Resources: FAQ
What is AKA?
AKA is more than just a platform. It’s a marketplace for buyers and sellers of land assets, from carbon to campsites. It’s also marketplace of ideas for a more sustainable and profitable approach to land investment and usage. By empowering landowners, cultivating communities, and promoting both traditional and innovative income sources, AKA is paving the way for a new era in land investment.
Is AKA just a marketplace?
At its core, AKA is more than a mere transactional platform; it is a vibrant community builder. It nurtures an environment of transparency and trust among its users – the cornerstone of any thriving community. By orchestrating a marketplace where buyers, sellers, and investors can engage directly, AKA fosters a dynamic ecosystem. In this open forum, information flows freely, promoting enlightened decision-making. Furthermore, it encourages the formation of partnerships rooted in mutual benefits and respect, creating a robust network of collaborative relationships.
How can I monetise land through AKA?
Are professional advisors and consultants welcome on AKA?
Absolutely. We welcome everybody with a vested interest in land use. That would include ecologists, agronomists, IFAs, planning consultants, land agents, tax advisors, lawyers, and so on. You can use the platform to promote your services, provided these are relevant to land usage. Features coming soon will include an advisors directory, allowing prospective clients to be matched up with you based on their needs.
Can I use AKA to buy or sell land?
Yes. AKA allows you to connect and deal directly with prospective buyers or sellers, cutting out middlemen, agents and brokers.
Are carbon credits a good investment?
Like any investment, the exchangeable value of a carbon credit can go up as well as down. The price is impacted by demand and supply, as well as other factors such as government regulation, which may be harder to anticipate. You should do your research and never invest what you are not prepared to lose. If you are negotiating to acquire credits from a seller, first ensure that the credits were issued and/or verified from a recognised body, and using a credible verification framework. If you have any questions or concerns about a transaction, you are free to contact us.
Who verifies that carbon, BNG, or nutrient offsetting credits are valid?
For prospective buyers to have trust in the legitimacy of any kind of offsetting credit, it needs to be issued by a credible issuer, using a trusted framework. For carbon, probably the most trusted – and widely understood – framework is the ‘Verified Carbon Standard’, or VCS, administered by Verra, the world’s biggest certifier of voluntary carbon offsets. Most issuers refer to the VCS when establishing whether a landowner has indeed permanently offset or sequestered a unit of carbon.
Why do property developers need BNG, carbon and nitrate offsetting credits?
There are stringent planning laws in the UK and other countries which require, as a prerequisite of permissions being granted by local authorities, that the developer can demonstrably offset the environmental harm created by the development. This could the harm to biodiversity from, say, building houses in a wildflower meadow, to water pollution caused by the construction process. It could even include a requirement to offset the carbon dioxide emitted in the creation of the construction materials. As such, property developers are forced to work with landowners and agents to secure land with which they can neutralise the environmental damage.
Is it just property developers who want to buy BNG, carbon and nitrate offsetting credits?
What is biodiversity net gain?
Biodiversity net gain is an approach to development that leaves biodiversity in a better state than before. It involves assessing the current biodiversity value of a site, implementing actions to enhance it, and measuring the ‘gain’ or improvement in biodiversity post-development. This gain can be quantified and sold as Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) credits.
How can landowners contribute to biodiversity net gain?
Landowners can contribute to biodiversity net gain by implementing practices that enhance the biodiversity on their land. These practices could include creating new habitats, restoring existing ones, or managing land in a way that promotes species diversity and abundance.
What are carbon credits and how do they work?
Carbon credits are a financial instrument that represents the removal or reduction of one tonne of carbon dioxide or equivalent from the atmosphere. Landowners can earn these credits by carrying out activities that sequester carbon, such as reforestation or sustainable farming. These credits can then be sold to businesses, governments, and individuals looking to offset their carbon emissions.
Can carbon credits provide a significant income for landowners?
Yes, carbon credits can provide a significant income stream for landowners. The price of carbon credits fluctuates based on supply and demand dynamics, but with increasing awareness about climate change and tightening emission regulations, the demand for carbon credits is likely to grow.
What is nitrate trading?
Nitrate trading is a market-based approach to reducing water pollution from excess nitrates. Landowners who reduce their nitrogen runoff below a certain threshold can earn nitrate credits. These credits can then be sold to entities that exceed their nitrate limit, providing an incentive for overall nitrate reduction.
How can landowners participate in nitrate trading?
Landowners can participate in nitrate trading by implementing practices that reduce nitrogen runoff from their land. These could include precision farming techniques, cover cropping, or the use of slow-release fertilisers. Once they’ve reduced their runoff below a certain threshold, they can earn nitrate credits which can be sold on the nitrate trading market.