Global mining and minerals giant Rio Tinto is supporting the advancement of a project in Argentina focused on restoring and protecting endangered temperate grasslands led by Boomitra, Aves Argentinas, and BirdLife International.
As part of this partnership, Rio Tinto is investing in an initiative that will include conservational research and a committed offtake of carbon credits.
With this backing, Boomitra, Aves Argentinas, and BirdLife International will help expand the reach of a regional association of ranchers, scientists, and conservationists called Alianza del Pastizal, as it works on delivering measurable climate, biodiversity, and social benefits.
Specifically, with Rio Tinto’s support, Alianza del Pastizal will be able to scale up activities focused on grassland management, and it will also establish a new biodiversity and soil carbon research station in the Aguapey River Basin.
Led by Aves Argentinas, the research station will use a new protected area to showcase regenerative grazing and livestock management practices that can help safeguard vulnerable Pampas ecosystems, as well as provide insights and advancements in long-term research on soil organic carbon.
The work carried out at the station is expected to strengthen both carbon and biodiversity monitoring through data collection, enhanced soil and threatened species sampling, and dedicated analysis.
The impact of the project is expected to be certified under Verra’s Climate, Community, and Biodiversity (CCB) Standards, and carbon credits generated from it will go to Rio Tinto as per an investment that was agreed on in 2024 and an offtake agreement finalized in May 2025.
Positioned on a territory of 30,900 hectares of endangered grasslands, the project is working on expanding to 200,000 hectares over the next two years.
Relevant: Deloitte NSE Invests In Soil Carbon Credits From Boomitra
To date, this initiative has removed an estimated 100,000 tonnes of atmospheric CO2 since its launch in 2021. Going forward, as the project scales, the annual removal volume is projected to exceed 500,000 tonnes.
The project represents one of the most advanced large-scale soil carbon efforts in South America that brings climate results while also creating new CO2-related income for participating ranchers.
As collaborators on this project, ranchers will receive the majority of carbon credit revenue, while local implementation partners will reinvest a portion of it into community initiatives such as beekeeping, ecotourism, and sustainable land management.
Read more: Rio Tinto Makes Bold Carbon Offset Pledge Aiming For 3.5M Credits
