What's the difference between offsetting and planting trees?

On Tree-Nation we offer you the option to plant trees or offset CO2 emissions, but these are two sides of the same coin. Each service does both. If this seems confusing we explain why below.

Every time you plant a tree, this tree will offset a certain amount of CO2 by capturing carbon. Therefore, any service you pick on Tree-Nation will usually both plant trees and offset CO2. The exception to this rule is our CO2 offset service ‘Offset by Tonnes’ when linked to conservation, where no trees are planted but forests are protected. Please note that ‘Offset by Tonnes’ can also plant trees as we offer both reforestation and conservation options.

Despite our tree-planting services including CO2 offsets and our CO2 offset services including tree planting, we present them as different services. Simply because each service is geared towards a specific focus:

  • Our tree planting services, like Plant Trees or Offer Trees, are meant to allow you to plant any tree species. They are meant to help fund a large diversity of projects and benefit biodiversity. There are many reasons to plant trees beyond CO2 offsets and this is why our tree planting services deserve their own section.
  • Our CO2 offset services, like Net Zero Team or Net Zero Product, are focused on funding CO2-certified projects. The trees planted in these projects have many benefits beyond CO2 offsets, but the projects are nonetheless best suited for CO2 offsets. Generally, this means projects in the tropical zone

To help you decide which service is best suited for you or your company, we recommend you to consider what your focus is. Is your focus biodiversity? planting as many trees as possible? planting in many locations? or helping small projects? Our 'tree-planting' services are the right ones for you.

Is your focus mostly CO2 offset? Then aim for our services specialized on this topic.

If you have a hard time deciding, consult us. We are here for that :)