A Groundbreaking Collaboration for Carbon Removal and Rewilding Projects
A pioneering effort of three industry leaders joining forces to initiate a first-of-its-kind purchase of carbon credits from a rewilding project.
Company News
Jul 11, 2024
Carolina Amu Trujillo
Catalysing Rewilding Projects Globally
Treeconomy, Nattergal, and Naturalis Biodiversity Center have joined forces to initiate a first-of-its-kind purchase of carbon removal credits from a rewilding project at 100 euros per tonne. A collaboration leveraging each organisation’s expertise and paving the way for future rewilding projects.
The Financial and Environmental Impact
While Naturalis actively explores effective measures to reduce its emissions, it is also committed to finding impactful, high-quality carbon removal solutions. Hence, to mitigate carbon emissions from employee travel in 2023, Naturalis Biodiversity Center has contracted Treeconomy to compensate for these emissions by purchasing carbon credits from the Boothby Wildland project, a multi-habitat, process-led rewilding initiative.
This purchase is particularly significant because, until now, rewilding projects have struggled to receive access to carbon-based financing. This sets a transformative precedent for future funding and promoting rewilding projects globally.
Edwin van Huis, Director of Naturalis Biodiversity Center, said:
“Naturalis’ mission is to accelerate the understanding of biodiversity and inspire society to value the natural world. To fulfil this mission, our employees regularly travel abroad for conferences, fieldwork trips, and other research purposes. However, we recognize that this travel behaviour leads to CO2 emissions. While we are looking at effective measures to minimize our emissions, we are very happy to have found a partner in Treeconomy, which enables carbon removal solutions by supporting rewilding initiatives. Their industry-leading monitoring technology and data analytics maximize the carbon capture potential of forests, ensuring that environmental initiatives are both effective and measurable. Treeconomy's commitment to restoring biodiversity perfectly aligns with our mission to address climate change through responsible and scientifically backed methods.”
The Boothby Wildland Project
Located in Lincolnshire, Boothby Wildland, spanning 617 hectares, is a landscape-scale nature restoration project designed to restore ecosystems in perpetuity under a legally binding agreement. This project stands out not only for its carbon sequestration capabilities across diverse habitats—including grassland, scrubland, and woodland—but also for its strong commitment to enhancing biodiversity. Unlike projects that focus solely on afforestation, Boothby’s approach embraces a variety of ecosystems.
Boothby Wildland Project Site
Extensive baseline work has been conducted to measure carbon and biodiversity metrics, which will continue to be rigorously monitored. This ongoing assessment ensures that the project's success can be accurately gauged across various ecosystem services, reinforcing its role as a model for comprehensive environmental restoration.
Ivan de Klee, Head of Natural Capital at Nattergal, expressed his excitement about the project:
“We are excited to be partnering with Treeconomy and Naturalis to deliver carbon credits from Boothby Wildland. Biodiversity restoration is critical in helping tackle the climate crisis; however, there is a significant funding gap to support nature recovery globally. By choosing to support biodiversity-focused climate solutions, Naturalis is enabling the expansion of rewilding projects which simultaneously address the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.”
Scaling Up Biodiversity Recovery with Rigorous Quantification
Rewilding projects like Boothby Wildland are often seen as more complex when accounting for their carbon impact compared to plantation forestry or avoided deforestation projects. The success of these projects hinges on rigorous evaluation of their carbon sequestration and ecological impact. However, this is difficult as much of the early growth from the ecosystem comes in the form of scrub.
Boothby Wildland Project Point Cloud Animation
Treeconomy’s advanced monitoring technology is crucial in quantifying the carbon impact of rewilding projects. Over the last 18 months, we have developed models specifically designed to calculate the impact of rewilding and scrubby biomass carbon stocks. This work is essential for providing the evidence needed to validate the carbon impact of these nature restoration projects. Our system delivers precise and measurable assessments for effective carbon sequestration in rewilding projects. Our comprehensive approach and cutting-edge technology enable efficient and scalable verification.
Moreover, our technology facilitates the payment for carbon removal, demonstrating the financial viability of these projects to buyers like Naturalis. By supporting these projects, stakeholders can invest confidently in solutions addressing carbon sequestration and biodiversity preservation.
To address the biodiversity crisis, investments in nature-based solutions must significantly increase. The Nature Conservancy estimates that an additional $598 - $824 billion annually is required to reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. By supporting projects like Boothby Wildland, carbon markets can offer essential financing mechanisms for both carbon sequestration and biodiversity preservation.
The partnership between Treeconomy, Nattergal, and Naturalis marks a significant milestone in integrating carbon removal and biodiversity restoration. As this collaboration progresses, it will help mitigate climate change and promote the recovery of endangered ecosystems, setting a new standard for nature-based solutions in the fight against global warming.
According to Harry Grocott, CEO and Co-Founder of Treeconomy:
“This is exactly the partnership we’ve been working towards since we started. Rewilding and restoration projects don’t just rejuvenate ecosystems; they remove substantial amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere. Until now, we have really struggled to quantify just how much, but now we can prove this impact and tap into carbon finance to fund these projects. We’re looking forward to working with Naturalis and Nattergal on this project as great partners.”
Stay tuned for more updates on how these innovative collaborations shape the future of carbon removal and biodiversity preservation.
