Hugh Riddiford and Adrian Burr were first introduced to Carbon at the onset of the Kyoto Protocol in 1989. It wasn’t until the early 2000’s that it was decided that this topic should be taken seriously when Prospect Group (Adrian Burr and Mark Taylor’s company) contracted Hugh Riddiford to explore the commercialisation of Carbon.
The Lake Taupo Protection Trust invited Hugh Riddiford to approach local farmers and introduced Hugh Riddiford to a local farmer, John Oliver, in an effort to engage him in a nitrification reduction program in return for a cash payment from the trust.
This was the initiation of eLandNZ. This first project required eLandNZ to convert parts of the Oliver farm to trees in order to sequester carbon as well as reducing the nitrogen leaching in to the lake. Initially John envisaged a couple of hundred hectares would be converted but after a thorough investigation of the property with eLandNZ, it was agreed that 1100 hectares of land could be planted in trees.
Hugh’s introduction of John Oliver to Prospect Group ended up in 99 year partnership with Prospect funding the project and the Olivers supplying the land. The 99 year relationship was formalised as forest right with both parties sharing the carbon sequestered for the term of the agreement.
Further to the Oliver - Prospect partnership Hugh Riddiford also established a 15-year forward carbon sale agreement with a power company that guaranteed a price and buyer for the Olivers and Prospect for all carbon units sequestered from the trees.
This project was ground breaking for the time and eLandNZ managed the whole process, including liaising with banks (who needed to agree to the registering of a forest right), organising land preparation and planting, determining the best species and planters, organising forest rights and setting up the ETS.
Twelve years on and the Olivers and Prospect Group share a annual income generated from the carbon sequestered. This income is significantly more than what the Olivers were earning form the previous land-use of farming Sheep and beef.
Contact us
If you have land that you would like to put to alternative use, or if you are interested in investing in sustainable land-use projects, please get in touch.
Phone: 027 251 9575
Visit: Level 4, 136 Customs Street West, Auckland 1010
Or fill in the form below.
Carbon Partnerships - Farmers, Land Owners, Emitters and Investors
With climate change being a defining issue of our time, we are all responsible for doing our part to reduce our impact on global warming.
Planting trees for carbon sequestration is not only one of the most effective means of reducing atmospheric carbon, but it can also be a lucrative way for farmers and land owners to diversify their income streams and for savvy investors and emitters to add to their 'green' portfolio.
eLandNZ has a created a unique model that helps farmers convert part of their land to trees, connecting them with emitters or investors seeking carbon units. eLandNZ manages the entire process, making it easy for all parties involved to achieve their ambitions.
eLandNZ model supports local, rural communities as well as the government objectives of planting trees and assisting our Zero Carbon goals.