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Carbon Markets

Kerry’s Energy Transition Accelerator is good news for the carbon market

John Kerry, the United States’ climate envoy, unveiled the Energy Transition Accelerator yesterday (November 9) at COP27: a carbon offset plan that comes as the vote of confidence the market needed. The Energy Transition Accelerator is a public-private initiative to fund renewable energy projects through carbon offsets, with the purpose of of accelerating the clean energy transition in developing countries. As our CEO Francisco Benedito said in a letter to the editor published in the Financial Times on November 10, the initiative is exactly what the carbon market needs. Private capital at the service of climate action Announcing the program at COP27, Kerry said the noted that the Energy Transition Accelerator is a way for private capital to support the work of governments and NGOs in transitioning to renewable energy sources. “Our administration is working as hard as we can to deliver on President Biden’s pledge to quadruple U.S. climate support by 2024. We are absolutely committed to doing our part. But no government in the world has enough money to get this job done. We will only succeed with a massive infusion of private capital,” he noted. Under the scheme, developing countries could generate carbon credits by shutting down fossil fuel-based power plants and adopting cleaner energy sources. These credits could then be sold to global corporations looking to offset their own emissions. Transparency will be key to success At a time when the credibility of carbon offsets is sometimes put into question, Kerry’s initiative confirms the validity of this climate finance mechanism, when implemented transparently. But as Benedito explains in his letter to this editor, the real work begins now. “For this program to work, it must be executed with precision and transparency. Companies that purchase these credits will want to know from which country and decarbonization initiative they were generated, and they will ask for a guarantee that credits cannot be sold more than once,” he explains. Of course, blockchain technology can support these efforts as reliable infrastructure that allows stakeholders to trace carbon offsetting transactions, increasing trust, transparency and credibility in the market. We at ClimateTrade hope that the Energy Transition Accelerator will follow best practices and leverage the technical and commercial expertise of the entire carbon market ecosystem. More on this topic: Taking carbon markets to the next level at COP27 Sustainable Innovation Forum

