Partner for development and climate action

Profile & Contact

First Climate supports companies and organisations around the world in achieving their climate targets with climate protection and green energy services. The company develops and finances high-quality certified climate projects around the world. By supporting these projects, companies can help offset their own emissions and promote sustainable development in the project regions. With over 20 years of experience in the field of voluntary and mandatory carbon offsetting and over 900 customers in a wide range of industries, First Climate is one of the leading providers of climate and sustainable energy solutions worldwide.

As a member of the International Carbon Reduction and Offset Accreditation (ICROA), our company follows the strict ICROA Code of Best Practice, which includes the use of internationally accepted emission calculation methods.

First Climate Markets GmbH
Friedberger Str. 173
61118 Bad Vilbel
+ 49 6101 55 658 20

info@firstclimate.com

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Photo credits: First Climate

Specifications

Project countries and regions:

Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Oceania

Project sectors:

Renewable energies, Energy efficiency & fuel switching (e.g. from coal to gas), Sustainable agriculture and land use, Afforestation, forest or peatland conservation, Waste management or landfill gas

Co-benefits/Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

SDG 1 – No Poverty, SDG 2 – Zero Hunger, SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being, SDG 4 – Quality Education, SDG 5 – Gender Equality, SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities, SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 13 – Climate Action, SDG 14 – Life below Water, SDG 15 – Life on Land, SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals

Target group:

Small enterprises, Local communities

Employed project standards:

Clean Development Mechanism + Gold Standard (CDM CER + GS), Gold Standard bzw. Gold Standard for the Global Goals (GS VER), Fairtrade Climate Standard (GS VER + Fairtrade), Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) + Social Carbon Standard (SCS), Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) + Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards (CCBS), Plan Vivo (PVC)

Legal form:

Commercial

Portfolio:

Own climate protection projects:

Offers and services:

Tailored CO2e footprint accounting, Marketing support, Projects with a biodiversity focus, Projects with insetting approach (linked to supply chains)

Specific features:

Holistic climate strategy consulting, Science Based Targets (SBT), green power procurement, green investment programmes

PROJECT EXAMPLE

Malawi – Clean water and improved living conditions

Project background

As part of the project, defective boreholes and well systems in Malawi are identified and repaired in collaboration with local municipalities and village communities.

Typical causes for the failure of well systems are increased wear and tear due to the build-up of sand or corrosion of the water-bearing pipes. As a result, the villagers have to fetch water from water points, some of which are far away and often only supply unclean water contaminated with pathogens. The repair of existing well systems therefore has a direct positive impact on the living conditions of the local people. In addition to repairing the wells, the project also enables independent maintenance by the villagers through the establishment of appropriate financing mechanisms and training programmes, thus ensuring that the facilities remain functional in the long term.

Most of the wells are operated using a hand pump. The pumped water is clean and can be drunk without additional treatment. The reduction in emissions in the projects results from the avoided use of fuel, which would otherwise have been necessary due to the boiling of unclean water.

Country/Region

Dowa and Kasungu districts, Malawi

Technology

Access to clean drinking water

Standard

Gold Standard

Status and duration

The programme will run for 28 years (starting in 2012)

Target group

People in the project region

Effect achieved

Emission reductions of 10,000 tonnes CO2e per year

Co-benefits achieved

Malawi, which is predominantly rural, is one of the least developed countries in the world. In many places, there is a lack of basic infrastructure for public services. Unhindered access to clean drinking water is therefore an important prerequisite for sustainably improving the living conditions of local people. This eliminates the need to make contaminated water drinkable by boiling it at great expense. This saves firewood, avoids the release of climate-damaging CO2 and helps to reduce the level of pollutants in the air in houses and huts. By constructing simple sanitary and toilet facilities, the project also helps to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

Local cooperation partners

The local project partner is United Purpose, an organisation that has been working to empower village communities all over the world for around 40 years. The project is being implemented in close cooperation with village communities in Kasungu and Dowa.

Link to further project examples