MCI works with U&W [you&we] and their carbon offsetting service called ZeroMission. It builds on a conservative estimate of the emissions of greenhouse gases caused by each delegate/traveller. They are encouraged to take responsibility for their climate impact by investing in an offsetting project. The funds collected are invested in a Clean Development Mechnism (CDM) project contributing to sustainable development in developing countries. Substituting fossil fuels with renewable alternatives as well as energy efficiency improvements contribute to the emission reductions of the projects, which correspond to the climate impact of the delegate.
U&W [you&we] is the Swedish representative and partner of myclimate, a Swiss foundation that develops and manages the carbon offsetting projects. The CDM projects are approved and overseen by the UN and are a part of the Kyoto Protocol. The projects are also certified according to the Gold Standard, a standard that has become synonymous with high quality projects that contribute to sustainable development in local communities on an ecological as well as a social level.
One project that MCI invests in lies in Karnataka, India. Through technical innovations, it has become possible to use biomass as a valuable fuel source. This has led to a revolution in the little-developed region. Biomass, which has previously been burned as waste on the fields, suddenly has value. The agricultural waste is made into renewable electricity that replaces greenhouse gas intensive electricity from the local grid and increases the income of the local farmers.
