The Global Water Center has launched a Carbon Credit Programme aimed at making rural water systems financially sustainable. This initiative supports safe water organisations and rural communities by providing additional financial resources needed to establish, maintain, and operate water systems in these areas.
Eric Wei, President of the Carbon Credit Programme said, “It is challenging and unrealistic to rely on traditional sources of capital (e.g. philanthropy, donations, and grants) to truly scale safe drinking water projects.” He added that the carbon market provides much more stable, sustainable funding, but few safe water organisations are currently accessing it.
The Carbon Credit Programme facilitates access to the carbon market for safe drinking water project developers by helping them meet the data and process requirements set by carbon standards and registries. The programme also collaborates directly with rural communities to ensure they have the resources needed to maintain their water systems.
In the programme’s initial months, Global Water Center has established a carbon consulting agreement with Water Mission, a nonprofit focused on providing safe water, sanitation, and hygiene solutions in developing countries and disaster areas. The programme supports Water Mission’s portfolio of 17 safe drinking water projects in Kenya and Malawi, which serve up to 100,000 people. Additionally, discussions are ongoing with project developers, nonprofits, and communities in Ethiopia, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador.