OUR BUSINESS MODEL
A UNIQUE BUSINESS MODEL FOR DECARBONIZING COMPANIES
Finance and accelerate the decarbonization of local SMEs and NPOs through mutualization.
The Will Solutions Sustainable Community is a business model, an innovation, a carbon cluster-project and a grouping of organizations voluntarily committed to decarbonization. It’s a unique solution that stimulates, qualifies, quantifies and values carbon reductions by Canadian SMEs, organizations and communities.
How does it work?
- Gather and measure: We gather, audit and measure the emissions reductions of local organizations that are decarbonizing their emissions.
- Produce: We produce carbon credits corresponding to each member’s tonnes of greenhouse gas reductions, with no upfront costs!
- Sell and reinvest: We sell the credits to companies aiming for carbon neutrality, net zero or voluntary carbon contribution. Profits are distributed proportionally to members, up to 80% of sales.
Access the executive summary for decision-makers here
4,3 M
Over 4.3 million VCS (Verified Carbon Standard) certified carbon credits have been created since 2012.
13
Sectors (forestry, agriculture, recycling, manufacturing, heavy industry, municipalities…), producing carbon credits in 13 out of 17 regions of Quebec.
+3,8 M
3.8 million CAD paid to Sustainable Community member companies reducing their emissions. 2.1 million in 2023 alone (+152% compared to 2022).
Our mission: to propel climate action by SMEs through the voluntary market.
How does it work?
Hundreds of organizations, communities and multi-sector companies have trusted us with their decarbonization strategy for over 15 years.
WHAT MAKES THE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY PROJECT UNIQUE?
In 6 elements for the environment, society and the economy.
GHG reductions at source
Local
Innovative
All our microprojects are carbon avoidance or reduction projects at source. Source reduction projects are essential because they enable us to reduce the volume of new anthropogenic emissions released into the atmosphere today, a measure defined as a priority by the IPCC. Limiting global warming over the next 20 years will therefore inevitably require large-scale reductions at source!
All our project developers are based in Canada within Regional Communities (Quebec and Ontario). Beyond GHG reductions, the locality of the projects brings many regional co-benefits such as improved air quality, local job creation, energy self-sufficiency, climate change resilience, promotion of green innovation and creation of local expertise.
We are neither a reseller nor a trading platform. Solutions Will is the original company behind the VM0018 methodology, the first methodology for grouping carbon reduction microprojects under a single regional hub. Since 2013, we’ve been the custodian and user of this high-climate-potential methodology. Since 2023, we are in the process of integrating transportation-related projects into its methodology.
Inclusive, complementary and deployable
Verified, standardized and recognized
80% of carbon revenues for project developers
Inclusive, because our Sustainable Community macro-project is open to virtually all organizations, communities and businesses, whatever their size. For us, every effort counts.
Complementary, because we complement the work done on regulated markets and via natural sequestration projects, essential to achieving net zero.
Deployable, because our project has been designed to be replicable, deployable and adaptable to all territories. Local communities, global impact.
Our Sustainable Community project has been validated by VERRA, the leading carbon verification body on the voluntary market. We also comply with international carbon measurement and quantification standards, such as ISO 14064.
Finally, our Sustainable Community project already includes over 150 GHG-reducing members and numerous partners, and has been certified by Solar Impulse since 2021.
In total, our project is responsible for reducing over 9.5 million tonnes of GHGs in Canada!
Not all carbon facilitators pay the same amount to initial project developers. At Solutions Will, we are proud to dedicate 80% of our carbon revenues to our GHG-reducing members. 20% is our margin, 35% creates exclusive voluntary carbon market access with no upfront costs (no financial risk for members), and 45% provides an additional, recurring revenue stream.
We are proud to support the green transition by unlocking these funds for our members!
WHAT MAKES THE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY PROJECT UNIQUE?
In 6 elements for the environment, society and the economy.
GHG reductions at source
All our microprojects are carbon avoidance or reduction projects at source. Source reduction projects are essential because they enable us to reduce the volume of new anthropogenic emissions released into the atmosphere today, a measure defined as a priority by the IPCC. Limiting global warming over the next 20 years will therefore inevitably require large-scale reductions at source!
Local
All our project developers are based in Canada within Regional Communities (Quebec and Ontario). Beyond GHG reductions, the locality of the projects brings many regional co-benefits such as improved air quality, local job creation, energy self-sufficiency, climate change resilience, promotion of green innovation and creation of local expertise.
Innovative
We are neither a reseller nor a trading platform. Solutions Will is the original company behind the VM0018 methodology, the first methodology for grouping carbon reduction microprojects under a single regional hub. Since 2013, we’ve been the custodian and user of this high-climate-potential methodology. Since 2023, we are in the process of integrating transportation-related projects into its methodology.
Inclusive, complementary and deployable
Inclusive, because our Sustainable Community macro-project is open to virtually all organizations, communities and businesses, whatever their size. For us, every effort counts.
