What we do Sustainability Taking climate action The WWF-VELUX partnership

The WWF-VELUX partnership

We finance forest projects that capture carbon equivalent to our historical CO2 emissions delivered by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Our twenty-year partnership will deliver a portfolio of forest projects in tropical forest landscapes with high biodiversity value that will create positive change for people, nature and climate. The carbon captured from these forest projects will be donated to the host countries’ climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.

This means that the carbon captured by the forest projects will not be used for off-setting of VELUX carbon emissions or any other organisation’s emissions.

By 2041, it is expected that the forest protection and restoration projects will have captured at least 4.5 million tonnes of CO2 – the equivalent of all CO2e emitted by the VELUX Group (scope 1 and 2) since it was founded in 1941. To increase the likelihood that the forest projects will reach this target, the projects will be designed with a 25% built-in CO2 buffer bringing the total potential capture to approximately 5.6 million tonnes of CO2.

WWF Denmark photo, sun and forest in Uganda

Forest conservation projects with a focus on people, nature and climate

By partnering with WWF to develop new forest projects from scratch, we are taking a unique approach to protect and restore forests in some of the most biodiverse landscapes in the world. Forest conservation is one of the most effective methods to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and help mitigate climate change. The projects are selected based on several criteria including the carbon potential, the biodiversity and community benefits as well as the long-term sustainability of the project.

Based on WWF’s expertise and experience in this area, tropical forests were identified as the most suitable to reach this target and achieve our vision. The final composition of project types in the portfolio was decided based on in-depth feasibility studies. The projects will include a combination of REDD* (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) and AAR* (Afforestation, Reforestation and Revegetation).

Each project will deliver nature-based solutions for climate mitigation aligned with WWF’s Blueprint for High-Quality Interventions that Work for People, Nature and Climate. The  Blueprint outlines principles for project interventions to ensure that they deliver positive climate mitigation impacts and manage anticipated climate risks, while simultaneously delivering benefits and real impact for people and biodiversity.

Read more about our partnership with WWF here

VELUX and WWF partnership

The challenge to calculate historical emissions

No standard methodology exists today on how to calculate a historical carbon footprint. Therefore, we developed a method to calculate our historical carbon emissions based on the recognised Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard and applied this to our historical data. This unique methodology, including the underlying assumptions, was independently verified by Carbon Trust and reviewed by scientific experts at WWF.

Carbon capture is calculated using standards created by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the leading international body for assessment of climate change. It is a key source of scientific information and technical guidance to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement.

The partnership will ensure ongoing monitoring of all forest projects and include third party verification according to international recognised standards – Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard (CCB) developed and managed by VERRA.

Forest project portfolio

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  • Natural forest regeneration in the Albertine Rift in Uganda

    Our first forest project initiated in 2021 is located in Uganda. The project aims to restore degraded forests, plant new trees and protect the existing natural forests through a range of initiatives. The project is expected to capture a proportionate share of our overall carbon objective.

    The project in Uganda is located in one of the world's most biodiversity hotspots, the Albertine Rift, which stretches over six countries in East Africa. The area is severely affected by deforestation due to the need for farmland, timber and charcoal. In 2022, the first 100,000+ seedlings of native tree species were planted in the Kagombe Central Forest Reserve – an area which has experienced a 73% forest loss in the past decade. 

First forest project in Uganda

Our first forest project initiated to capture carbon is located in Uganda. The project aims to restore degraded forests, plant new trees and protect the existing natural forests through a range of initiatives. It is expected that the forest project will capture 1 million tonnes of CO2.

The project in Uganda spans approximately 28,000 ha in the Ugandan part of one of the world's most biodiversity hotspots, the Albertine Rift, which stretches over six countries in East Africa. This area is severely affected by deforestation due to the need for farmland, timber, and charcoal. Kagombe in Uganda is one of the worst affected areas and has seen a deforestation rate of 73% in the past decade. The project is in the implementation phase, and so far more than 100,000 trees have been planted. In 2023, more forest projects will be initiated and managed by WWF around the world to capture carbon and reduce nature loss.

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Uganda forest project

Strong benefits for biodiversity and people

Together with WWF, we aim to ensure that the forest projects deliver strong benefits to both biodiversity and people for years to come. From the outset, this long-term partnership, which enables us to become Lifetime Carbon Neutral, aims to halt the crucial habitat loss and degradation that is threatening global forests and species vital to the health of our planet.

Forests in tropical areas

Based on WWF’s expertise, the forest projects are located in tropical areas, because they have the biggest impact in capturing our lifetime emissions – absorbing up to eight times as much CO2 as other forest projects. Such forests also helping to address the dual global challenges of climate change and nature loss – the hidden crisis.
Uganda forest project