Reforestation and ecological restoration of areas impacted by gold mining
In French Guiana, Kering is 100% revegetating alluvial gold mine sites.
Main project's drivers for reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Energy and resource efficiency
Energy Decarbonisation
Energy efficiency improvements
Improving efficiency in non-energy resources
Emission removal
Financing low-carbon issuers or disinvestment from carbon assets
Reduction of other greenhouse gases emission
Project objectives
100% revegetation of alluvial gold mines following their exploitation in French Guiana.
Through this project, the Kering Group wishes to go beyond French regulations which impose only 30% reforestation.
Kering’s carbon footprint reduction targets cover its scope 3, and therefore its raw material purchases. Kering is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 70% per unit of value added by 2030 from a 2015 base year. The commitment to ambitious programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in gold supplies is therefore necessary. It is imperative to leave no trace in the Amazon rainforest and to ensure the traceability of the gold supply.
In French Guiana, Kering is working with Solicaz and Forest Finance, natural resource preservation partners, to reforest alluvial gold mines.
After exploitation, the miner has the obligation to rehabilitate the soils and rivers on 100% of the exploited area and to revegetate 30% of it. Following ecological expertise, Kering’s partners created in situ forestry nurseries and prepared more than 150,000 young plants to be spread over more than 116 hectares. Solicaz reforestation experts use a diversity of forest species including nitrogen fixing species to restore soil quality and reactivate a natural forest cycle. Planting density is an average of 1400 plants / ha.
Today, these systems are bearing fruit and Kering’s partners regularly monitor soil health (biological and nutritional activity), the quality of tree growth, and the appearance of spontaneous plant diversity.
By aiming for a total restoration of ecosystems, this project will have the effect not only of restoring favorable conditions for a return of biodiversity (fauna: habitats for animals, insects, flora: shade and nutritional contribution), but also of recreating a well. of carbon sequestration destroyed by exploitation
Emission scope(s)
on which the project has a significant impact
Scope 1
Direct emissions generated by the company's activity.
Scope 2
Indirect emissions associated with the company's electricity and heat consumption.
Scope 3
Emissions induced (upstream or downstream) by the company's activities, products and/or services in its value chain.
Emission Removal
Carbon sinks creation, (BECCS, CCU/S, …)
Avoided Emissions
Emissions avoided by the activities, products and/or services in charge of the project, or by the financing of emission reduction projects.
Scope 3 – Reforestation of an area of 116 ha
- Quantification: 40,600 TCO2e over 30 years, i.e. 1,354 TCO2e / year
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Key points
Invested amount
Not disclosed
Starting date of the project
November 2018
Project localisation
French Guiana
Project maturity level
Prototype laboratory test (TRL 7)
Real life testing (TRL 7-8)
Pre-commercial prototype (TRL 9)
Small-scale implementation
Medium to large scale implementation
Economic profitability of the project (ROI)
Short term (0-3 years)
Middle term (4-10 years)
Long term (> 10 years)
Illustrations of the project
This reforestation and revegetation project contributes to the following SDGs:
- SDG 6 Clean water and sanitation: limiting the rate of suspended solids in water linked to soil erosion through reforestation
- SDG 12 Responsible consumption and production: limitation of the environmental impacts of mining by restoring ecosystems on 100% of the exploited area, going beyond the regulations
- SDG 13 Fight against climate change: creation of carbon sinks
- SDG 15 Life on land: reforestation resulting from bio-inspired processes of 100% of the areas exploited for the restoration of a sylvigenetic cycle and of fauna and flora biodiversity.
The reforestation and revegetation project is easily reproducible for any mining / logging project in a forest environment.
3 partnerships were engaged to carry out this project:
- Minaverde, a collective of reforestation entrepreneurs,
- Solicaz, an ecological engineering company specializing in assessing soil quality and restoring biodiversity,
- Forest Finance France, a company specializing in the design, assembly and management of sustainable forestry and agroforestry programs.
Contact the company carrying the project :
admin@athys.org
