Methodology
How impact is estimated
We would rather publish a number you can question than a number that sounds impressive. Here is what each figure means and where it stops being certain.
Impact figures are modeled project averages and not guaranteed outcomes.
3.5 t CO2 per agroforestry system (5 trees) over 20 years
Modeled over a twenty year horizon for the mix of native timber, fruit and shrub species we plant, using project averages for growth and survival. Capture varies by species, plot, region and year.
12.5 m2 land restored per system (5 trees)
The average spacing used across our planting designs. Actual density varies with terrain, species mix and the restoration method used on a plot.
50 kg food per agroforestry system (5 trees) per year
An average yield for productive agroforestry species once mature. Young trees produce nothing for the first years, and yield varies by species, soil and rainfall.
1 family supported per 100 trees
Based on the seed collection, nursery and planting work funded per hundred trees in our partner projects. It is an average across a season, not a fixed employment figure.
Certified methodology and independent verification
Every estimate starts with data from the ground. Our partner projects survey each plot before it enters a batch: GPS location, planted species, planting method, region and batch number are recorded and matched to the contribution that funded it. Survival, growth and yield assumptions are then reviewed against partner reports and updated as new data comes in.
Our impact models follow the certified methodology of the projects we fund, not our own invention. The projects are certified under the Global Carbon Standard, which requires validation and verification by accredited independent bodies (VVBs), impact figures are verified by VeriClimate in official UN certified validation and verification reports, and carbon units are issued under the Global Carbon Standard.
The restoration is also additional. The plots we fund are degraded cattle pasture that would stay pasture without member funding, so the planting only happens because of it.
The full technical breakdown of our monitoring approach, partner workflow and data model is published on our main site.
What these numbers are not
- They are not guaranteed outcomes. Restoration happens in a real landscape, with weather, soil and time working against neat projections.
- They are not per single species claims. Our plots hold native timber species, fruit trees and shrubs planted together, and each behaves differently.
- They are not carbon offsets for members. The projects are certified under the Global Carbon Standard and carbon units are issued under that standard, but a membership is not a credit and cannot be used for compliance or offsetting claims.
- They are not fixed. Survival, growth, food yield and carbon performance vary by species, plot, region and year, and we update the model as partner data comes in.
- Registry: certified CO2 units for businesses that opt in are issued and retired in the public Global Carbon Standard registry. Individual memberships include tree planting and field records only, no CO2 rights.
What you can inspect instead
Modeled figures are estimates. Plot data is not. Every plot in the current batch was surveyed and recorded before it was assigned, so members can check the plot identifier, GPS coordinates, planted species, planting region, batch number and assignment status of the trees their contribution funded.
Who publishes this
These figures are published by the entity below. Questions and corrections are welcome at info@climate-cooperative.com.
- Legal entity name
- Climate Cooperative
- Entity type
- Cooperative pending formal incorporation
- Registration number
- Chamber of Commerce 92116310
- Contact email
- info@climate-cooperative.com