely associated with the
Great Bear Forest Carbon Project through our work with the talented
and committed people who are the Coastal First Nations," said Dr.
James Tansey, CEO of Offsetters, "This verification marks a
significant milestone for the Province, Coastal First Nations,
Nanwakolas Council Society and
carbon conservation, and demonstrates the ongoing commitment of our
Province and its people to foster and develop a more sustainable,
renewable economy - where the environment is a highly valued
resource."
James Tansey, Ph.D., President and CEO
Offsetters Climate Solutions Inc.
About the Coastal First Nations
The Coastal First Nations is an alliance of First Nations on
British Columbia's North and Central Coast and Haida Gwaii. The
Coastal First Nations include Wuikinuxv Nation, Heiltsuk,
Kitasoo/Xaixais, Nuxalk Nation, Gitga'at, Metlakatla, Old Massett,
Skidegate, and Council of the Haida Nation. Established in June
2011, the Great Bear Carbon Credit Limited Partnership's purpose is
to develop carbon credit projects within the Great Bear Rainforest
and to market, sell and distribute the resulting offsets
created.
About the Nanwakolas Council
The Nanwakolas Council is comprised of
seven member First Nations whose traditional territories are
located in the Northern Vancouver Island and adjacent South Central
Coast areas of British Columbia. The members of the Nanwakolas Council involved in the
South Central Coast Forest Carbon Project are the
Mamalilikulla-Qwe'Qwa'Sot'Em First Nation, Tlowitsis First Nation,
Da'naxda'xw Awaetlala First Nation, Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw First
Nation and the K'omoks First Nation.
About Offsetters Climate Solutions Inc.
Offsetters is Canada's largest and most diversified carbon
management solutions company. Its team of industry leaders
specializes in the origination, development and commercialization
of high-quality carbon offset projects, and through a comprehensive
offering of sustainability consultancy services Offsetters helps
organizations understand, reduce and offset their climate impact. A
merger of ERA Carbon Offsets and Offsetters, Offsetters is based in
Vancouver, Canada and has worked with over 150 of the world's most
prestigious organizations including Aimia, Vancity, lululemon
athletica, Catalyst Paper, Harbour Air, and HSE - Entega.
Offsetters is publicly listed company on the Toronto Venture
Exchange (TSX-VENTURE:COO) and in Frankfurt:9EA. For more
information, please visit us at www.offsetters.ca.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This document includes
forward-looking statements as well as historical information.
Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the
continued advancement of the company's general business
development, research development and the company's development of
forest-based carbon offsets. When used in this document, the words
"anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intent", "may",
"project", "plan", "should" and similar expressions may identify
forward-looking statements. Although Offsetters Climate Solutions
Inc. believes that their expectations reflected in these forward
looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks
and uncertainties and no assurance can be given that actual results
will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Important
factors that could cause actual results to differ from these
forward-looking statements include fluctuations in the marketplace
for the sale of carbon credits, the inability to implement
corporate strategies, the ability to obtain financing and other
risks disclosed in our filings made with Canadian Securities
Regulators.
NEITHER TSX-VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES
PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE
TSX-VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR
ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
Offsetters Climate Solutions Inc.David
Rokoss778-945-0951david.rokoss@offsetters.cawww.offsetters.ca
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