The Urunday Afforestation Project has transformed 3,143 hectares of degraded grasslands in Paso de los Libres, Corrientes, Argentina, into a productive carbon sink that is expected to remove over 1 million tonnes of CO₂e through the entire crediting period, while creating rural employment and enhancing biodiversity.

​

This Eucalyptus grandis monoculture plantation, managed under FSC standards and destined for wood production, was designed from the outset with sustainability in mind. The project follows the ARR (Afforestation, Restoration, Reforestation) methodology and is verified under the rigorous framework of the Carbon Program of the National University of La Plata (UNLP).

 

Spanning from 2016 to 2046, it represents Argentina’s first project formally certified under UNLP’s Verified Carbon Unit (VCU) system, ensuring transparency, traceability, and democratization of carbon markets.

​

Technology & Methodology

​

• Approach: Area-based carbon accounting through 30 permanent monitoring plots, GIS analysis, and allometric models.

• Reservoirs considered: Above-and below-ground biomass (litter, deadwood, and soil carbon conservatively excluded).

• Safeguards: 10% non-permanence buffer applied; strict traceability of VCUs issued on a public registry.

• Additionality: Proven through investment, barrier, and common practice analysis — the project would not be viable without carbon finance.

• Certification: Verified by UNLP, a public academic institution, ensuring impartiality and credibility. Carbon accounting follows UNLP methodology aligned with international standards (VCS, CDM, IPCC).

• Verification: UNLP provides impartial, science-based validation & verification.

• Carbon Outcome: Over 1,035,361.6 tCO₂e removals projected, with 515,234 VCUs already issued for the first monitoring period (2016–2025 + 2026–2030 projection).

 

Environmental Impact & Co-Benefits

​

• Climate Action: Equivalent to removing 225,000 cars from the road for one year.

• Biodiversity: Wildlife surveys confirm a rich faunal community — foxes, deer, armadillos, opossums, bats, woodpeckers, raptors, owls, reptiles, and amphibians thrive thanks to:

  • Preservation of native forest patches as exclusion zones.

  • Development of a dense native understory under the eucalyptus canopy.

  • Biological corridors supporting species movement.

• Ecosystem Services: Enhanced soil stability, improved fire prevention, and reduced land degradation in a region historically pressured by cattle grazing.

• FSC Certification: Ensures forest management upholds ecological integrity, social responsibility, and economic viability.

​

Social & Economic Impact

​

• Employment: Over 200 direct jobs created in planting, maintenance, and harvesting.

• Community Development:

  • Reduces rural-to-urban migration by creating stable local employment.

  • Provides technical training, fair wages, and safe working conditions.

  • Strengthens regional forestry value chains and attracts new investment.

​

Carbon Credits

​

The Urunday Project generates Verified Carbon Units (VCUs) under the UNLP Carbon Program, with each credit representing 1 tonne of CO₂e removed. The first issuance of 515,234 VCUs has been completed, available for commercialization or retirement, with future issuances planned throughout the project’s 31-year crediting period.

The Urunday Project’s carbon credits are already trusted by international buyers such as Cabify.

​

About the UNLP Carbon Program

​

Founded in 1905, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP) is one of Argentina’s and Latin America’s leading public universities (120,000+ students, 17 faculties, 150+ programs), with a strong focus on research, inclusion, and sustainability.

​

Key characteristics:

​

• Verification & Oversight: Led by UNLP’s Faculty of Engineering, which guarantees scientific rigor and impartial governance.

• Inclusion of Small Producers: The methodology lowers barriers to entry, enabling small landowners — who represent 73% of Argentina’s forestry projects — to access the voluntary carbon market (VCM).

• Transparency: Each VCU issued under UNLP is uniquely coded and traceable on a public registry, preventing double-counting.

 

The UNLP Carbon Program is a strategic initiative designed to support global decarbonization and democratize access to the VCM for small-scale projects that are often excluded due to the high costs and complexity of verification. The program could benefit projects across ~500,000 hectares while guaranteeing the credibility and transparency of its verified carbon units (VCUs).

​

The price per tonne for this project depends on the number of tonnes you are willing to retire. Please complete the form below, and our sales team will contact you shortly.​​

​