The increase in girls’ education and the resulting empowerment and decision making in reproductive choices is linked to lower fertility rates. When fertility rates drop, population growth slows down, which leads to less consumption and therefore lowered future emissions..

SoGreen calculates the avoided future emissions resulting from an increase in the educational attainment of girls.

Increasing girls’ education impacts the climate in two ways: Girls have increased agency to be in control of their own reproductive health and secondly, have an increased level in livelihood and prosperity. The first leads to a decrease in emissions, the second leads to an increase in emissions. However, the first outweighs the second.

No. Ensuring the education of girls provides knowledge and awareness of rights, which leads to girls’ empowerment and increased agency to determine the course of their own lives. That includes making important decisions about their own sexual and reproductive health.

Girls who are excluded from education often become victims of early and forced child marriage which often stops them from being able to make their own decisions.

SoGreen and our partners stand firm in our conviction that the number of children a woman has is her decision and her’s alone.

Yes, it is much lower. Especially in rural communities where people live in extreme poverty. They are the ones who have contributed the least to climate change, but bear the brunt of the negative impacts.

First and foremost, we have to lower emissions in high-income countries. That should not, however, minimise the importance of supporting climate solutions in low-income countries. Especially solutions that increase the resilience of vulnerable communities to tackle the effects of the climate crisis.

Channeling climate finance to low-income countries is foundational for climate justice and at the heart of the SoGreen model.

If offsets are used as a substitute for real climate action, they only make climate change worse. Companies must always prioritise reducing their own emissions before offsetting their remaining emissions.

SoGreen targets customers that have ambitious sustainability strategies with clear net-zero targets and a long-term vision.

Some offset programs may be questionable. SoGreen will seek verification of its projects from validation and verification bodies with accreditation under ISO 14065:2013, against the requirements set out in ISO 14064-2:2019 and a special criteria for the issuance of carbon credits, which includes e.g additionality and permanence.

It is the education itself that is the deciding factor for the avoided future emissions that the SoGreen model quantifies. The project period will therefore reflect the number of years it takes to acquire a primary and/or secondary education. The climate impact will grow continuously, way beyond the project period, as future generations continue to be impacted by the project.

Many climate solutions face challenges in guaranteeing the permanence of their climate impact. Permanence is one of many strengths of girls’ education as a climate solution because, once acquired, an education cannot be taken away.

SoGreen’s in-country partners are respected NGOs that work with marginalised communities and have expertise and experience in running programs that ensure girls’ access to the educational system in their respective communities.