How our mission drives the SDGs

Impact

Katla Carbon has launched its first projects in partnership with local grassroots organizations in Zambia, ensuring secondary education of marginalized girls who otherwise would not be afforded that opportunity.

There is an interlinkage between ensuring girls’ access to education and preventing child, early and forced marriage as well as teenage pregnancy. A host of Zambia-based organizations are experts at running programs that ensure the education of girls, whereby empowering communities, preventing child marriages and teenage pregnancies.

Katla Carbon is taking the necessary steps to prepare its projects for verification against ÍST TS 92:2022. The technical script ÍST TS 92:2022 is used for planning and managing GHG projects, following requirements outlined in ÍST EN ISO 14064-2, which cover, e.g., monitoring and documenting GHG performance, and ensuring data quality. It also includes additional principles and requirements not found in ÍST EN ISO 14064-2, e.g., for additionally and registration. The process of validation and verification must follow the guidelines set forth in ÍST EN ISO 14064-3.

The Role of Girls' Education in Sustainable Development

Despite making progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Zambia still faces challenges in terms of SDGs 4 Quality Education and SDG 5 Gender Equality, with only 27% of girls graduating from secondary school (UNICEF, 2019) and 29% of girls already married by the age of 18 (UNICEF 2020).

SUPPORTS TARGET NUMBER: 3.1, 3.2, 3.7.

Good health and well-being

Increasing the education levels girls greatly reduces rates of child marriage and teenage pregnancy, which has the effect of reducing the incidence of infant and maternal mortality. Childbirth and pregnancy-related complications are among leading causes of death for girls in low-income countries.

Mothers' education levels also affect their children. For example, children of mothers under the age of 18 have a higher risk of dying before the age of five and of being malnourished. Educated mothers tend to be more informed about nutrition and health, including the importance of vaccinations.

SUPPORTS TARGET NUMBER: 5.1, 5.3, 5.6.

Gender equality

Education shapes girls' lives by reducing harmful practices rooted in gender inequality. Those who leave school early face higher risks of child marriage, early motherhood, and domestic violence, often lacking agency in household decisions. Educated girls, however, are more likely to have control over their futures and better sexual and reproductive health knowledge.

SUPPORTS TARGET NUMBER: 10.3, 10.b.

Reduced inequalities

Education reduces inequalities within societies and between regions. The projects increase flow of capital from the Global North to the Global South, to communities where the need is greatest and where people are most vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change.

SUPPORTS TARGET NUMBER: 4.1, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7

Quality education

Education opens up important opportunities for children, and for girls in low-income countries, who have even fewer opportunities than boys, education is crucial. Education provides girls with knowledge and awareness of their rights, which leads to their empowerment and ability to fulfill their ambitions and make decisions on important issues affecting their own lives.

Children of educated mothers are also more likely to do well in school than children of uneducated mothers.

SUPPORTS TARGET NUMBER: 13.1, 13.3, 13.b.

Climate action

Not only do increased girls education levels reduce emissions in the long run, they are also a fundamental adaptation measure. As education levels increase, communities’ ability to cope with the negative consequences of climate change also increase (see ND-GAIN Index).

SUPPORTS TARGET NUMBER: 8.6

Decent work and economic growth

Girls' education strengthens economies and reduces inequalities, as educated women are more likely to participate in the formal labor market. Poverty decreases with the increased level of education of women, as societies with increased resilience and less deprivation are more likely to give all individuals the opportunity to fulfill their potential.