At the request of the City of Palo Alto,  Neighbors Abroad has sought a gift for  visiting dignitaries to Palo Alto which is reflective of our community.  Aligning with Palo Alto’s sustainability and climate goals, Neighbors Abroad purchased forest based carbon offsets sequestered in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, home to Palo Alto’s second Sister City of Oaxaca. A gift of offsets allows each dignitary to find that their journey is symbolically climate neutral.  

In February 2024, Neighbors Abroad purchased 40 tonnes of Climate Reserve Tonnes - carbon recently sequestered for the next 50 years in the forests of Oaxaca Mexico.  (Tonnes consistent with metric units).  A certificate  of 4 tonnes has and will be given by the City of Palo Alto to honor a visiting dignitary.  

Carbon Offsets Honoring Our Dignitaries 

These offsets have been purchased from a project located in San Bartolomé Loxicha, Oaxaca.  The purchase is through an nongovernmental organization called ICICO.  The project is performed consistent with Climate Action Reserve Mexico Forest Based Protocol.  This protocol generates a verified carbon offset. 

Offset projects in Oaxaca mitigate forest exploitation by restoring areas impacted by severe erosion or those affected by disease, fire, and pests;  protecting and preventing damage by fires, grazing, and illegal use of forest resources. By implementing forest management practices, the forest growth rate exceeds both the baseline and natural growth model. These techniques focus on surveillance tours to detect pests and diseases, destroy trees as needed, perform weed/invasive plant control, and pruning and thinning techniques to guarantee the natural regeneration of healthy and native species. This net increase in forest growth becomes the basis for carbon offsets.   

In San Bartolomé Loxicha (shown in the image above), this community-based initiative will allow the community to diversify its income and contribute to reduced carbon emissions. All members of the community within the activity area are involved in a joint effort to sustainably manage and increase the carbon stocks in the forests.  The community has entered into a 50 year commitment to maintain the forests consistent with protocols for forest-based carbon sequestration.

The City of Palo Alto Climate Action Plan and Offsets

The City of Palo Alto has a bold Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP) targeting 80% reduction from 1990 levels by 2030.  The current reductions achieve 54% as of 2021.  

Since 2013, Palo Alto has provided 100% carbon neutral electricity and, as of July 1, 2017, the City  also provides 100% carbon neutral natural gas. For electricity, carbon neutral means that we match electricity demand with carbon free supply on an annual basis. For natural gas, carbon neutral means that we buy carbon offsets to balance emissions from natural gas use in Palo Alto. 

In July 2017, the City began purchasing carbon offsets to balance greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from our natural gas use.  The City's carbon offset purchases support projects that reduce the amount of GHGs in the atmosphere by planting trees or capturing methane from dairy farms to balance emissions from natural gas use in Palo Alto. Purchasing carbon offsets is a good first step towards reducing carbon in the atmosphere, but our longer-term goal is to reduce our use of natural gas by maximizing efficiency and switching to high-efficiency electric appliances where possible.

Neighbors Abroad Addressing Climate and Sustainability
​
Neighbors Abroad introduced through our Sister City program with Oaxaca the opportunity to extend the carbon offset program to Mexico.  The community of San Juan Lachao has launched a forest offset project under the Climate Action Reserve’s Mexico Forest Protocol with support from Mexico environmental nonprofit Pronatura and The Walt Disney Company. The project improves the management of the forests and helps the native community of San Juan Lachao in Palo Alto's Sister City, Oaxaca.

This effort has become part of a larger of effort of Neighbors Abroad supporting sustainability.  The forests, which include cloud forests and pine/oak forests, contain diverse ecosystems. Grazing has left these communities in poor conditions with an increased risk of wildfire and reduced water quality. Funds from the sale of offsets help to provide clean water, fire protection, education and an improved standard of living for the community as well as improved forest habitat.  Of note, this transaction was the first between an entity in the United States and Mexico applying the Mexico Forest Protocol.

The first certificate issued by City of Palo Alto to the Lord Mayor of Palo Alto's Sister City of Heidelberg Germany.

---

Honorary Carbon Certificate Issuances

Dignitary	​Representing	Date	Tonnes
​Lord Mayor Eckart Würzner	City of Heidelberg, Germany	February 8, 2024	4

Certificates are issued against a purchase of 40 tonnes of Climate Reserve Tonnes from the project ​Carbono, Agua y Biodiversidad Indígena San Bartolomé in Oaxaca, Mexico (CAR ID: 1464, Vintage 2020)