Since our inception, The Natural Coaching Company has been giving back to Nature – supporting people and planet through a share of profits. The partner we use, Gold Standard, has a track record of sound, independently verified and certified projects that reduce carbon emissions, and contribute to sustainable development.
In the last 4 years we have supported nine projects through the purchase of 17 tonnes of carbon credits. This includes renewable energy projects in Brazil, Thailand and India, healthy homes in Mexico, and clean water in Cambodia.
This year we have supported two projects involving forestry and ecosystem restoration – one in Colombia, one in Panama.
Vichada Climate Reforestation
The first is in Colombia, home of the recent COP16 Biodiversity Conference. Nestled in the remote Vichada Department of the Orinoco River basin, the Vichada Climate Reforestation Project has already been giving back to nature through over 19,000 hectares of tree planting.
The work is supporting 100 local livelihoods, and habitats for both migratory and native animals and insects including 56 observed or monitored threatened species.
Planting Biodiverse Forests in Panama
This impressive project is supporting sustainable timber production in rural Panama. The work involves reafforesting degraded pastureland with a mix of native tree species and teak, and supporting sustainable cacao production (the sloths love it – see photo!).
Over 150 jobs have been created at above the minimum wage, with pension and health insurance. Over 7.5 million trees from 20 different native species have been planted – capturing carbon and migating climate change – and 25% of the land has been declared nature reserve, protecting wildlife including 15 threatened animal species. The project has accounted for a reduction in carbon emissions of 3,379,220t CO2 to date.
The Global Goals
Gold Standard impact assessments include the contributions that projects make towards the global ‘Sustainable Development Goals’, or ‘SDGs’.
These were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
There are 17 Global Goals. Our donations have contributed to ten, including ‘Life on Land’, ‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’, ‘Climate Action’ and ‘Good Health and Wellbeing’.
Giving in this way enables The Natural Coaching Company to quantify our contribution to people and planet, beyond the immediate impact of our coaching work.
According to the SDG website, “We’re beyond the halfway mark to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, and only 18% of them are on track. COVID-19, the cost of living, conflict, the climate crisis – such as floods, heatwaves, wildfires – have set us back, but hope remains.”
The Inner Development Goals
There is a counterpoint to the Sustainable Development Goals, which is the inner work needed to achieve change in the world. In 2021, the Inner Development Goals (IDGs) were published by a group of over 1000 scientists, experts and sustainability professionals. The IDGs define the abilities, qualities or skills needed to develop among those working towards the SDGs. They support the people who are giving back to the planet.
The IDGs link very strongly to the coaching process, and especially Nature Based Coaching. Relating is a critical pathway for nature coaches – relating to ourselves, our clients, our communities and the wider more-than-human world we all depend on.
And acting – enabling change – is the logical final step in the framework. As we have explored previously, developing a deeper sense of connection to nature can enable us to feel more compassionate. And compassion leads to action.
Next steps
So what could you do, if you want to ensure your work contributes to sustainable development?
Clearly you can also support global development projects, or local development projects for that matter. Other coaches I know like to support Trees for Life, for example, which works to restore lost Caledonian forest in Scotland.
There are steps to take before this, as I set out previously here. To consider our ecological footprints, and those of our businesses. Where can we tread more lightly, reduce our carbon emissions?
And before this even, to spend time outdoors in green or wild places. Developing our own sense of connectedness to nature has been shown time and again to lead to greater environmental action. It also makes us happier, more satisfied with life, and better neighbours.
And you could join my forthcoming training for coaches who want to include Nature in their work. I’d love to speak with you, and help wherever I can.
Images: Stefan Laube (Tauchgurke), Wikimedia Commons; Forliance.com; GoldStandard.org; Sdgs.un.org; Innerdevelopmentgoals.org
