The joy of forests earning billions from selling carbon credits, sounds invisible

Quang Binh received more than 235 billion VND from selling carbon credits (2023 - 2025 period), thereby significantly increasing the revenue of nearly 11,000 forest owners in the province, effectively contributing to sustainable forest management and protection.

Forests bring in billions from selling carbon credits

Phu Minh Village, Thuong Hoa Commune (Minh Hoa District, Quang Binh Province) is managing and protecting over 720 hectares of community forest in sub-area 239. The state assigned this forest to the community to manage and protect 10 years ago.

Currently, this forest has many types of precious wood with large reserves. Previously, people participating in forest protection were supported with 400 thousand VND/ha/year, so the forest was well protected.

Mr. Thai Xuan Hong, Head of the Phu Minh Village Community Forest Management Board, Thuong Hoa Commune (Minh Hoa District, Quang Binh Province), shared: "Previously, we worked hard to protect the forest and only received a few hundred thousand VND in support according to regulations. Since the locally managed forest area was included in the carbon credit exploitation area, we have learned that protecting the forest to grow green and well can also earn money from selling so-called carbon credits."

The natural forest in Quang Trach district (Quang Binh province) is paid for by selling carbon credits. Photo: Tran Anh

"Recently, the village community received an additional 170,000 VND/year for each hectare of forest from selling carbon credits, and everyone was very happy. Many people often talk about eating from the forest with tears in their eyes, to talk about the consequences of destroying the forest. But now, eating from the forest is no longer tearful, thanks to the potential of selling forest carbon credits," said Mr. Thai Xuan Hong.

Mr. Do Minh Cu - Director of the Quang Ninh District Protective Forest Management Board (Quang Binh Province) said: "The unit is managing and protecting more than 52,000 hectares of forest. In 2023, the unit will be paid 8.2 billion VND for selling carbon credits.

With this amount, the unit spends 10% of the allocated budget on forest management and protection activities, such as: purchasing equipment and vehicles for management work, supporting gasoline for vehicles and boats during patrols... The remaining amount will support local people to participate in forest protection and build livelihood models."

Changing the mindset of people living near forests

Talking to reporters, Mr. Nguyen Van Long - Head of the Forest Protection Department and Director of the Forest Protection and Development Fund of Quang Binh province, shared: "The amount of money from selling local carbon credits allocated to forest owners in the area is quite large. Support sources in general and from selling carbon credits in particular will contribute to reducing the pressure on forest protection for the Forest Protection force and forest owners, reducing violations of the Forestry Law, the protection capacity of forests, and people's awareness of forest protection is increasingly improved".

Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Quang Binh province, said: "The tradition of people in many localities bordering forests is to rely on forests as their main source of livelihood. Therefore, the greatest value of selling carbon credits is not only money but also changing the mindset of people living near forests."

An inspection trip of forest protection work by leaders of Quang Binh Provincial People's Committee. Photo: Tran Anh

According to Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan, planting, caring for, and protecting forests can generate money and the value of money is no less than exploiting forest products. From there, changing people's thinking, they will no longer have a negative impact on the forest.

Quang Binh province has a policy to expand the area of ​​forests exploited for carbon reserves, including planted forests, which could double the total reserves obtained in the province, and the amount paid will also increase.

The main direction will be to expand the area of ​​planted forests according to FSC certification (certification of the Forest Stewardship Council, wood production is controlled according to environmental, social and economic standards).

Quang Binh currently has over 590,000 hectares of forest, of which over 469,000 hectares are natural forests. The forest coverage rate is 68.70%, the forest quality in Quang Binh is still quite good, with a reserve of over 50 million m3. The province's natural forests are mainly assigned to protective forest management boards, special-use forest management boards, forestry companies, households, individuals, commune-level People's Committees, etc. for management and protection.

Source: https://danviet.vn/quang-binh-niem-vui-o-nhung-canh-rung-thu-tien-ty-tu-ban-tin-chi-carbon-nghe-nhu-vo-hinh-20241120170242895.htm