In light of our latest announcement on the first-of-a-kind sale of carbon dioxide removal from a rewilding project at €100/t to the Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, a deal made in partnership with Nattergal and the support of Remove, we thought it would be a good idea to take a trip down memory lane. Here, we highlight our journey and landmark efforts to measure the carbon sequestration benefits of natural regeneration projects, demonstrating the meaningful climate impact of rewilding. 

🌱 Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF) | The Allerton Project (Hedgerow Carbon Code) & Heal Rewilding (June 2022) Supporting research on sustainable agriculture and protecting the environment and its biodiversity go hand in hand. Treeconomy used remote sensing (drone LiDAR and high-resolution satellite data) to extract statistics from the sites that can be used to better understand hedgerow biomass based on observable attributes. We also developed project baseline capabilities with the Heal Rewilding team on its Somerset site.

The fund supported Treeconomy to test our forest-based system on rewilding projects. Using our remote sensing technology, we tested projects like the Bunloit Estate, Norfolk’s Wendling Beck Exemplar Project, and Sussex’s Knepp Estate to measure potential carbon captured by scrub and wood pasture. Learn more about the fund here: https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/press-hub/new-innovation-fund-launched

We received funding for additional data collection and analysis support from Natural England, enhancing our carbon quantification and monitoring capabilities, focusing on the Wendling Beck Exemplar Project in Norfolk. This further developed our scrub and hedge capabilities and broadleaf forest assessments and introduced new edge cases, such as blackcurrant rows and riparian woodlands. 

Treeconomy was nominated for the Earthshot Prize because of our innovative approach to quantifying carbon in rewilding projects. Using 3D LiDAR data from drones and satellite data, we accurately measure the carbon stored in scrub and shrub-dominant ecosystems, key carbon sinks in the first ~20 years of nature restoration projects. Our precise carbon accounting builds trust and allows us to sell carbon removal credits at higher prices than today's market, thus boosting funding for nature restoration.

Treeconomy has been working with various organisations such as Highlands Rewilding, Nattergal, and Kent Wildlife Trust to provide commercial monitoring and quantification services.

We contributed to the research for a report led by Knepp, Nattergal, Arup, Agricarbon, and Queen Mary University of London. The outcome demonstrated that rewilding habitats offer similar CO₂ sequestration rates as new native woodland initiatives over a 19-year period (~80%), with better biodiversity outcomes. 

See the full report and our contribution to it here: https://www.treeconomy.co/blog/the-knepp-wildland-carbon-project

Our co-founder, Rob Godfrey, and our Science Lead, Matt Amos, joined Wilder Carbon’s DMMRV Advisory Board. They are supporting the development of remote sensing-powered protocols for measuring rewilding carbon from scrub and natural regeneration projects. 

Treeconomy used our monitoring technology to track and report carbon removal on Nattergal’s Boothby Project, supporting efficient and scalable verification of impact.

Naturalis Biodiversity Center's carbon removal purchase is the culmination of more than two years of research & development from Treeconomy. It is the first time that rewilding credits have been purchased in this way, and the price per unit at €100/t is a testament to what can be achieved with great project design and impactful technology monitoring. 

Our journey in quantifying carbon removal from rewilding projects has been marked by innovation, rigorous scientific analysis, and strategic partnerships. Our efforts have culminated in the first major pre-purchase of UK carbon removal from natural regeneration, which, at €100 per tonne, is setting a new high-water mark for rewilding carbon prices. And it doesn’t stop there; this deal also marks a significant achievement in the carbon market, reflecting the value of accurate and reliable carbon quantification in nature restoration projects.

We remain committed to advancing our methodologies and technology to survey more nature restoration projects and support them in scaling worldwide.