Tree-Nation’s dual CO₂ attribution model ensures CSRD-compliant carbon reporting by assigning official claim rights only to tree purchasers, while allowing gift recipients to view symbolic impact without carbon ownership.
🌳 Overview
Tree-Nation allows individuals and organizations to plant trees, either for themselves or as a gift to others. Each tree has an associated CO₂ sequestration value. To ensure transparency and compliance with regulations like CSRD and GHG Protocol, we have developed a dual-layer CO₂ attribution model.
🔍 The Challenge: Double Counting vs. Double Claiming
In carbon accounting:
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Double counting refers to the same carbon sequestration being counted in multiple footprints.
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Double claiming means more than one entity asserts ownership of the same CO₂ reduction.
Our goal is to avoid both, particularly double claiming, which violates sustainability regulations.
✅ Our Solution: Dual CO₂ Attribution Model
Each Tree-Nation user (sponsor or recipient) has:
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A Forest: a list of trees (purchased or received)
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A CO₂ Dashboard with two separate counters:
1. Claimed Emissions (Official Offsets)
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✅ Only includes CO₂ from trees that the user purchased
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Fully traceable and tied to a Carbon Registry log
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Eligible for official sustainability reporting (e.g. CSRD, Net Zero), provided the underlying project meets eligibility criteria for such frameworks
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Comes with retirement certificates, project metadata, and audit trail
2. Shared Emissions (Symbolic Only)
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❌ Includes CO₂ from trees received as gifts
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Clearly marked as non-claimable
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Displayed in the dashboard for visibility, but not used in any official footprint
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Labelled with a disclaimer:
“These trees were gifted to you by [Sponsor]. Their CO₂ is officially claimed by them and cannot be included in your carbon reporting.”
📊 Example Display
🌍 Your Carbon Impact
️✔️ Claimed CO₂: 235 kg
(Official offsets. Counted in your carbon accounting.)
🎁 Shared CO₂: 120 kg
(Gifted trees. Impact is real, but carbon credits belong to others.)📄 Certificates and Traceability
Only Claimed CO₂ entries:
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Generate official retirement certificates
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Are linked to a retirement registry (internal or external)
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Can be exported for compliance (e.g. ESRS E1 under CSRD)
Shared CO₂:
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Can optionally display symbolic acknowledgements
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Cannot be linked to credits, registries, or formal offset claims
🚀 Future Enhancements
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CO₂ ID tracking per tree or batch
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Registry explorer for public lookup
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Export-ready reporting for CSRD/ESRS
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Optional CO₂ transfer toggle for sponsors
🌱 Conclusion
This model balances:
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✅ Regulatory compliance
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✅ Transparency
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✅ Engagement
It ensures that only verified emissions reductions are claimed, while still celebrating the collective impact of all trees planted.
For questions, please contact our support on the Chat or your Account manager.