ABOUT MATA NO PEITO
Corporations and individuals are invited to join forces in the Mata no Peito coalition. Those who make donations to Mata no Peito or reduce their carbon footprint through retirement of Nike carbon offsets (Voluntary Emissions Reductions or VERs) will become partners in the groundbreaking initiative.
Donations raised from partner corporations and individuals will capitalize the Mata no Peito fund, which will provide seed investments to innovative projects that can move beyond business as usual to demonstrate scale and create models for replicability.
Eligible projects are those that reforest degraded lands and those that reduce deforestation by providing alternative incomes and establishing sustainable land use practices. Projects must demonstrate integrated solutions that involve local communities and address long-term sustainability issues by overcoming environmental, cultural, political and socio-economic challenges.
Funded projects will generate American Carbon Registry-certified carbon offsets, which will be sold directly by the project developers to provide ongoing funding and ensure project sustainability.
What does Mata no Peito mean?
Pronounced Mah-ta noo pay-too, the phrase has a number of meanings in Portuguese.
Mata no Peito is a colloquialism for taking on a challenge. In this sense, the phrase urges potential partners to participate by taking on the challenge to reduce their carbon footprints and at the same time contribute to helping protect the forests of Brazil.
In the world of sports, Mata no Peito is a revered soccer play in which the player passes the ball or makes a goal by hitting it with his chest. Participants will score goals for Brazil by helping to protect and restore the country’s forests.
And figuratively speaking, Mata no Peito means cherish the forests.