In mid-December, BCI was one of seven honorees at the Support REDD+ (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) gala in Copenhagen, Denmark. The event, sponsored by the Coalition of Rainforest Nations, lauded BCI's success in protecting a huge rainforest area in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that harbors the endangered bonobo, a great ape most closely related to humans.
Other notable honorees unified in REDD's mission included Nobel Laureate, Wangari Maathi, renowned primatologist, Jane Goodall, and president of Conservation International, Russ Mittermeirer.
Upon receiving honors in Copenhagen, BCI president and co-founder Sally Jewell Coxe commented, “We are deeply honored by this acknowledgment of our ten years of work in the DRC, not only to save the bonobo, but to provide a new holistic paradigm for conservation and sustainable development. Our approach delivers globally significant ecosystems services, protects valuable biodiversity, and improves the quality of life of the indigenous people.”
Our recent press release highlights the significance of REDD and its role in financing carbon offsets. REDD allows the Congolese to protect their rainforest by providing an alternative to exploitation that delivers greater benefits on every level. Our project in the bonobo habitat mitigates global climate change by sequestering vast amounts of carbon in an area where the people are already committed to saving the forest.
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