November 10, 2022

Climate Change News

ClimateTrade milestones from COP26 to COP27

Action and implementation are key priorities at COP27. Luckily, fast and ambitious action is our daily commitment at ClimateTrade. Here are some of the milestones we have accomplished between COP26 and COP27. This year’s Conference of the Parties is fast approaching, and with climate change accelerating, stakeholders from all spheres of society have their eyes on concrete actions. COP27’s slogan is ‘Together for Implementation’, a clear sign that it is time to put words into practice. Where to find ClimateTrade at COP27 Request a meeting with our team in Sharm el-Sheikh At ClimateTrade, we’ve always believed in actions more than in words, and one of our core values is ambition: We want to change the world and that can only be done by thinking big. As a result, moonshots are our daily thoughts. In the year from COP26 to COP27, we have taken big steps in three key areas: the promotion of transparent carbon markets, the enhancement of climate finance, and the protection of nature and biodiversity. From COP26 to COP27: Transparent carbon markets Improving the transparency of carbon markets is our core purpose here at ClimateTrade. here are three ways in which we promoted this objective over the past year: Blockchain decarbonization First, we worked with Algorand to make this blockchain network and its entire ecosystem carbon-neutral. Algorand is already the greenest blockchain network, having reduced its energy use tremendously. In December last year, we launched the Green Treasury, a blockchain oracle providing Algorand and its developer community a platform for offsetting the carbon footprint of the entire Algorand network. Since then, we have also started working with several members of the Algorand ecosystem to help them achieve carbon neutrality. We believe that blockchain technology is key to making the voluntary carbon market as transparent as possible. On blockchain infrastructure, all transactions are traceable and immutable, which means double counting is virtually impossible. But this technology comes with a heavy carbon footprint, which could easily defeat its transparent sustainability purpose. By decarbonizing the blockchain ecosystem, we make sure that transparency doesn’t cause collateral damage. Digital Measurement, Reporting and Verification In February 2022, ClimateTrade and BME concluded a successful proof of concept (PoC) for the digital certification of carbon mitigation projects. The initiative laid the bases for digitizing the verification and certification process for projects that generate carbon credits, and for adding them to national registries. Our goal with this is to make the entire process more efficient and transparent, and to guarantee the quality of the carbon credit supply. Digital Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (D-MRV) is an end-to-end solution that guarantees the authenticity and traceability of carbon credits: project developers can register their mitigation in a public and traceable way, allowing all users to verify the integrity of data. This facilitates the transparent purchase of carbon credits and their automated cancellation. International Emissions Trading Association membership Finally, we recently joined the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA). Our membership allows us to be part of international efforts to create effective and transparent market-based trading systems for carbon emissions and advance the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. From COP26 to COP27: Enhanced climate finance One of ClimateTrade’s missions is to direct flows of capital towards climate change mitigation. We believe that it is necessary to shift the global economy towards a sustainable model to truly protect the future of the planet. To this end, we have taken several key actions in the past year. More than 12,000 carbon offsetting transactions To date, ClimateTrade has facilitated the offsetting of more than 3 million tons of CO2, and since COP26 alone, more than 12,000 transactions have occurred on our marketplace, directing much needed funding towards climate-positive projects. Improved marketplace We have also made design and operational improvements to our climate marketplace, which is now being used by more than 11,000 users. The more people and companies use our marketplace, the more capital will be available for sustainable projects. International expansion Finally, we have opened new offices in Miami and Seoul and participated in more than 100 events to raise awareness about the need for decarbonization worldwide. As part of this thought leadership work, we have also published four different white papers and eBooks to support companies’ Net Zero strategies. From COP26 to COP27: Biodiversity and nature protection Climate action is about much more than just decarbonization; that’s why ClimateTrade has been working particularly hard in the past year to promote nature and biodiversity conservation. Voluntary Biodiversity Credits In May 2022, we joined forces with Terrasos to commercialize Voluntary Biodiversity Credits from the Bosque de Niebla – El Globo Habitat Bank on our marketplace. Each credit corresponds to 30 years of conservation and/or restoration of 10m2 of the Bosque de Niebla, home of threatened species such as the spectacled bear, the yellow-eared parrot, and the black-and-chestnut eagle. Since then, more than 100 credits have been sold on our platform, and this initiative has been recognized by the World Economic Forum. Nature-based solutions Our marketplace currently features more than 30 nature-based solution projects, which capture or avoid carbon through forest, soil and biodiversity protection. We make a constant effort to ensure that we offer carbon mitigation projects that also bring added biodiversity benefits. Blue carbon and regenerative agriculture As part of our research and development work, we have teamed up with several new partners to develop methodologies for blue and white carbon, as well as regenerative agriculture. One of these initiatives is the recently announced Albufera Blue Carbon, in which we are working with Valencia’s CE/R+S (Responsible and Sustainable Companies Association) to quantify the carbon mitigation potential of peatlands in the Valencian Community. To find out more about what we have been up to since COP26, check out our announcements page.

November 3, 2022

Climate Impact

ClimateTrade and CE/R+S launch the Albufera Blue Carbon Project ‘Albluefera’

