Our requirements to fund any reforestation project include both environmental and social benefits criteria as well as a strong focus on project management
Tree-Nation is empowering many reforestation projects around the world. And no project is alike.
Our platform has been designed with the goal of having the maximum positive impact in terms of trees planted, biodiversity, and social welfare. For us, this means being able to accept a large diversity of projects and not just a large volume of trees planted in a few projects.
As we grow our funding capacity, we are able to extend our reach and bring our help to more locations, yet we are only accepting a fraction of all projects applying to Tree-Nation. This lets us focus on quality projects. We rely on a list of criteria for our project selection but assess each one by taking into account their specific needs, available resources, and project scale.
We also rely on the use of our platform specifically designed to maximize and reward quality, consistency (over the project’s lifetime), and professionality while providing greater transparency on the projects.
We believe our unique method allows both volume and diversity and provides a scalable all-in-one solution to reforestation efforts. In particular, we care to empower developing countries' small-based communities to manage and improve their natural and valuable resources and promote local entrepreneurship relevant to environmental conservation.
To this end, we have developed a requirements-based methodology that allows us to evaluate projects in a fair manner. Here you will find a general explanation of our criteria, divided into three main blocks:
Environment benefits criteria
- The project must generate clear and demonstrable environmental benefits on its location, and assure ecosystem services and environmental values are conserved for future generations.
- The project shall contribute directly to at least one Sustainable Development Goal, which must be GOAL 15 (which consists in sustainably managing forests, combating desertification, halting and reversing land degradation, halt biodiversity loss).
- The selection of species and provenances must account for site conditions and use. Native species which are adapted to site conditions shall be preferred. Introduced species shall be considered whenever their use is justified and whose negative impacts on local ecosystems can be avoided.
- For each selected species, local community interest must be demonstrated, either for the tree’s use, conservation, and preservation, or the economic benefits of the tree products.
- Stand structural diversity and fauna and flora biodiversity must be assured.
- Planting practices must respect the ecosystem, including the reasonable use of fertilizers and pesticides.
Social benefits criteria
- Social and economic wellbeing, as well as the safety of workers, must be assured and provided with the technical knowledge necessary to perform the work.
- Participants’ roles and involvement must be clearly defined to distinguish professional work from voluntary participation. In particular, for school programs where children’s involvement is expected as part of environmental education, non-work conditions must be strictly assured.
- Gender and minority equality in employment and training practices need to be promoted.
- Indigenous peoples’ legal rights of ownership, use, and management of land, resources, customs, and culture are to be secured (a letter of approval of the project from local communities is recommended but not obligatory).
- The social, environmental, and economic welfare of communities, located within or adjacent to the project area must be maintained or improved.
- Special consideration shall be given to new opportunities for training and employment of local people, including indigenous peoples.
Project management criteria
- Projects must include physical implementation on the ground with a well-defined area.
- The project developer shall provide proof of legal title and land ownership.
- The project's developer shall provide references from at least two local companies which are participating in the funding of the project as well as from at least two institutions (public or private) that could recommend their work.
- The project's developer shall provide contacts and reviews from at least two independent forestry experts who visited the project.
- To demonstrate the condition of the project and its progress is required through monthly updates.
- The efficiency of planting techniques on tree survival rate must be proven.
- Involvement of local communities in the project’s decision processes must be assured, together with good communication of the project’s goals and benefits for the communities.
- Project developers shall produce and provide a transparent annual report that must include:
- All actions that took place on the project during the year.
- The total quantity of trees planted funded by Tree-Nation with additional information regarding species and exact location.
- A summary of monitoring data collected during the year.
- The description of how the Tree-Nation aid contributes to the project.
- A signature of the project developer to attest the truthfulness of all the information provided.