As fossil fuels are burned for energy – whether in power generation plants, automobiles, homes, factories or at other sources, they emit carbon dioxide as a by-product of that combustion. The destruction of forests by humans also creates emissions of carbon in carbon dioxide. If the emission of one ton of carbon is prevented or reduced, or is otherwise offset by the taking up of one ton of carbon by plants (which would not have happened but for the intervention of an entity such as AEP), then that one ton of carbon is kept out of, or is removed from, the atmosphere. This lowers the overall level of carbon (in the form of carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere. A ton of carbon does not know if it came from an automobile, a power plant or a cleared forest – a ton of carbon is a ton of carbon. Any action to avoid, reduce or otherwise offset one ton of carbon emissions could be said to generate a "carbon emission offset credit."

In 1997, the United States and more than 160 countries participating in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted the Kyoto Protocol for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The agreement requires each industrialized country ratifying the treaty to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. President Bush has elected not to have the U.S. participate in the implementation of the Kyoto agreement; he is instead developing a carbon emission management program for the U.S. through voluntary measures. Both the Kyoto Protocol and President Bush's program may allow for the crediting of carbon emission offsets as a tool for mitigating global climate change.

The partners in this project believe that the implementation of climate change initiatives that avoid imminent deforestation and restore degraded forest areas and result in carbon emission offset credits makes good sense. Such initiatives result in reduced carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, conservation of biodiversity and cost-effective climate change mitigation mechanisms for businesses - a win, win, win solution for all.