GHG (carbon) and Social and Biodiversity (SBIA) Assessments for the WWF-Velux Forest Project

Background

WWF Denmark, WWF International, and the VELUX Group launched one of the world’s most ambitious corporate climate initiatives, aiming for Lifetime Carbon Neutrality by 2041.

As part of this commitment, VELUX will both reduce future emissions in line with a 1.5°C pathway and compensate for its historical carbon footprint (dating back to 1941) through high-impact forest projects across Africa, South America, and Asia.

In addition to emission reductions, the VELUX Group supports WWF's forest conservation projects, which aim to halt the narrowing of habitats and the loss of biodiversity in the target areas. It is also aimed to improve biodiversity and living conditions for local communities.

Forest projects are used to settle the amount of carbon dioxide equivalent to CO2 emissions from the entire operating history of the VELUX Group since 1941 – 5.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Our contribution

To support this effort, Arbonaut was commissioned to carry out remote-sensing–based baseline assessments for conservation areas within Uganda’s Central Forest Reserves and the broader Albertine Rift Landscape.

Using the VERRA’s approved methodology, the assessments included land-use and land-cover classification for four reference years between 2010 and 2021.

The work combined:

  • high-resolution Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 imagery
  • high-resolution reference datasets
  • Uganda’s national forest-stratification schemes

These baselines are essential inputs for developing projects targeting approximately one million tons of verified carbon removals or reductions while delivering long-term benefits for climate mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and local communities.

Outcomes

Although Arbonaut's contribution to a 20-year collaboration between VELUX and WWF is concluded at this stage, we're honored to have been chosen to lend our expertise and be part of this ambitious action.

If we are to achieve the ambitions of the Paris Agreement and create a sustainable future for future generations, governments and companies such as VELUX and WWF should aim for more forest conservation and restorative projects around the world.

Read more about the project