Lumin Afforestation, Uruguay

This CCB afforestation project is located on 18,988 hectares in Northern Uruguay formerly used for cattle grazing for over 50 years. The forests were planted beginning in 2006, with the goal of replanting trees on long-degraded land, reducing tropical deforestation pressure in South America, and carbon sequestration.

Carbon finance supports the creation of sustainable forestry enterprises to produce a hardwood plywood product that helps to reduce the destruction of tropical old-growth forests by providing local and global markets with a sustainable and viable alternative. Eucalyptus trees are sustainably managed for 16 year rotations and Pinus for 21 year rotation and will be replanted upon harvesting. The project is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), balancing timber production and sales with habitat creation. The forests will create new carbon forms of carbon storage such as living above-ground and below-ground biomass, soil, litter, dead wood as well as harvested wood. 

This area of Uruguay has been grazed by cattle for generations which has led to soil erosion and degradation of grasslands. Without carbon finance, tree planting is not a worthwhile form of land use.

In addition to delivering around 6 million tonnes of emissions removals over the project’s lifetime to take climate action (SDG 13), the project delivers additional benefits. The SDG contributions have been indicatively measured:

• Decent Work and Economic Growth: Bringing new income and job opportunities to local communities in rural areas of Uruguay, while respecting existing cattle farmers’ land use.
• Life on Land: This project promotes sustainable forest management and contributes to increasing afforestation rates globally. The newly grown tree canopy also provides habitat for birds, mammals, and amphibians on land that was previously degraded grasslands.