How to communicate about funding CO2 capture — A clear guide for your company

Funding CO2 capture through tree planting remains one of the most accessible and meaningful ways for companies to take climate action, support nature-based solutions, and contribute to global restoration efforts. However, recent updates to EU guidance on environmental claims have changed how companies should talk about their climate actions publicly.

Clear and transparent communication matters more than ever — not because funding CO2 capture is discouraged, but because sustainability communication is evolving. This guide explains how your company can talk about funding CO2 capture with confidence, clarity, and respect for current communication standards.

🌱 1. Why communication rules have changed (and why this is good news)

Recent EU law (the ECGT, in force from 27 September 2026) bans using offsets to claim that a product is 'carbon neutral,' 'climate neutral,' or 'net zero,' no matter how solid the offsetting is. You can still talk about the trees you fund and the CO2 they are expected to capture. You just can't say it cancels out your footprint.

👉 See what ECGT means for your climate communication

Importantly: these changes do NOT restrict your ability to fund trees.
Companies can continue to fund CO2 capture projects and support reforestation. They just describe what they fund in specific, factual terms.

What’s changed is simply the preferred way to describe these actions.
The focus today is on being clear, specific, and transparent — which ultimately strengthens the credibility of your climate communication.

🌿 2. Funding CO2 capture through tree planting remains a meaningful climate action

Your company can proudly talk about the trees it funds.

Funding tree planting allows you to:

• Support verified nature-based projects

• Take responsibility for unavoidable emissions

• Protect biodiversity and restore ecosystems

• Contribute to community development

• Enhance your climate and ESG strategy

These are meaningful, forward-thinking actions that customers, employees, and stakeholders value deeply.

What changes is not the action, but the language.

💬 3. Focus on the action you are taking

The most effective way to communicate about climate action is to highlight the concrete actions your company takes.

✔️ Clear, factual, and trustworthy wording:

• “We capture emissions by supporting certified reforestation projects.”

• “We capture 500 tonnes of CO2 through Tree-Nation”  - just never add 'carbon neutral' or 'zero impact' alongside it.

• “We fund nature-based carbon-removal projects as part of our climate action.”

• “We contribute to climate and biodiversity solutions by offsetting emissions.”

These statements strengthen trust — they are specific, transparent, and easy to understand.

📊 4. Share your numbers, results, and impact

You can absolutely communicate impacts in a quantitative way.
Sharing tangible data increases credibility:

• tonnes of CO₂ captured by your trees

• trees planted

• project types

• countries supported

• biodiversity and community benefits

For example:

“In 2024, we capture 500 tonnes of CO₂ by supporting certified reforestation projects through Tree-Nation.”

This framing is factual, transparent, and consistent with recognised sustainability communication guidelines.

🌍 5. Keep your message focused on contribution, not total neutrality

One simple principle helps keep your communication both credible and compliant:

Describe the tree planting you fund — avoid claiming that this action makes your entire footprint ‘neutral’ or ‘zero impact’.

This avoids confusion and ensures your message reflects the real, valuable contribution you’re making.
This is the main shift introduced by recent EU guidelines — and it actually provides an opportunity to communicate more honestly and effectively.

⭐ 6. A helpful message to use within your company

Here is a ready-to-use example if someone on your team asks,
“Can we still say we offset our carbon footprint?”

You can confidently respond:

**“No, instead — we can communicate that we capture emissions.
Funding trees through Tree-Nation allows us to support certified reforestation and carbon-removal projects, which is a meaningful part of our climate action strategy.

We simply present it as the concrete climate action it is — without calling ourselves ‘carbon neutral’. This keeps our message clear, credible, and fully aligned with today’s best-practice guidelines.”**

This ensures your whole team feels empowered, not restricted.

🌟 Summary: Funding tree planting is still a meaningful climate action — and you can talk about it confidently

• ✔️ Funding tree planting remains a meaningful part of your climate strategy

• ✔️ You can speak about it openly, proudly, and quantitatively

• ✔️ You simply avoid using outdated “neutrality” phrasing

• ✔️ Your climate contribution remains powerful, credible, and appreciated

Tree-Nation is here to help you take action — and communicate it in a way that reflects both your impact and today’s communication standards.

If you ever need support or feedback on your climate messaging, your account manager or our team is here to help.