Tree-Nation methodology is our verification framework. It is how we have always verified the projects in our portfolio. It has three components:
- Our carbon calculation methodology sets out how each tree's CO2 is measured.
- Our Verification Quality Score (VQS) is how we conduct Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) on every project.
Every project Tree-Nation works with is verified through this methodology. The exception is projects that carry their own external certification (such as Verra or Gold Standard), which are verified through their certifying bodies' methodologies instead of Tree-Nation methodology.
On top of the Tree-Nation methodology, we have built four certifications: Foundation Certification, Mission Certification, Nature Certification, and Forest Gardens Certification. These are defined in the Tree-Nation Environmental Carbon Certification Methodology, which sets out the additional requirements (project design, field evidence, monitoring reports, long-term verification, and remote-sensing analysis) that a project must meet to be promoted to one of the four certification tiers.
This gives us five project pathways:
- Mission Certification: ecosystem-based restoration projects on private land that meet the full certification requirements
- Foundation Certification: structured, large-scale carbon measurement systems on private land that meet the full certification requirements
- Nature Certification: public-land ecosystem restoration projects delivered through government partnership
- Forest Gardens Certification: smallholder agroforestry projects delivered through intermediary partners
- Tree-Nation methodology: projects that follow our methodology and are verified through it, but have not been promoted to a certification tier, either because they fall short on one or more certification requirements or because they are still under evaluation
Tree-Nation methodology projects sit under ongoing review. Depending on each evaluation, a project may be promoted to Foundation, Mission, Nature, or Forest Gardens, may remain under Tree-Nation methodology, or may be wound down where it is no longer aligned with where the portfolio is going.
This article explains the certifications, the five pathways, and why we structure the system this way.
1. Mission Certification
Mission Certification is designed for reforestation and restoration projects where carbon removal is achieved through ecosystem recovery on private land.
These projects restore degraded landscapes through diverse planting models, native or mixed species, forest gardens, agroforestry systems, biodiversity corridors, community-led restoration, assisted natural regeneration, or other site-specific approaches.
Mission Certification recognizes that strong carbon impact often depends on healthy, resilient ecosystems.
It is especially suited to projects where:
- Carbon removal is generated through ecosystem restoration
- Planting systems are diverse, mixed, or adapted to local conditions
- Biodiversity, soil recovery, water cycles, and ecosystem health support long-term carbon storage
- Local communities play an important role in protecting and maintaining the restored area
- Monitoring combines field data, geolocation, satellite indicators, and long-term verification
Mission Certification tracks carbon impact through a combination of:
- Project methodology rules
- Field data
- Geolocated evidence
- Monitoring reports
- Remote sensing indicators
- Vegetation signals such as the Enhanced Vegetation Index
- Long-term project verification
This certification pathway is built for projects where carbon, biodiversity, and ecosystem resilience are connected.
Its purpose is to certify carbon impact in a way that reflects how restoration works in real landscapes.
2. Foundation Certification
Foundation Certification is designed for structured reforestation systems on private land where carbon measurement can be highly standardized and replicated at large scale.
These systems follow repeatable planting patterns and allow for robust aboveground carbon measurement.
Examples may include:
- Agroforestry hedgerows
- Riparian restoration
- Mangrove restoration
- Other structured planting systems suitable for standardized carbon assessment
Foundation Certification is especially suited to interventions where:
- Planting designs are repeatable
- Carbon accumulation can be modeled and verified with strong consistency
- Aboveground carbon can be measured using standardized methods
- The intervention can be scaled across many sites while keeping the same methodological logic
Foundation Certification supports the development of large-scale carbon systems where precision, repeatability, and scalability are the strongest fit.
It creates a dedicated pathway for projects that can produce consistent carbon data across many sites and planting contexts.
3. Nature Certification
Nature Certification is designed for large-scale reforestation on public land through government-level partnerships.
These projects most commonly involve mangrove restoration and riparian ecosystem restoration, where reforestation happens through structured collaborations with state authorities and local communities.
Nature Certification recognizes that ecosystem restoration on public land requires a different structure than private-land certification. Carbon rights are reserved for local communities and governments as part of the partnership.
It is especially suited to projects where:
- Reforestation happens on public land through government partnerships
- Mangrove or riparian ecosystems can be restored at scale
- Local communities benefit directly from the restoration work
- Cost-efficient reforestation at large volumes is the priority
- Carbon impact accompanies broader ecosystem outcomes
Nature Certification tracks impact through a combination of:
- Project methodology rules
- Field data
- Geolocated evidence
- Monitoring reports
- Remote sensing indicators
- Long-term project verification
This certification pathway is built for restoration where public land access, cost-efficient scale, and community partnership are the priorities.
Its purpose is to certify reforestation impact that would otherwise not be feasible under private-land structures.
4. Forest Gardens Certification
Forest Gardens Certification is designed for smallholder agroforestry projects delivered through intermediary partner organizations.
These projects plant trees on farmer-owned land, integrating tree cover with food, fodder, timber, and cash crops that sustain rural livelihoods.
