‘Trees are the lungs of the earth’, you’ve probably heard that before – and for a reason. That’s because trees help the planet breathe by turning carbon dioxide into clean, pure oxygen. In addition to that trees and forests around the world also act like the planet’s air conditioning system and keep the planet cool. Global tree restoration is considered as one of the most effective carbon drawdown solutions to date.
The main species we plant through our partner, Eden Reforestation Projects, are mangroves. The name ‘mangroves’ refers to approximately 110 tree species that are able to survive in saline or brackish water and are found in intertidal zones along tropical and subtropical coasts around the world. Each mangrove tree planted removes over 308kg of CO2 over its 25-year lifespan, or 12 kg of CO2 per tree per year. Importantly, investment in mangrove protection and restoration is key to helping developing countries meeting their National Determined Contributions of the Paris Agreement.
We value the importance and impact of tree planting but are nonetheless conservative in the amount of CO2 sequestration that we attribute to our trees. Although 300 kilograms of CO2 per tree is scientifically defendable, we calculate 125 kilograms per tree. This is related due to the fact that trees first new to fully grow before to become truely effective and because our tree planting projects are not verified. Certification of carbon compensation is important as it creates a measurable impact, but we feel that the actual impact of a project is what matters most. Although these planting projects are not certified for now, the impact of these projects is huge. Next to the fact that trees do capture big amounts of CO2, the tree planting projects also present a great benefit to local communities. Our planting partners utilize an “Employ to Plant” methodology to benefit the members in these local communities. Through steady employment, impoverished villagers can begin to afford daily necessities such as food, shelter, clothing, and medicine.