Innovation in Sustainability

Unlocking nature's power

for climate change mitigation

Through innovative, nature-driven strategies, we address climate change challenges by uniting biodiversity conservation with sustainable land use, resilient economic development and improved livelihoods.

Sustainable forestry and community development

Pioneering nature-based solutions for a sustainable future

Carbon Solutions is a consultancy specialized in designing and implementing climate change mitigation projects rooted in nature-based solutions. Our expertise spans carbon accounting, remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS), socio-economic studies, participatory planning, and capacity building. This integrated approach ensures that every project is both scientifically rigorous and socially inclusive. By bridging biodiversity conservation with improved livelihoods, we develop strategies that not only protect ecosystems but also strengthen community resilience. Our work is dedicated to fostering long-term climate resilience for people and nature across tropical regions.

Carbon Projects

Development of REDD+ and ARR projects in compliance with major international standards

Standards & Compliance

  • Verra (Verified Carbon Standard)
  • ART/TREES (Architecture for REDD+ Transactions)

Project Types

  • REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation)
  • ARR (Afforestation, Reforestation and Revegetation)

Socioeconomic Studies

Conducting participatory diagnostics, socioeconomic analyses, and support for local planning processes

Participatory Methods

  • Community consultations and stakeholder engagement
  • Socioeconomic baseline assessments
  • Impact assessment studies

Analysis Areas

  • Livelihood impact assessments
  • Economic valuation of ecosystem services
  • Social safeguards and benefit sharing

Institutional Capacity

Extensive experience in training local technicians and transferring knowledge to partner institutions

Training Programs

  • Technical capacity building for local teams
  • GIS and remote sensing training
  • Carbon accounting training

Knowledge Transfer

  • Institutional strengthening programs
  • Technology transfer and adoption
  • Sustainable development planning

Field Work

Execution of participatory diagnostics and forest inventories, from planning to implementation

Field Operations

  • Forest inventory and carbon stock assessments
  • Participatory rural appraisals
  • Community mapping and land use planning

Data Collection

  • Ground-based measurements and sampling
  • GPS and GIS data collection
  • Remote sensing validation

Forest Planning & Monitoring

Experience in supporting national monitoring systems, forest management and planning

Monitoring Systems

  • National forest monitoring frameworks
  • Carbon stock change monitoring
  • Forest degradation tracking

Planning Support

  • Integrated forest management plans
  • Protected area management
  • Socio-ecological baseline studies

Meet our team of sustainability experts

Our specialists have extensive experience in nature-based solutions projects that tackle climate change mitigation while improving the livelihoods of local communities. Our team brings years of technical expertise across several African countries and Brazil, combining scientific rigor with a strong commitment to inclusive and sustainable development.

Catarina Lopes

Catarina Lopes

Co-Founder & Senior Consultant

Environmental Engineer with 10 years of experience in climate change mitigation projects across tropical countries, specializing in remote sensing and GIS-based spatial analysis.

Remote Sensing GIS Data Analysis Carbon Projects Forest Inventory Socioeconomic Studies
Inês Melo

Inês Melo

Co-Founder & Senior Consultant

Professional with 15 years of experience in climate change mitigation, territorial planning and socioeconomic studies in tropical contexts, specializing in project management and carbon accounting.

Project Management Carbon Projects Carbon Accounting Participatory Methods Socioeconomic Studies Forest Inventory
Catarina Lopes

Catarina Lopes

Co-Founder & Senior Consultant

Environmental Engineer with 10 years of experience in climate change mitigation projects across tropical countries. Specialized in remote sensing and GIS-based spatial analysis for monitoring land cover change, with extensive fieldwork experience in forest inventories and participatory rural appraisals in tropical contexts. Experienced in capacity building and training of local technicians.

Education

  • MSc in Environmental Engineering - FCT-NOVA, Portugal
  • Postgraduate in Data Science - Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal

Specialized Skills

  • Remote Sensing
  • GIS
  • Land Cover Monitoring
  • Carbon Projects
  • Forest Inventory
  • Socioeconomic Studies

Languages

  • Portuguese: Native
  • English: Fluent
  • Spanish: Intermediate
  • French: Basic

Key Projects

  • REDD+ project support in Guinea-Bissau (IBAP)
  • FREL development for SNAP (Guinea-Bissau)
  • Forest management plans in Cape Verde
  • Participatory landscape restoration in São Tomé and Príncipe
  • Capacity building programs in African countries and Brazil
Inês Melo

Inês Melo

Co-Founder & Senior Consultant

Professional with 15 years of experience in climate change mitigation projects, territorial planning, and socioeconomic studies in tropical contexts. Brings extensive expertise in project management and coordination, with specialization in carbon accounting, participatory methodologies, forest inventories, and participatory rural appraisals, as well as strong experience in capacity building of local technicians.

Education

  • Master in Territorial Engineering - Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal
  • Postgraduate in Applied Management - NOVA SBE, Portugal

Specialized Skills

  • Project Management
  • Carbon Projects
  • Carbon Accounting
  • Participatory Methods
  • Socioeconomic Studies
  • Forest Inventory

Languages

  • Portuguese: Native
  • English: Fluent
  • Spanish: Fluent
  • French: Intermediate

Key Projects

  • REDD+ project coordination in Guinea-Bissau (IBAP)
  • Socioeconomic-environmental assessment of DBT Complex
  • Socioeconomic impact assessment of bolanhas rehabilitation in Komo
  • Forest management plan for Cacheu
  • Technical support to National Forest Monitoring System
  • Forest inventories and participatory management in Obô Natural Park
  • Projects in Brazil and multiple African countries

Get in touch with our team

Whether you have a project proposal or wish to learn more about our sustainable development expertise, we welcome your inquiry. Please complete the form below and our team will respond promptly to discuss collaboration opportunities.

Send Us a Message

We'd love to hear about your project