Complementary, because we complement the work done on regulated markets and via natural sequestration projects, essential to achieving net zero.
Deployable, because our project has been designed to be replicable, deployable and adaptable to all territories. Local communities, global impact.
Verified, standardized and recognized
Our Sustainable Community project has been validated by VERRA, the leading carbon verification body on the voluntary market. We also comply with international carbon measurement and quantification standards, such as ISO 14064.
Finally, our Sustainable Community project already includes over 150 GHG-reducing members and numerous partners, and has been certified by Solar Impulse since 2021.
In total, our project is responsible for reducing over 8.1 million tonnes of GHGs in Canada!
80% of carbon revenues for project developers
Not all carbon facilitators pay the same amount to initial project developers. At Solutions Will, we are proud to dedicate 80% of our carbon revenues to our GHG-reducing members. 20% is our margin, 35% creates exclusive voluntary carbon market access with no upfront costs (no financial risk for members), and 45% provides an additional, recurring revenue stream.
We are proud to support the green transition by unlocking these funds for our members!
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY INNOVATION
Developed by Will Solutions and validated by VERRA in 2012, VM0018 is a methodology that frames and groups carbon reduction projects into a grouping known as the ‘Sustainable Community’.
An umbrella project in the true sense of the word, this major innovation provides exclusive access to carbon finance for small-scale developers of GHG reduction projects. This will facilitate, enhance and accelerate the green transition of small and medium-sized economic players, who are often overlooked by environmental and carbon incentives. Together, we’re stronger!.
VERRA, our third-party verifier and certifier, is the world’s largest certification program for voluntary markets. Verra is an independent organization recognized for its rigour, quality standards and pioneering status in the voluntary carbon markets.
A PARTICIPATORY BUSINESS MODEL
Some reduction projects from our Sustainable Community members
THE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY AS A VALUE CHAIN
The project value chain
Our Sustainable Community value chain handles the entire process of accessing the carbon market. This makes it possible to :
- Democratize access to the carbon market for small and medium-sized GHG reducers, who could not realistically access it on their own (expertise, costs, barriers to entry, etc.).
- Bring together companies and organizations that are reducing their emissions under a single banner, and enhance the value of their climate action;
- Offer a unique financing solution to companies that are decarbonizing their activities.
- Offer a portfolio of community, local and Verra-verified carbon credits for other companies’ carbon-neutral and net-zero objectives.
How does it work?
- We audit ecological projects to determine their eligibility.
- We measure emissions annually for each member and project
- We draw up the annual monitoring report according to our registered and Verra-verified methodology (VM0018).
- The report gets verified by our VVB (external verifier), then with Verra
- Carbon credits produced are serialized with a unique identification number
- We sell carbon credits on behalf of the Sustainable Community
- We redistribute carbon revenues to members
WE UNLEASH THE DECARBONIZATION POTENTIAL OF COMPANIES
A CLIMATE HUB TO FACILITATE DECARBONIZATION
A BUSINESS MODEL FOR MASTERING THE CLIMATE VALUE CHAIN
The main aim of the Sustainable Community is to stimulate emissions reductions by small-scale GHG emitters in all buildings for whom access to the carbon market is, a priori, unaffordable.
It’s a unique carbon project that brings together several emissions reduction initiatives under a single umbrella. What makes it special? It enables many small project developers – companies, communities, NPOs – to come together to generate carbon credits together. By pooling these efforts, the Sustainable Community facilitates the creation and sale of local, community-based and innovative carbon credits. It acts as a bridge between those who are reducing emissions and companies wishing to buy carbon credits to support the ecological transition.
Our project has been designed in line with future-oriented principles such as the green, local and circular economy, mutualization, eco-industry, energy transition, energy and ecological efficiency and sobriety. Finally, our Sustainable Community meets several of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Goals 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 17.
UNLOCKING REDUCTION POTENTIAL THROUGH GREEN FINANCING
The Sustainable Community solution is aimed at the majority of organizations, businesses and communities. All B2B sites, buildings or physical infrastructures in all economic sectors are covered (manufacturing, industrial, commercial, institutional, agricultural, etc.) – only organizations subject to regulated markets are excluded.
The different types of high-potential microprojects:
- Waste management and landfill detour projects (avoidance of methane emissions, etc.)
- Energy conversion projects (switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources)
- Energy efficiency projects (insulation of buildings and windows, optimization of HVAC systems, etc.).
There may be several projects within a single site/building.
WHAT IS YOUR CLIMATE GOAL ?
MEMBERS
Are you an organization, company or municipality looking for green financing to support the decarbonization of your activities? Get in touch with us!
BUYERS
Want to become carbon neutral or achieve net zero 2030 or 2050 with real, qualified, local and Verra verified carbon credits? Click here to find out!
PARTNERS
Are you an organization that shares our vision of a low-carbon economy? Visit our partners page to find out about possible opportunities.