ASSUNÇÃO

Aquiraz (CE), Brazil

Major Cobenefit

Biodiversity

Cobenefits Related

Project Type
Renewable Biomass

Ecosystem
Caatinga

Standards
VCS + SOCIALCARBON®

Registry
Markit™ Environmental

CONSERVATION OF THE CAATINGA’S FAUNA

Assunção factory works together with IBAMA, the Brazilian Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, on a reintroduction project for wild animals that have been illegally removed from their natural habitat. Sr. Tavares, the factory owner, chose to enter into this partnership because, he says, “you no longer see canaries, woodpeckers, among other animals native to the Caatinga. There are none of these species left because people are hunting them”.

Assunção has helped change this regional problem – the ceramic factory’s farm has ten aviaries for rescued wild birds. After examination, the animals are put in quarantine to identify possible diseases. Following this screening, the animals are released into the factory’s farmland of approximately 140 hectares. In this way, Assunção factory’s efforts are having a positive impact on the biodiversity of the Caatinga biome.

To learn more about this project’s co-benefits please watch the video available at:http://youtu.be/Ks-MgByKpn4?list=UUgHhj1NhkE4AC8nfok2UkCw

Project Description

Assunção ceramic factory is located in Aquiraz municipality, Ceará State, 25 kilometres south of the capital city Fortaleza. The factory employs 56 people and produces two million bricks per month. For many years, the factory used firewood taken from the Caatinga biome as fuel to fire its ceramic pieces, exacerbating deforestation in the biome, which is the second most threatened biome in Brazil. To avoid this negative impact, the company invested in equipment to switch from native firewood to renewable biomass, such as coconut husks. The result was a reduction of GHG emissions and consequent generation of carbon credits. Furthermore, the money from the sale of carbon credits allowed the factory to develop projects that promote sustainable development in the region. Download PDF

Where does your money go?

When buying carbon credits of this project you are supporting , sponsoring , financing and making possible the reduction of greenhouse gases and various initiatives in the social scope , environmental and economic as the following:

Social benefits

Encouraging exercise: A football field was rented for employees and community members to use.
Social responsibility: Assunção donated funds and building material to local educational centres and to the Ceará Cancer Centre, the main cancer treatment centre in the North and North-Eastern regions of Brazil.
Social inclusion: employment was given to women.

Environmental benefits

Environmental management initiatives: Filters were installed in the chimneys to reduce emissions of particulate matter.
Scientific research: The property is made available to researchers to identify fauna and flora species of the Caatinga biome.
The Ceramic factory won the 2012 SESI prize for Quality in the Workplace in the Socio-Environmental Development category for micro/ small companies.

Economic benefits

Technological development: Investments in technology representing best practice in the sector, such as higher efficiency kilns, fuel switching equipment, and a mechanical biomass feeder, which inserts the fuel into the kilns, avoiding the employees being exposed to heat.
Increased sales in the market due to value added to ceramic products by the carbon project.

Amount of CO2e 568050

Number of Beneficiaries 313

Forest Acres Protected 2097