The Albufera Blue Carbon project leverages nature-based solutions for carbon offsetting in the Albufera Natural Park. Valencia, November 3, 2022 – ClimateTrade, the blockchain-based climate marketplace, and the Club of Responsible and Sustainable Companies of the Valencian Community today presented the Albufera Blue Carbon project – ‘Albluefera’ – in the Port of Catarroja. The presentation coincided with UNESCO’s International Day for Biosphere Reserves: both CE/R+S and ClimateTrade support the declaration of the Albufera as a biosphere reserve, a title towards which the city has been working for several years. The two entities have signed a collaboration agreement to offset the carbon footprint of Valencian businesses through Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) in the peatlands and surrounding agricultural areas of the Albufera Natural Park. Only companies associated with CE/R+S will join this initiative, so that they can store carbon in the wetland ecosystem through the Blue Carbon methodology, generating a positive impact on the mitigation and adaptation of the climate crisis while offsetting their emissions. Lorena García, Director of CE/R+S, comments: “This is an ambitious and innovative project that will allow our companies to move towards meeting their established decarbonization objectives; as well as contribute to the conservation of our natural area.” Valencian companies Hidraqua and Vickyfoods were among the participants in the launch. José Lindo, Co-Founder of ClimateTrade, added: “At ClimateTrade we work to achieve proximity in carbon sequestration projects. It is important that our companies understand the need to radically reduce their emissions through decarbonization strategies and, when the time comes, work on projects based on nature and regenerative agriculture, linking green employment and decarbonization at the local level.” Natural carbon sinks Marine and coastal ecosystems such as wetlands, peatlands, mangroves, and seagrass beds represent large natural carbon sinks, making it crucial to restore and conserve them to achieve regional and global climate goals. The generation of carbon credits via Blue Carbon projects makes it possible to finance their conservation and restoration. The Albufera Blue Carbon project will cover all the actions that support these ecosystems and the services they provide within the Valencian Community, to respond to various challenges of society such as climate change, food security or the risk of natural disasters. Among other actions, the strategy includes joint leadership on the entire cycle of the CO2 sequestration and mitigation in the wetlands, the development of the mitigation project through the analysis of opportunities for the Measurement, Reporting and annual Verification of the reduction of emissions, dialogue with validating bodies for project certification, and the final sale of authorized Blue Carbon carbon credits through the ClimateTrade blockchain platform. About ClimateTrade ClimateTrade is a blockchain-based climate pioneer, aiming to empower large-scale decarbonization through constant innovation. The ClimateTrade marketplace allows companies to offset their climate impact by purchasing carbon, plastic and biodiversity offsets, as well as renewable energy certificates directly from project developers. The ClimateTrade API, Widget and Whitelabel allow clients to integrate marketplace functionalities into their own platform, making their products climate-positive. ClimateTrade is also spearheading disruptive innovation around the digital certification of carbon mitigation projects and supporting the digitization of national carbon registries. About CE/R+S CE/R+S was founded in 2017 as the first regional sustainability club in Spain and the only one in the Valencian Community, with the purpose of leading the transformation of the Valencian business model towards sustainability. The Club currently has 34 members: AGC Flat Ibérica, Angela Impact Economy, Almacenes Lázaro, Alpesa, Grupo Baux, Grupo Bertolín, Zubi Group, Broseta Abogados, Caixa Popular, Choví, Colisee, Consum S. Coop., Cubierta Solar, El Corte English, EAFI Ethics, Grupo Eulen, Excal, Geocivil, Foodiverse, Grupo Gimeno, GDES, Hidraqua, Hinojosa Packing Solutions, Grupo IVI, Grupo Marjal, Novaterra, Ribera Salud, Royo group, RNB Cosméticos, Velarte, Grupo Simetría, Suavinex, Triangle REM and Unimat Prevention.

November 3, 2022

Carbon Markets

Top 5 expectations from COP27

With the world’s largest climate event just around the corner and extreme weather events already causing mayhem around the globe, expectations are at their peak this year. Here are the five advances ClimateTrade expects from the event in Sharm el-Sheikh. 1. Full acceptance of the work of the Integrity Council for Voluntary Carbon Markets The Integrity Council for Voluntary Carbon Markets (ICVCM) is doing tremendous work to bring together the entire carbon ecosystem in setting clear guidelines on carbon credit quality and the functioning of the overall market. It is not easy work, and the Council’s attempt to define Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) has been met with resistance, with certain market players, such as Verra, noting that the process being put in place to guarantee the quality of carbon credits would be “unworkable”. We at ClimateTrade firmly believe in the necessity to build integrity in carbon markets, and that will not be possible without the buy-in of all market participants in initiatives like the ICVCM. In response to Verra’s statement, our co-founder and head of impact José Lindo said to Carbon Pulse: “In my opinion, we are overly focusing on the ‘how’, i.e carbon integrity processes, and rather we should start the debate from the ‘why’ i.e the purpose served by the CCPs, and reflect on legitimate requirements voiced by countries, scientists, environmental organizations, indigenous communities and, obviously, voluntary carbon market players.” For this reason, we expect the Conference of the Parties to reaffirm the role of the ICVCM in helping align carbon credit supply with quality and transparency expectations. 2. Final definition of the Paris Agreement’s Article 6 rules Last year in Glasgow, countries clarified some of the rules of Article 6, the part of the Paris Agremeent that governs the functioning of carbon trading between countries. For instance, it was decided that to avoid double counting, the country where the mitigation project is based holds the power to decide whether the credits should go towards its own Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) or be sold internationally, in which case it would be listed as a credit on its records. Negotiations also clarified which of the credits generated under the Clean Development Mechanism (the Paris Agreement’s predecessor) could be brought over to the new system, and set up some rules around taxing carbon trading transactions. But much remains to be defined for Article 6 to become operational. In particular, we expect this year’s conference to determine the mechanisms that will govern the use of Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs), the units meant to be used for the international emissions trading between Parties to the Paris Agreement. 3. Regulating the registration of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) Equally, the system for calculating and registering Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the emissions reductions countries decide to achieve every five years, is currently not regulated, which can lead to wide variations in ambition between countries. ClimateTrade expects COP27 negotiations to define rules as to how these contributions are calculated, communicated and adjusted. 4. No changes in Paris Agreement signatories The current geopolitical landscape, particularly the Ukraine-Russia war, could put the future of the Paris Agreement at stake. As seen with the withdrawal of the U.S. from the agreement following the election of Donald Trump, governments have the potential to weaponize the world’s emissions reduction goals to achieve their political ambitions. We hope this year’s Conference of the Parties will see no changes in Paris Agreement signatories or faltering in their commitments. 5. Inclusion of biodiversity in carbon market discussions As our understanding of climate change grows and climate action matures, it is becoming evident that biodiversity protection should be part of the carbon equation. This year will be the 15th edition of the UN Biodiversity Conference, which has been run alongside the climate change conference so far. We expect COP27 to mark a turning point in the way countries approach these two areas of sustainability, and a recognition that the two are inextricably linked. ClimateTrade is already working to protect biodiversity in the same way carbon is offset (through voluntary biodiversity credits) and we believe the nascent nature protection credit system could learn a lot from the development of a working carbon market.

