A major step in the arboRise adventure was taken yesterday evening, 12 December, at the extraordinary general meeting of our association. following the committee’s proposal, the general assembly voted unanimously the dissolution of the association and transform it into an arboRise foundation.
Why ?
Reforestation is an activity that naturally takes time. Consequently, arboRise is committed to long-term partnerships:
- In particular with the field families, the agreements extend over a period of 20 years. Following our on-site surveys, we are convinced that only the income from carbon credits will guarantee a fair remuneration for the Guinean families who commit their land to our project.
- For our donors, only a carbon certification will guarantee them
- that the reforestation has actually been implemented (real)
- that the reforestation would not have taken place without the project (additional)
- that real biomass growth can be measured against a baseline (initial measurement), taking into account uncertainties and risks of leakage (e.g. if the project induces deforestation in other locations) (measurable)
- that an external auditor from an accredited organisation has audited the project (verifiable)
- that the sequestered carbon will be retained for 100 years (permanent)
- That the sequestered carbon is only counted once (unique)
- The agreement with the company that will accompany us in the certification process will have a minimum duration of 10 years
How can we ensure the sustainability of our partnerships?
Stability is needed to work in continuity. Experience shows that associations are generally more fragile than other structures, such as foundations, whose statutes and governance are more stable. This is why the committee proposed yesterday to the extraordinary general assembly of 12 December 2022 to transform arboRise into a public utility foundation. This implies the dissolution of the association and the transfer of its assets to an arboRise Foundation, with the same statutory objectives as the association.
In all likelihood arboRise will have to manage large amounts of money, so it is necessary to ensure that these resources are used wisely. The Federal Supervisory Authority for Foundations will provide this security by checking that the funds are used in accordance with the statutory purposes. Such control is not mandatory for an association.
Finally, a foundation is a guarantee of seriousness that will facilitate fundraising.
The formal vote necessary for the dissolution of the association and its transformation into a foundation was submitted yesterday evening to the General Assembly, which unanimously approved the committee’s proposal by the 15 members present. The committee has been mandated to implement this transformation, planned for the beginning of 2023.
Our warmest thanks to all members for the trust you have placed in us and for your faithful support during these 27 months of associative life. Together we have achieved strong results. And this is only the beginning!