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The Organisation has joined forces with AENOR to develop a framework and tools for measuring the carbon balance of olive groves
On Wednesday 16 October, the IOC and AENOR met to sign the foundational contract for the ‘Carbon Balance Project’. The IOC is pooling efforts to bring the olive tree’s essential contribution in tackling climate change to the forefront. This woody crop has a positive carbon balance since it acts as a carbon sink, permanently storing carbon in its structure and in the soil. This is why, earlier this year, the IOC launched a public call for tenders for a technical assistance service to develop the methodological framework and associated software tools to assess the carbon balance of olive groves under the scheme of new voluntary carbon credit markets. The contract was awarded to the Spanish Association for Standardisation and Certification (AENOR), one of Spain’s leading certification bodies.
The signing ceremony took place at the IOC’s headquarters in the presence of Susana Lozano, AENOR Director; Alvaro Martínez and Iván González, both AENOR environmental experts; Abderraouf Laajimi, IOC Deputy Executive Director for Operational Affairs; Lhassane Sikaoui, Catarina Bairrao and Juan Antonio Polo, representing the IOC’s Olive Oil, Olive Technology and Environment Unit; and Javier Larraona, in charge of the IOC’s Observatory Department.
On the occasion, Deputy Executive Director Laajimi congratulated AENOR’s team on their selection for the project, emphasising the olive sector’s crucial role in addressing climate change through a positive carbon balance. He highlighted the need for a user-friendly tool to assess the carbon balance in olive production, stressed the importance of meeting deadlines, introduced the project monitoring team, and noted that monthly meetings would commence on 7 November 2024, in Cordoba.
In her turn, AENOR Director Lozano thanked the IOC’s Executive Secretariat for their trust and expressed hopes for a successful partnership to achieve the project’s goals and meet the expectations of IOC member countries.
AENOR, established in 1986, is a leading Spanish certification body that promotes quality and safety across various sectors. It develops standards and offers certification, training, and consultancy services to help organisations comply with regulations and enhance operational efficiency. AENOR aims to foster trust in products and services, contributing to market competitiveness.
