WASHINGTON – February 1, 2024 | Today, Verra completed its review into allegations regarding the Kasigau Corridor REDD Projects in Kenya (Verra Projects 562 and 612), including sexual offenses linked to the projects, inadequate mechanisms for reporting sexual offenses, other negative community impacts, and improper employment practices.
Verra finds that the project proponent, Wildlife Works, has demonstrated that it is taking the actions required to address the alleged harm and to mitigate the risk of future harm. For clarity, the projects are active in all three programs in which they are registered: the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program, the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards (CCBS) Program, and the Sustainable Development Verified Impact Standard (SD VISta) Program.
Verra takes such allegations seriously and, per its earlier announcement, launched this review on November 3, 2023. Verra conducted its review pursuant to the rules of the VCS Program, the CCBS Program, and the SD VISta Program. Verra found, among other things, that the project proponent has terminated the employment of offenders, contracted with a local, culturally appropriate firm to conduct mandatory gender sensitivity and sexual harassment training, and put in place new grievance redress procedures for the community and employees that allow for anonymous complaints and protect complainants’ confidentiality.
As part of this review, the project proponent must, within two months, release information about its new gender equity task force and, within twelve months, provide evidence that all actions required by Verra’s Review Findings Report on the Kasigau Projects have been implemented. If the project proponent fails to provide such evidence, or if a future verification report raises findings indicating that any of the actions required by Verra’s report are no longer being implemented, Verra may put the projects on hold.
Contact:
For questions and inquiries, please contact:
Jeremy Warren, Senior Manager, Media Relations
jwarren@verra.org | 512-851-9133
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Verra is a global leader helping to tackle the world’s most intractable environmental and social challenges. As a mission-driven nonprofit organization, Verra is committed to helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve livelihoods, and protect natural resources by working with the private and public sectors. We support climate action and sustainable development with standards programs and tools that credibly, transparently, and robustly assess environmental and social impacts and enable funding for sustaining and scaling up projects that verifiably deliver these benefits.