Introduction
NetZero is a global company specializing in the long-term removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. To do so, we turn crop residues into biochar, a very stable form of carbon then used as a soil amendment in agriculture. NetZero's mission is to bring biochar at scale in the tropics, with the greater purpose of helping build a more sustainable world.
NetZero's activities involve land acquisition, and we want to ensure that such acquisitions meet high environmental and social standards wherever we do business.
In this Policy, land acquisition means any purchase, lease, donation, or other transaction leading to de facto use of land for NetZero's activities, irrespective of titleholding, payment, or duration.
Statements and Directives
1. General principles
- Land acquisition must always be lawful, voluntary, and strictly for operational purposes — never speculative.
- For industrial activities, acquisition shall systematically trigger an environmental and social impact assessment.
- Acquisition must avoid, or else minimize and mitigate population displacement, environmental harm, and cultural impacts.
2. Environmental safeguards
- Acquisition of any land identified as critical, high-conservation-value, or protected habitat (IUCN categories Ia, Ib, II, and III at the time of acquisition) is prohibited.
- Preference must always be given to acquiring modified land (agriculture, plantations, or other type of anthropized area).
- Post-acquisition activities must never involve clearing of native forest, must always prevent soil and water contamination, must minimize land impermeabilization.
- A chance find procedure must be in place and followed for unexpected discoveries made on the acquired land.
3. Social safeguards and engagement
- For industrial activities, land located in residential areas should be avoided; if unavoidable, mitigation plans must be developed for neighbouring communities.
- Prior to construction, NetZero shall conduct meaningful consultation about the project with neighbouring communities, disclose the whistleblowing/grievance channel, and document community feedback, which shall be taken into consideration.
- Following acquisition, stakeholder engagement must be ongoing and proportional to impacts.
- Lands officially recognized or under formal claim as indigenous territory shall not be acquired, and projects affecting indigenous people shall not be implemented.
- Lands officially recognized or under formal claim as cultural or religious heritage shall not be acquired.
- Individuals opposed to NetZero acquisitions or subsequent projects shall be heard and protected from retaliation.
4. Displacement and compensation
- Population displacement should be avoided; if unavoidable, NetZero must secure prior consent from affected communities and receive approval from NetZero's ESG Committee.
- When applicable, a specific resettlement action plan or livelihood restoration plan shall be prepared.
- Any displacement shall be compensated with full replacement cost, determined using a socio-economic baseline study and favouring land-based replacement options.
- An entitlements matrix shall guide compensation, and such compensation shall have clear cut-off dates to avoid opportunistic claims.
Deployment and Training
This Policy shall be operationalized through a dedicated deployment standard and other procedures within NetZero's Environmental and Social Management System. All staff involved in land processes must be trained and comply with this Policy.
Its implementation shall be periodically reviewed to ensure effectiveness, relevance, and alignment with the IFC Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability.