Carbon Free Project
Part of our sustainability project, the Carbon Free project aims to offset the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) on the annual operation of Pousada Vila Tamarindo Eco Lodge in Florianopolis.
Considered extremely important to the inn, this new achievement will be part of our sustainability policy for years, but only after much work will we achieve our goal.
The project consists of the following steps: preparation of the Inventory of GHG emissions, design of compensation for reforestation, planting and management of restoration and finally to issue the certificate through the conquest of Carbon Free seal in May 2010.
The work of certification of the inn was done through partnerships with businesses such as Mãos na Mata e Iniciativa Verde (Hands in the bush and Green Initiative).
In order to calculate GHG emissions resulting from activity at the pousada, the study was conducted in a manner consistent with the procedures proposed by the GHG Protocol. This protocol is the result of a partnership between businesses, NGOs and governments of various countries, produced by the World Resources Institute (WRI).
Under this protocol, three areas are defined in accounting and publication of greenhouse gas emissions.
Direct GHG emissions
Are the emissions from sources that belong to the system to be compensated.
Indirect emissions – accounts consumption
Emissions from external sources such as power generation (network) or the process of supplying water treatment system.
Other Indirect Emissions
Emissions are caused by activities related to the system to be compensated, but from sources not owned or controlled by it. According to the GHG Protocol this is a category whose quantification of emissions is optional.
In the limitation of operational boundaries of the project, we consider direct emissions and all indirect emissions.
Based on the above surveys, it appears that Pousada Vila Tamarindo Eco Lodge Florianópolis annually emits as little as 4.86 tons of CO2 or equivalent.
From the results obtained in the previous step, we calculated the number of trees of native species planted in Forest Restoration (31 trees). The trees were planted in riparian areas degraded springs located within the boundaries of the Atlantic Forest Biome, in addition to contributing to the restoration and conservation of this ecosystem, fix the same amount of GHG emitted by our hostel in Florianopolis – recorded in CO2 or equivalent.