October 27, 2022

Climate Change News

Where to find ClimateTrade at COP27

ClimateTrade will be actively participating in COP27, our fifth UN climate change conference. There are less than three weeks left before the biggest climate event of the year, and we are ready to go. This year’s theme is Together for Implementation, and we can’t wait to push the agenda on the voluntary carbon market, ensuring carbon credit quality and harmonized carbon pricing, as well as biodiversity credits as a tool for nature protection. Panel participation So far, our CEO Francisco Benedito is due to speak in three different panels: 09/11 – 15.30 CET: Sustainable Innovation Forum – When will the carbon offset market become credible and truly protect and regenerate the planet? (Innovation Zone Sharm el-Sheikh + live streaming) Carbon markets are rapidly growing as companies and consumers look to offset the environmental impact of their choices. How can we meet the demand for a quality global carbon market that operates effectively to ensure genuine impact for the planet? How can we protect and enhance the planet’s natural carbon sinks? What are the opportunities of blockchain and digital technology? How close are we to developing an agreed standard for certifying carbon credits? Register here. 14/11 – 13.30 CET: World Biodiversity Summit – Carbon Markets and their Role for Biodiversity – Stepping Up Climate & Biodiversity Action by Trading CO2 (Park Regency Sharm el-Sheikh + live streaming). Carbon markets play a crucial role in fighting climate change and can fast-track the transition to a net-zero economy. To better synergise the global climate and biodiversity goals, carbon markets should not only focus on mitigating climate change, but projects should also consider their effects on biological diversity. This fireside chat will look at the business cases and policy frameworks needed to achieve nature-positive carbon markets. Register here. 14/11 – 16.30 CET: ICC Make Climate Action Everyone’s Business Forum panel – Transparency, reliability and collaboration in the carbon market (online) A fair and transparent carbon price is key to support companies’ climate transition, and the ICC Carbon Pricing Principles lay the bases for this harmonization. Since their publication, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and several local Chambers of Commerce have been working with ClimateTrade to leverage blockchain technology for transparency in carbon pricing. In this session, Francisco Benedito, CEO of ClimateTrade, discusses the results of these efforts to implement the ICC Carbon Pricing Principles. Register here. Live carbon offsetting at the Innovation Zone As a Sustainable Innovation Forum sponsor, ClimateTrade will offer COP27 attendees the option to calculate and offset the carbon footprint of their participation in the event, live from our booth. Come visit us to experience our whitelabel solution first-hand!

