What type of projects we offer 

Different projects optimize for different impacts. A mangrove restoration project on a Kenyan coast delivers something fundamentally different from a smallholder forest garden in Indonesia or an agroforestry hedgerow system in Bolivia. All three plant trees. All three are real work. But the kinds of value they prioritize, the measurement methods that fit them, and the sponsor needs they serve are different in ways that matter.

Three dimensions of impact

Trees deliver impact across three dimensions:

Climate. Carbon sequestration, microclimate regulation, water cycle stability. The atmospheric and physical-systems dimension.

Nature. Biodiversity, ecosystem function, habitat, water quality, soil health. The ecological dimension.

People. Food security, household income, livelihood resilience, coastal and watershed protection, community development. The social dimension.

Every project delivers across all three to some degree. But each project type is designed to optimize for a specific combination of these dimensions, shaped by ecological context, social context, and what can be measured and verified on the site.

How project types specialize

Agroforestry hedgerows. Structured lines of trees integrated with crops or livestock on agricultural land. Carbon impact is precisely measurable, scale is high, and farmers benefit economically from the trees they maintain. Best for sponsors prioritizing measurable carbon impact at scale alongside agricultural community benefit.

Coastal restoration (mangroves). Native mangrove species replanted in tidal zones. Carbon density per hectare is exceptional. Coastal protection, fisheries support, and climate adaptation co-benefits are significant. Best for sponsors prioritizing the highest carbon impact per area and climate adaptation infrastructure.

Forest gardens. Multi-species agroforestry on smallholder land, designed to support household economic resilience through diverse productive trees, with biodiversity co-benefits across the planting site. Carbon outcome is estimated rather than directly measured at planting site scale. Best for sponsors prioritizing smallholder farmer support and community livelihood outcomes.

Miscellaneous projects. Some projects don't fit our standardized categories but still deliver real ecological and social value. A privately owned forest in the Carpathians being restored by its owner. A family-led forest restoration in Argentina. These projects are certified under Mission, evaluated case by case. Each one is reviewed individually for what it can substantiate ecologically, socially, and in carbon terms. Mission certification's flexibility is what makes this possible: we can work with specific and unusual projects without forcing them into categories that wouldn't fit, while still applying our verification standards. Best for sponsors who want to support unique restoration work that wouldn't exist in a more standardized framework.

Certification tiers

Our two certification tiers reflect how each project type can be measured and verified, not how valuable the work is.

Foundation is used for project types where carbon impact can be measured directly through satellite-based AboveGround Carbon (AGC) methods.

Mission is used for project types where ecological and social value is clear but precise carbon measurement isn't yet feasible at planting site scale. Instead a combination of satellite-based Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) and geolocated proof of planting photos are used as a proxy. 

Both tiers represent verified work. They differ in what the verification can substantiate quantitatively. A Foundation project produces precise CO2 figures backed by direct measurement. A Mission project produces conservative carbon estimates alongside documented ecological and social outcomes.

Choosing a project

Sponsors typically focus on one or two impact dimensions:

If climate measurement precision matters most, Foundation-tier types deliver it.

If community impact matters most, forest gardens deliver it most directly.

If maximum carbon density per hectare matters most, mangrove restoration leads.

Most sponsors care about more than one dimension, which is why our portfolio includes multiple types. The right project is the one whose specialization matches what matters to you.

For more on how certification mechanics work, see Our certification standards: Foundation and Mission. For the CO2 calculation method, see Our carbon calculation methodology. To browse current projects, see Explore & select your reforestation projects.