London-based Treeconomy has partnered with Naturalis Biodiversity Center of the Netherlands for the purchase of carbon removal credits from a Nattergal rewilding project at €100 ($109) per ton.
To offset the carbon emissions from employee travel in 2023, Naturalis has contracted Treeconomy to buy carbon credits from the Boothby Wildland project, a multi-habitat rewilding initiative in Northern England.
This move addresses the challenge rewilding projects face in accessing carbon-based financing, paving the way for similar future projects, Treeconomy said in a statement, published last week.
Edwin van Huis, Director of Naturalis, emphasized their mission to promote biodiversity while acknowledging the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from necessary travel.
Partnering with Treeconomy enables effective carbon removal through advanced monitoring technology and data analytics, aligning with Naturalis’ goals of addressing climate change responsibly, van Huis said.
Spanning 617 hectares (1,524 acres), Boothby Wildland focuses on restoring diverse ecosystems under a legally binding agreement.
This project not only sequesters carbon across grasslands, scrublands, and woodlands but also enhances biodiversity.
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Extensive baseline work ensures rigorous monitoring of carbon and biodiversity metrics, making Boothby Wildland a model for comprehensive environmental restoration, Treeconomy said.
Ivan de Klee, Head of Natural Capital at Nattergal, expressed excitement about this partnership, highlighting the critical role of biodiversity restoration in tackling the climate crisis and the funding gap in nature recovery.
Rewilding projects are seen as complex in terms of carbon impact compared to plantation forestry, and success hinges on rigorous evaluation, particularly for scrubby biomass carbon stocks.
Treeconomy’s advanced monitoring technology provides precise assessments, essential for validating the carbon impact of rewilding projects.
Harry Grocott, CEO and co-founder of Treeconomy, highlighted the partnership’s goal of quantifying the impact of rewilding projects and accessing carbon finance to fund them.
This collaboration not only mitigates climate change but also promotes endangered ecosystems’ recovery, setting a new standard for nature-based solutions.
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