October 20, 2022

Climate Change News

Discussing the future of climate tech at VERGE 22

ClimateTrade will be attending and speaking at VERGE 22, the climate tech event organized by Greenbiz in San Jose, California, October 25-27. As an industry leader, ClimateTrade is proud to be a sponsor and speaker at the world’s leading climate tech event, VERGE 22. The purpose of this event is to accelerate solutions to the most pressing challenges of our time, and we are looking forward to discussing those in detail. A leader in six strategic areas VERGE 22 is organized in six strategic themes – clean energy, sustainable transportation, carbon removal, regenerative food systems, net-zero buildings and the startup ecosystem – and ClimateTrade contributes to all six of these. We support the development of clean energy by offering renewable projects and renewable energy certificates (RECs) on our marketplace; we partner with transportation companies to help them mitigate their climate impact; we are joining forces with players in the regenerative food ecosystem to investigate carbon farming; we are a strong carbon neutrality partner in the construction sector, having developed a specialized carbon footprint calculator; and we are deeply involved in the startup ecosystem in Valencia, Miami and beyond. For all these reasons, we look forward to being a conversation leader at the Greenbiz event. Panel: New technologies and strategies for communicating carbon data to consumers – 26/10, 2.45pm PDT Our CEO Francisco Benedito is a speaker on this panel of leaders behind some of the new experiments with carbon labels, who will share what we do and don’t know about the power of labels to impact consumer choice. What would happen if the carbon embodied in a laptop or a sofa or even a packet of chips were displayed on the product’s label? Measuring embodied carbon is notoriously difficult, but supply chains are slowly becoming more transparent and consumer demand for environmental data is growing. These forces have prompted companies large and small to experiment with labels that detail the emissions created in the manufacture of a product. The big question now is how consumers will react. Benedito will bring ClimateTrade’s perspective from our partnership with Santander Bank on its new carbon footprint feature, available on the webpage and app. Live carbon offsetting at the ClimateTrade booth Additionally, we are bringing innovation to our event booth! VERGE 22 participants can find us at booth 113 to experience our whitelabel solution, calculating and offsetting the footprint of their event attendance. If you haven’t yet, you can still register to attend VERGE 22 here.

October 20, 2022

Other Categories

Climate Change News

Why is it so hard to decarbonize aviation?

The journey towards a Net Zero world is long and arduous – and it probably shouldn’t be done by plane. Aviation is considered one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize: read this article to find out why. Aviation’s contribution to climate change Global aviation, which includes passenger and freight planes, is responsible for almost 2% of greenhouse gas emissions, and 2.5% of CO2 emissions (around 1 billion tons in 2018). That’s much less than road transportation (11.9% of GHG) or even livestock (5.8%). But the effect of these emissions is made worse by the collateral impacts of flying. According to Our World in Data, “as well as emitting CO2 from burning fuel, planes affect the concentration of other gases and pollutants in the atmosphere. They result in a short-term increase, but long-term decrease in ozone (O3); a decrease in methane (CH4); emissions of water vapour; soot; sulfur aerosols; and water contrails. While some of these impacts result in warming, others induce a cooling effect. Overall, the warming effect is stronger.” In the end, the aviation sector is considered responsible for 3.5% of global warming. Alternative fuels to decarbonize aviation Fuel is the biggest contributor to the carbon footprint of air travel. Removing emissions from aviation fuel would contribute to a 65% reduction in carbon emissions from the sector, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Sustainable Aviation Fuel Currently, the only alternative to kerosene, the preferred fuel for planes, is Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), essentially a bioful that can be made from almost any type of waste (plants, cooking oil, used clothes, etc). While burning these products results in CO2 emissions, SAF presents a reduction in lifecycle emissions of up to 80% compared to traditional fuel. This is because it is partly made from plants, which absorb CO2 to grow, and partly because it avoids greenhouse gas emissions from landfill or waste treatment. Additionally, SAF cannot be made from materials that would divert land use from food production, or from the products of deforestation. One of the advantages of SAF is that it can be mixed with regular fuels to lower the carbon footprint of flights without having to modify planes’ engines. However, SAF can be up to eight times more expensive than kerosene, which makes it cost-prohibitive in many cases. Green hydrogen The other alternative to kerosene is green hydrogen, a technology that is still under development but would remove 100% of fuel-based emissions from air travel. Hydrogen is a zero-emissions fuel that can be produced from different sources: brown hydrogen is made by burning coal, defeating its zero-emissions purpose; and blue hydrogen is made from fossil fuel, with CO2 sequestration integrated into the process (this is currently considered the best option for reducing emissions at a reasonable cost). Green hydrogen is the real game-changer, as it is made through the electrolysis water using renewable energy. Its production has almost no impact on the environment, making it the most sustainable option for aviation. Green hydrogen is still very expensive to produce, but its cost is reducing as renewable energy is becoming cheaper and demand for eletrolyzers is increasing. Hydrogen engines are different from fossil fuel engines, but airlines are already piloting hydrogen planes: Airbus’ ZEROe aims to be the first zero-emission commercial aircraft. It is estimated that hydrogen will enter aviation’s fuel mix in the 2030s. Carbon offsetting for aviation The aviation sector needs to support the development of zero-emission fuels through investment and demand signals, in order to make them more affordable. But in the meantime, the best option for the industry is to offset the carbon footprint associated with air travel. ClimateTrade offers an API that can be integrated into flight reservation platforms to give travelers the option to offset the carbon emissions of their flights. The API is connected to the ClimateTrade marketplace, where more than 60 certified carbon mitigation projects are available. All transactions are conducted through blockchain technology, giving customers end-to-end visibility of where and how their money is used. This traceability greatly improves both the positive impact of carbon offsetting, and the transparency of communication with travelers. Check out the pilot project we conducted with Iberia. For more information, visit our marketplace or contact us.

