SeaTrees Statements on Voluntary Carbon Market Disclosures Act (VCMDA) in California
As required by the California Voluntary Carbon Market Disclosures Act (AB-1305), the following disclosures are made by SeaTrees:
California AB-1305 Compliance
Sustainable Surf, the nonprofit organization behind the SeaTrees program, provides the following information in accordance with California Assembly Bill 1305, the Voluntary Carbon Market Disclosures Business Regulation Act, to clarify all claims made regarding our use of the term “Ocean Positive” and “wipe out”.
SeaTrees is committed to addressing the climate crisis by:
- Restoring coastal ecosystems through blue carbon projects that sequester CO2 and enhance biodiversity;
- Actively reducing our carbon footprint by implementing sustainable operations and supporting verified carbon offset initiatives; and
- Participating in the voluntary carbon market to fund projects that protect and restore vital coastal ecosystems globally.
Our carbon credits are used to support projects beyond our direct operations, focusing on the restoration and protection of mangrove forests and coastal watersheds essential for climate resilience.
SeaTrees partners exclusively with credible, third-party verified projects that meet the highest standards, such as the Verified Carbon Standard by Verra.
For more details, please visit: Sustainable Surf | A Climate Label Certified Brand
Disclosures for the Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project
(1) The specific protocol used to estimate emissions reductions or removal benefits.
This project uses Verra VM0009 Methodology for Avoided Ecosystem Conversion.
(2) The location of the offset project site.
The project is located in Cambodia, in the Southern Cardamom mountains in the Koh Kong Province.
Exact GPS coordinates of the project boundary:
(3) The project timeline.
The project is expected to last 30 years, from: January 1, 2015 - December 31st, 2044.
(4) The date when the project started or will start.
Project Start date was January 1, 2015.
PD Issue Date was November 26th, 2018.
(5) The dates and quantities when a specified quantity of emissions reductions or removals started or will start, or was modified or reversed.
The project’s GHG Accounting Period runs from January 1, 2015 to December 31st, 2044 (30 year lifetime).
(6) The type of project, including whether the offsets from the project are derived from a carbon removal, an avoided emission, or, in the case of a project with both carbon removals and avoided emissions, the breakdown of offsets from each.
The project avoids the emission of CO2 through preventing the logging of old growth rainforest in Cambodia. It uses a REDD+ methodology (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation).
(7) Whether the project meets any standards established by law or by a nonprofit entity.
The project meets the standards established by Verra, a non-profit that develops standards for the voluntary carbon market. The project is based on Verra's VCS methodology VM0009 Methodology for Avoided Ecosystem Conversion, v3.0.
(8) The durability period for any project that the seller knows or should know that the durability of the project’s greenhouse gas reductions or greenhouse gas removal enhancements is less than the atmospheric lifetime of carbon dioxide emissions.
The durability period can only be guaranteed for the Project Lifetime, Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project activities, which is 30 years.
However all project activities are designed to ensure carbon capture benefits beyond the Project’s lifetime. Activities include increased education, sustainable agriculture, community-based ecotourism and sustainable management of natural resources. Thus reducing the necessity of community members to deforest and degrade the Project Area, through creating long-term sustainable sources of revenue.
(9) Whether there is independent expert or third-party validation or verification of the project attributes.
This project follows the validation and verification procedures required by Verra, which must be conducted by approved third-parties. All validation and verification reports are publicly available on Verra’s website.
(10) Emissions reduced or carbon removed on an annual basis.
This project will prevent the emissions of an average of 3,580,834 tonnes C02e annually by avoiding deforestation and forest degradation.
Disclosures for the Paramos, Columbia REDD+ Project
(1) The specific protocol used to estimate emissions reductions or removal benefits.
This project uses Verra’s VCS v3.0, VCS Methodology VM0006 Methodology for Carbon Accounting for Mosaic and Landscape-scale REDD Projects v2.1, CCB v3.0.
(2) The location of the offset project site.
The project is located in the Choco-Darien Ecoregion of Columbia.
Exact GPS coordinates of the project boundary:
(3) The project timeline.
The project is expected to last 30 years, from: June 26, 2013–June 25, 2043
(4) The date when the project started or will start.
Start date was June 26, 2013
PD Issue Date was April 24, 2017
(5) The dates and quantities when a specified quantity of emissions reductions or removals started or will start, or was modified or reversed.
The project’s GHG Accounting Period runs from 26 June 2013–25 June, 2043 (30 year lifetime).
(6) The type of project, including whether the offsets from the project are derived from a carbon removal, an avoided emission, or, in the case of a project with both carbon removals and avoided emissions, the breakdown of offsets from each.
The project avoids the emission of CO2 through preventing the logging of old growth rainforest in Columbia. It uses a REDD+ methodology (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation).
(7) Whether the project meets any standards established by law or by a nonprofit entity.
The project meets the standards established by Verra, a non-profit that develops standards for the voluntary carbon market. The project is based on Verra's VCS Methodology VM0006 Methodology for Carbon Accounting for Mosaic and Landscape-scale REDD Projects v2.1.
(8) The durability period for any project that the seller knows or should know that the durability of the project’s greenhouse gas reductions or greenhouse gas removal enhancements is less than the atmospheric lifetime of carbon dioxide emissions.
The durability period can only be guaranteed for the Project Lifetime, Paramos Colombia activities, which is 30 years.
However all project activities are designed to ensure carbon capture benefits beyond the Project’s lifetime. Activities include increased education, sustainable agriculture, community-based ecotourism and sustainable management of natural resources. Thus reducing the necessity of community members to deforest and degrade the Project Area, through creating long-term sustainable sources of revenue.
(9) Whether there is independent expert or third-party validation or verification of the project attributes.
This project follows the validation and verification procedures required by Verra, which must be conducted by approved third-parties. All validation and verification reports are publicly available on Verra’s website.
(10) Emissions reduced or carbon removed on an annual basis.
This project will prevent the emissions of an average of 660,411 tonnes C02e annually by avoiding deforestation and forest degradation.