Trees absorb carbon from the air through photosynthesis, and store the carbon in their woody biomass. Afforestation, reforestation and revegetation (ARR) is a climate solution which involves the planting (or assisting the natural regeneration) of trees and shrubs. It involves three main activities:‘Afforestation’ refers to the planting of trees where there was no recent tree cover.‘Reforestation’ refers to the planting of trees where the was recent tree cover which has been deforested.‘Revegetation’ is an umbrella term which refers to the replanting and rebuilding the soil of degraded land.All of the 2ºC climate pathways modelled in the most recent IPCC report include some degree of carbon dioxide removal, and around 40% of this is contributed by ARR. It is a well-practised method of carbon dioxide removal which is far less experimental than most novel carbon removal technologies.

What's the difference between carbon avoidance and carbon removal?

Carbon avoidance represents the prevention of carbon emissions that would have entered the atmosphere without the intervention of a carbon avoidance project. Examples include clean cookstoves, which result in less fuel being burned and therefore less carbon being emitted into the atmosphere, and the protection of rainforests under threat of deforestation which keeps carbon, that would have been emitted through deforestation, locked away in trees and soils.Carbon removal is the process of taking carbon out of the atmosphere and locking it away so that it cannot contribute to further climate change. There are several methods for removing carbon from the atmosphere, each bringing a unique set of co-benefits. For example, creating biochar from waste vegetation creates a very stable form of carbon which can be incorporated into soil to improve soil fertility and bacterial biodiversity. Blue carbon projects bring benefits for biodiversity and local communities such as protection from storm surges, and ARR (Afforestation, Reforestation and Revegetation) projects provide habitats for native animals and provide local people with important ecosystem services.One factor required for a carbon removal project to be of a high quality is the carbon must be locked away for a long period of time. This is known as permanence, and means project developers must ensure that carbon sequestered by the project is protected.

Projects

Through our supported ARR projects, you can fund the removal of carbon dioxide through the restoration of natural forest carbon sinks. By funding ARR projects through Ecologi, you’ll be supporting a range of projects around the world which contribute to locking up carbon in these incredible terrestrial ecosystems.

Verification

The units of carbon removal from the ARR projects we support are third-party verified tonnes, measured according to a methodology from a leading carbon standard. This will usually be the Verified Carbon Standard, or the Gold Standard.When our community purchases tonnes of verified carbon removal through ARR projects, Ecologi retires verified carbon credits. Retirement evidence can be found on our Public Impact Ledger.