October 5, 2022

Blockchain Technology

The greenest blockchain technology: is it possible?

Algorand pledges to be the greenest blockchain and be carbon neutral thanks to the alliance with ClimateTrade. The Algorand network was designed from the ground up to minimally impact the environment. Because its consensus is not based on energy-intensive proof-of-work and requires minimal computational power or electricity, Algorand has been a leader in minimizing the environmental impact of blockchain technology. “We understand that the mechanics of measuring the environmental impact of a global, decentralized and widely used blockchain are nuanced and complex. That’s why we are teaming up with ClimateTrade to continue and double-down on our eco-conscious efforts.” said Silvio Micali, Founder of Algorand. “Clean energy and addressing climate change are priorities for the United Nations, global organizations and governments alike. Algorand has a very low carbon footprint to begin with, and we are inspired by the leadership role the organization is taking to ensure the next generation of blockchain adoption is environmentally friendly,” said Francisco Benedito, CEO of ClimateTrade. How does Algorand offset its Carbon Footprint with Climatetrade? To achieve a carbon-negative network, Algorand and ClimateTrade will implement a sustainability oracle which will notarize Algorand’s carbon footprint on-chain for each epoch (a set amount of blocks). With its advanced smart contracts, Algorand will then lock the equivalent amount of carbon credit as an ASA (Algorand Standard Asset) into a green treasury so that its protocol keeps running as carbon-negative. Through this partnership, Algorand is able to leverage several projects of our marketplace that help to offset the low footprint of their network: The Southern Cardamom REDD+ project initiated by Wildlife Rescue and Wildlife Works, which protects the rainforest by avoiding more than 3 million tons of carbon emissions annually. The Vichada Gold Standard Climate Project which is aimed at reforestation in the Orinoco Department in Colombia. The Oaxaca Wind Project by Acciona which covers the electricity demand of 700,000 Mexican homes, avoiding the emission of 670,000 tons of CO2. The Sumatra Merang Peatland Project by ForestCO2 which aims to protect and restore the peatland ecosystem in Indonesia. With this alliance we not only work to achieve the carbon neutrality of Algorand but also to have a positive impact on the environment, which is how every innovative blockchain ecosystem should be in the future.

June 4, 2021

ClimateTrade News

Banco Sabadell moves forward with carbon offsetting in alliance with ClimateTrade

Banco Sabadell has teamed up with ClimateTrade to offset the CO2 emissions associated with its operations in 2021, by investing in forest projects in Spain. Banco Sabadell is advancing in its sustainability commitment by focusing on reducing and offsetting its own carbon emissions, as well as supporting clients with sustainable solutions and consulting for their environmental transition. In 2021, the bank complemented its action plan with the offsetting of its carbon footprint via investment in carbon dioxide mitigation projects that generate positive impact in their communities of operation. Banco Sabadell approved the offsetting of 3,632 tons of CO2, representing emissions from scope 1, 2 and 3 (relating to business travel), through investment in Spanish project certified by the Ministry of Ecological Transition (MITECO). With this initiative, Banco Sabadell bets on three forest projects, two of which are in Galicia, specifically in Parada de Achas (1,083 tons of CO2) andLaza – Touza (151 tons of CO2). The third is a reforestation project based on sustainable forest management (2,398 tons of CO2), located in the Sierra de Gredos (Ávila) and being developed in synergy with the Regional Park and the Natura 2000 network. Ana Ribalta, Director of Sustainability at Banco Sabadell, commented: “This is another example of how Banco Sabadell is aligning its activities to the Paris Agreement. It forms part of our sustainability strategy, which revolves, among other things, around our commitment to keep making progress to reduce our own emissions and to reach neutrality in all our operations.” The offsetting of 2021 emissions is one amongst a set of measures the bank has adopted to keep reducing its own carbon footprint, including the use of renewable energy since 2015, eco-efficiency measures and waste and material consumption reduction plans for water, paper and plastics. All these initiatives serve to strengthen the bank’s existing commitments as a member of the main international alliances for a sustainable and carbon-neutral economy, through frameworks such as the UN’s Responsible Banking Principles, the Collective Commitment to Climate Action or the Net-Zero Banking Alliance by UNEPFI.

March 8, 2022