Forest Gardens Certification recognizes that smallholder agroforestry has a different structure than large-scale reforestation. Trees are distributed across many small farms, each documented per farmer through Farmer Agreements.
It is especially suited to projects where:
- Trees are planted on smallholder farmer land
- Farmer livelihoods, food security, and community outcomes are direct project goals
- Delivery is coordinated through local intermediary partners
- Biodiversity and community impact are the primary reporting focus
- Cost-efficient smallholder scale is the priority
Forest Gardens Certification tracks planting impact through a combination of:
- Project methodology rules
- Farmer Agreements documenting each participating landholder
- Geolocated photo evidence per plot
- Monitoring reports
- Long-term project verification
This certification pathway is built for smallholder-scale reforestation where farmer engagement, biodiversity, and community outcomes are the priorities.
Its purpose is to certify smallholder agroforestry impact in a way that keeps costs accessible and delivery direct.
5. Tree-Nation methodology
Tree-Nation methodology is where most of our legacy projects sit. These are projects of every kind, agroforestry, mangrove restoration, riparian planting, native forest restoration, fire recovery, conservation buffer work, smallholder farming systems, that joined the Tree-Nation portfolio over the years and follow our verification framework.
We are now systematically auditing each project against the certification requirements set out in the Tree-Nation Environmental Carbon Certification Methodology. The audit identifies where each project stands relative to the Foundation, Mission, Nature, and Forest Gardens thresholds, and the gap (if any) that would need to be closed for promotion.
Each audit produces one of the following outcomes:
- Promotion to Mission Certification: the project meets the full ecosystem-based restoration requirements
- Promotion to Foundation Certification: the project meets the full structured-measurement requirements
- Promotion to Nature Certification: the project meets the full public-land partnership requirements
- Promotion to Forest Gardens Certification: the project meets the full smallholder agroforestry requirements
- Remaining under Tree-Nation methodology: the project continues to be funded and verified through our methodology, with future promotion possible if circumstances change
- Sunsetting: the project is no longer aligned with where the portfolio is going and is phased out
The Tree-Nation methodology pathway is built for the full breadth of restoration work in our portfolio: projects of every type, scale, and geography that operate under our verification framework.
Its purpose is to apply continuous verification across that diversity, and to provide the route through which projects develop toward Foundation, Mission, Nature, or Forest Gardens certification when the audit confirms they meet the requirements.
Why Tree-Nation uses four certifications
Tree-Nation uses four certifications because reforestation carbon impact comes from different types of restoration systems.
A single certification model would be either too narrow or too generic.
If certification only focused on highly standardized systems, it would exclude many valuable restoration projects that generate real carbon and ecosystem benefits.
If certification ignored measurement and monitoring, carbon claims would lose credibility.
If certification required uniform structures across public and private land, projects on public land would not fit.
If certification required industrial-scale processes, smallholder-scale projects would be priced out.
Mission, Foundation, Nature, and Forest Gardens solve these tensions by creating four complementary certification pathways.
Mission Certification is used for ecosystem-based restoration projects where carbon impact is monitored alongside biodiversity, landscape recovery, and long-term ecological health.
Foundation Certification is used for structured systems where carbon impact can be measured with high precision through standardized methods.
Nature Certification is used for public-land reforestation through government partnerships, where scale and cost-efficiency are the priorities.
Forest Gardens Certification is used for smallholder agroforestry, where farmer engagement, biodiversity, and community outcomes are the primary goals.
All four are part of the same carbon certification framework.
All four require evidence, monitoring, and verification.
All four are designed to connect carbon claims to real planting activity on the ground.
A certification system designed for real-world reforestation
All four certifications operate within Tree-Nation's certification infrastructure.
This includes:
- Methodology-defined rules
- Project Design Documents
- Site-level implementation
- Geolocated planting evidence
- Monitoring and verification over time
- Remote sensing where applicable
- Direct linkage between certified impact and real planting activity
This ensures that certified impact is not only estimated in advance, but tracked over time.
Foundation, Mission, Nature, and Forest Gardens operate under the same Tree-Nation carbon certification framework, with shared requirements for evidence, monitoring, verification, and carbon accountability. Each pathway applies the measurement and monitoring approach best suited to the restoration system being certified.
In summary
Tree-Nation's carbon certification system is built around a simple principle:
Different restoration systems require different carbon certification pathways.
- Mission Certification: ecosystem-based carbon restoration for projects where carbon removal is achieved through diverse, resilient, and locally adapted restoration systems on private land.
- Foundation Certification: scalable and measurable carbon systems for projects where carbon removal can be measured through highly standardized and repeatable methods on private land.
- Nature Certification: public-land reforestation through government partnerships, where scale and community-first structures are the priorities.
- Forest Gardens Certification: smallholder agroforestry, where farmer livelihoods, community outcomes, and biodiversity are the primary reporting focus.
Together, they allow Tree-Nation to certify environmental impact across a broader range of real-world reforestation projects.
The goal is not to rank projects from better to worse.
The goal is to certify carbon impact in a way that is credible, transparent, scalable, and adapted to how restoration actually works.