Offset your Carbon Emissions

Carbon Offsetting

Heco is an award-winning entreprise sociale communautaire headquartered in the ecozone of the Great Himalayan National Park, Himachal Pradesh. We are a consortium of sustainability leaders and industry professionals, the “GHNP Community Based Ecotourism Cooperative society” ‘Himalayan Ecotourism’, the local women’s group ‘Himalayan Ecocreation‘ and the NGO ‘Himalayan INSIGHT‘ working to achieve the common goal of conservation and eco-friendly development of the region in the vicinity of the Great Himalayan National Park and Ladakh.

Since 2019, we have been engaged in ecological restoration. Part of our profits has been dedicated to reforesting barren areas of the ecozone of the Great Himalayan National Park that have suffered due to deforestation and forest fires. The aim of this initiative is to create an integrated community-based reforestation and regeneration program, which has multifaceted benefits for the locals as well as the ecology. We have worked with experts in the fields of forestry and conservation to explore a model of reforestation that truly works.

Since our ecological restoration program incurs significant costs, and because it effectively sequesters atmospheric carbon, we focus on optimizing carbon sequestration in the long run in the regenerated areas. This allows us to fund our project by offsetting the carbon emissions of third parties.

The primary goal of our program is to regenerate the forest ecosystems and wildlife habitats, which will bring balance back to the area’s ecology.
To achieve this, a two-square-kilometer area is allotted for reforestation activities. The land to be reforested has been divided into four categories with the aim of optimizing ecological benefits, community benefits, protection of the newly planted trees from intentional forest fires and grazing cattle, and long-term carbon sequestration. These four strategies involve four different kinds of land to be regenerated:

1. Forêt villageoise : Juste à côté du village, on y cultive des arbres fruitiers, fourragers et autres produits qui profitent directement aux villageois.
2. Terres sylvopastorales : A 15 minutes à pied du village, il y a des arbres pour le fourrage et le bois de feu ainsi que des herbes sélectionnées pour le pâturage du bétail.
3. Terrain à régénération naturelle assistée : Further away from the village. Here direct seeding of indigenous species is done and no grazing is allowed. The purpose is to enhance the quality of the natural ecosystem by allowing a natural growth of indigenous species of bushes and trees.
4. The last category of land is only protected from forest fires and thrives naturally. It serves the purpose of carbon sequestration and maintaining ecological balance. Controlled grazing is allowed on these lands.

Planting trees is just the first step. It is followed by a sequence of tasks, including protecting them from grazing, drought, and intentional forest fires. To protect the newly planted trees from grazing animals and other disturbances, we put fences around the plantation site. The villagers nearby take on the responsibility of providing the necessary amount of water. For protection against forest fires, we create a precautionary forest fire line, also known as a fire break, by clearing a patch of land to prevent the fire from spreading from one site to another. Additionally, we are running an initiative against intentional forest fires called the ‘Stop forest fires’ Awareness campaign.

Community Engagement

Our extensive experience in conservation and community work ensures that your carbon offset contribution promotes sustainable development in the Himalayas. Not only do we plant trees on your behalf, but we also guide the local community toward sustainable development.
By offsetting your carbon emissions with Heco, your money goes directly to the community without intermediaries taking commissions. This makes our carbon credits more affordable.
Moreover, the program ensures that the villagers’ needs are met naturally, reducing the need for them to illegally exploit the natural resources of the Great Himalayan National Park.

Trust and Transparency

With Heco, you are assured that your money is invested in reliable projects that positively impact the environment and local communities. We have received international awards for the relevance and fairness of our social enterprise model.
In addition to providing drone footage of the planted areas for you to verify the progress of reforestation, we maintain a database about the status of the work. You can always communicate with us to inquire about any details of the program.

Years of Experience

Heco is an award-winning social enterprise co-founded by two experts in sustainable development work in rural India, both passionate about nature and community. Our international recognition is a testament to our honesty, transparency, and the relevance of our social enterprise model. An essential aspect of our success is the trust we have built with the local community.