• The first biodiversity credits certified under the Cercarbono Biodiversity Certification Programme (CBCP) have been issued and are now available for international trading.
  
  
• Delivered by the Savimbo Biodiversity Putumayo Project (CDB-1) in the Colombian Amazon, combining rigorous science, transparent data, and robust safeguards.
  
  
• Protecting 3,184.5 hectares of primary rainforest, safeguarding 56 indicator species, and supporting 70 smallholder families.

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Colombia, August 14th — Cercarbono and Savimbo have announced that the first biodiversity credits certified under the Cercarbono Biodiversity Certification Programme (CBCP) have been issued and are now available for international trading. Generated by the Savimbo Biodiversity Putumayo Project (CDB-1) in the Colombian Amazon, the credits recognise measurable conservation outcomes and community stewardship in one of the world’s most ecologically significant yet threatened regions.

Independently validated and verified under CBCP, the project meets the programme’s highest integrity and transparency standards. Between September 2019 and September 2024, it achieved a net issuance of 3,183 Gold and 33,769 Platinum Innovation Voluntary Biodiversity Credits (iVBCs). All credits are recorded on EcoRegistry’s blockchain-enabled platform, ensuring full digital traceability, transparent transaction history, and safeguards against double-counting. The credits are now available for international trading, including via Emsurge.

Alex Saer, CEO at Cercarbono, said: “This certification marks a turning point for the biodiversity credit market. It demonstrates that science-driven, community-rooted projects can achieve verifiable conservation gains and provide buyers with a trusted way to invest in biodiversity with integrity.”

The Savimbo Biodiversity Putumayo Project is a grassroots conservation effort led by Savimbo Inc. that covers 3,184.5 hectares of primary tropical rainforest across 70 smallholder-owned, legally titled properties in the municipality of Villagarzón. Many participants and project staff are Indigenous, bringing deep cultural ties and traditional ecological knowledge to the initiative.

By combining this heritage with modern tools, including camera traps, GPS mapping, and open-data platforms, the project demonstrates how science and community stewardship can work hand in hand to protect biodiversity.

Indigenous leader Fernando Lezama, co-founder of Savimbo, said: “This model combines a love of nature with opportunities for a better future. It proves that it is possible to care for the planet while promoting local development. Villagarzón stands as an example of balance between the forest and its people.”

The credits were generated using the Indicator Species Biodiversity Methodology (ISBM v1.2), approved under CBCP: a science-based approach that tracks and quantifies ecosystem integrity through direct monitoring of 56 indicator species, including endangered and vulnerable flora and fauna.

During validation, the Independent Experts Panel reviewed a comprehensive set of evidence, including legal land tenure records, species observation data with geotagged imagery, home range analyses, and documented community consultations. Verification confirmed that all required data exist, are accessible, and are consistent with CBCP criteria.

Biodiversity credits create direct economic incentives to protect, restore, and sustainably manage ecosystems. Unlike carbon credits, which measure greenhouse gas reductions, biodiversity credits reward verified ecological outcomes such as species conservation, habitat integrity, and ecosystem resilience.

The Savimbo project addresses key drivers of biodiversity loss in the region, including deforestation, agricultural expansion, and illegal hunting. Indigenous Peoples, though a small share of the global population, steward a large proportion of the world’s remaining biodiversity, making their leadership and participation essential to lasting conservation outcomes.

Drea Burbank, MD-technologist and CEO of Savimbo said: “The time is up. We can’t keep analysing and going to conferences as if this will solve the problem. We need immediate action, and the people best positioned for it are often the last to get funded.”

By compensating communities for measurable biodiversity outcomes, the project reduces economic pressures to convert forest to agriculture, fosters habitat connectivity, and supports complementary activities such as agroforestry, restoration, regenerative aquaculture, and environmental education.

The project’s grouped approach enables multiple landowners to be certified under one framework, with potential expansion to neighbouring Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities. Its governance includes a Community Oversight Committee to ensure transparency, equitable benefit-sharing, and a formal grievance mechanism, consistent with CBCP safeguards.

By aligning local actions with Colombia’s National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Savimbo Biodiversity Putumayo Project delivers immediate conservation gains and supports national and international biodiversity commitments.