Did you know that many big, commercial tree-planting practices end up hurting the climate more than helping it? That’s what happens when you plant the wrong tree in the wrong place and don’t monitor whether their activities are actually helping bring back biodiversity.
This has hurt the image of those that are doing tree planting right and makes it really difficult for you to know which projects are actually making a positive difference. Which is why at COP16 in Cali earlier this month, together with the Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) and other experts in the field, we announced The Global Biodiversity Standard (TGBS): a seal that can help distinguish good tree planting from greenwashing.
The Standard aims to address the problem with the inconsistencies and bad practices of tree planting projects. Some of the world’s top scientists and scientific institutions were involved in developing the methodology for over three years, and it has been tested in over 100 real world projects — including 10 Ecosia sites!
The assessments for the certification are also always led by local experts, meaning botanists that have both local knowledge and context, not only from an ecological standpoint but also from a social one. This is reflected in the scoring system that also focuses on positive social outcomes and benefit distribution to the local community.
Excitingly, we are proud to share that two of Ecosia’s projects — SICIREC in Bolivia and the Jane Goodall Institute in Uganda — were the first ever projects to be certified under TGBS. As one of the largest funders of tree-planting projects, we want to ensure that the right safeguards are in place for projects to benefit both biodiversity and community. And more importantly, we believe that our partners truly deserve this recognition for implementing high quality and high integrity projects.
When we focus on meaningful outcomes for people and nature, we can inspire donors and investors to back projects that are genuinely restoring ecosystems and supporting communities. While we can’t fund every tree-planting project out there, we can use our years of experience to make sure to direct funding to projects that are actually making a difference.
