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COP26: What is it and how did it come about?

<h3>By now, it’s likely you’ve heard of COP26. You probably know that it’s happening in Glasgow, and you probably know that it’s taking place in November this year.</h3>
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In the Ecologi office, it feels like we’ve been in the run-up to COP26 for months and months &#8211; and in a way, we have, since it was originally supposed to take place last year, before being postponed by COVID-19.
Businesses in the sustainability space have been aware of COP26 for a while, and news coverage of the COP has been ample in recent weeks. But recently, we’ve noticed that there are very few outlets explaining what a ‘COP’ is, or why and how they take place &#8211; and even fewer are taking the time to discuss the history of the COPs, or how international climate collaboration has developed. It’s important to understand this so that we can appreciate how we got to where we are now, just a few short weeks away from Glasgow’s climate conference.
This mini-series will introduce you to COP26, giving a brief and abridged history of the climate conferences that have come before it. We aren’t going to cover everything &#8211; but we hope that this mini-series gives you some insight into the context of the COP and that it cuts through some of the noise and climate jargon you’ll see over the coming weeks.

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<h2>Exploring the history of the COPs</h2>
The concept of a ‘COP’ in the context of climate change emerged with the founding of the <a href="https://unfccc.int/">United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change</a> (UNFCCC) at the ‘Earth Summit’ in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
This was a conference which followed the first report of the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a> (IPCC) in 1990. (The IPCC is an international collective of climate scientists who come together regularly to summarise the state of the art in climate research.)
This IPCC report, the first “Assessment Report”, which was published two years prior to the Rio Earth Summit, had laid out a scientific consensus for some of the core principles of climate change:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">That atmospheric ‘greenhouse gases’ (GHGs) cause a planetary warming effect;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">That human activities are increasing the concentration of GHGs in the atmosphere;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">That taken together, items (1) and (2) will contribute to further warming of the planet through a heightened greenhouse effect.</li>
</ol>

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The UNFCCC was founded in 1992 in order to establish an international forum for collaboration on climate change, and to “prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system”. The <a href="https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-convention/what-is-the-united-nations-framework-convention-on-climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNFCCC treaty itself</a> laid out a framework for international collaboration on climate &#8211; setting out the playing field and establishing the rules for the ways in which these state and non-state actors could come together to discuss climate change.
Conferences of the Parties to the original agreement &#8211; or ‘COPs’ &#8211; would take place on an annual basis, for nations, transnational organisations, NGOs and others to come together to discuss the latest developments and negotiate collective action on climate change.
COP1 took place in Berlin in 1995, and subsequent COPs have taken place annually ever since &#8211; with the exception of 2020, where the COP <a href="https://unfccc.int/news/cop26-postponed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was delayed to the COVID-19 pandemic</a>. The COP that was due to take place that year was meant to be hosted in Glasgow, and it was postponed until November 2021; and its number was 26.
Because of this rich back story, in order to fully understand Glasgow’s upcoming COP in its proper context, we ought to go back and revisit some of the key COPs (and other environmental conferences) that have already taken place. Some of these &#8211; like the Paris Agreement or the Kyoto Protocol &#8211; you might have heard of, whereas others you may not have come across before.
Understanding where we have travelled in international climate collaboration to date will give us the context to understand what COP26 will look like, and what we can expect its outcomes to be.

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<h2>What happened at the COPs that came before?</h2>
Here’s a brief timeline of just some of the key international environmental conferences to date:
1963 &#8211; Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) 
1982 &#8211; United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) 
1985 &#8211; Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer 
1987 &#8211; Montréal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer 
1992 &#8211; United Nations Conference on Environment and Development  (‘Rio Earth Summit’) 
1997 &#8211; Kyoto Protocol (COP 3) 
2009 &#8211; Copenhagen Accord (COP 15 / CMP 5*) 
2011 &#8211; Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (COP 17 / CMP 7*) 
2012 &#8211; United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (‘Rio+20’) 
2015 &#8211; United Nations Sustainable Development Summit 
2015 &#8211; Paris Agreement (COP 21 / CMP 11*) 
2021 &#8211; Glasgow COP 26 / CMP 16* / CMA 3**
*conferences marked CMP include meetings of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol
**conferences marked CMA include meetings of the Parties to the Paris Agreement

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Across these conferences, important concepts and frameworks in climate change and sustainability became prominent and were developed &#8211; some of which, nowadays, we are very familiar with.
These concepts and frameworks include:
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<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">the banning of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (in Vienna, 1985 and Montréal, 1987);</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">the establishment of emissions trading schemes (in Kyoto, 1997);</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">the development of <a href="https://redd.unfccc.int/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the REDD+ framework</a> (including in Bali, 2007);</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">the concept of limiting warming to 2ºC (in Copenhagen, 2011) or to 1.5ºC (Paris, 2015);</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">and the <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UN Sustainable Development Goals</a> (in 2012) &#8211; and indeed, their predecessor, the Millennium Development Goals, in 2000.</li>
</ul>

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<h2>How climate agreements develop over time</h2>
The timeline above gives an image of how international commitments to climate action have developed &#8211; and grown more complex &#8211; over time.
Before Rio in 1992, there were only disparate international treaties on specific global environmental challenges, like the <a href="https://www.iucn.org/theme/marine-and-polar/our-work/international-ocean-governance/unclos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">governance of the oceans (UNCLOS)</a>, or the <a href="https://cites.org/eng/disc/what.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cross-border movement of endangered species (CITES)</a>, and no overarching frameworks under which climate cooperation could take place.
The establishment of the UNFCCC in 1992 meant that COPs could take place, bringing together hundreds of nations and transnational entities (like the European Union) to discuss climate change.
With the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 having established legally binding emissions reduction targets, CMPs (meetings of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol) could take place simultaneously at the COPs, bringing together signatories to discuss progress against these reductions targets.
With the Paris Agreement in 2015 establishing nationally determined contributions (‘NDCs’) to emissions reductions and a ‘ratchet mechanism’ to increase the ambition of these NDCs every 5 years, CMAs (meetings of the Parties to the Paris Agreement) began to take place as well. 
Nowadays, some COPs &#8211; like Glasgow’s COP26 &#8211; also host CMPs and CMAs.
This all means that Glasgow itself is COP26 / CMP16 / CMA3, meaning that within the same two week period in Glasgow there will be meetings and negotiations between the signatories of Kyoto, Paris, and of course the UNFCCC from Rio.
Though we haven’t focused on it in this article, the Rio Earth Summit was also where the separate Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was established, with its own COPs meeting biennially, to safeguard the biodiversity of species &#8211; with CBD COP15 taking place soon as well.
All this demonstrates how international environmental conferences have gotten ever more complex over time &#8211; involving more actors who are parties to more treaties, with ever more topics to discuss.

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<h2>Who else gets involved in the COPs?</h2>
Aside from political negotiations, other factors and tensions come into play at the COPs, since these climate conferences do not take place in a vacuum. During the conference in Paris in 2015, <a href="https://350.org/global-climate-march/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nearly 800,000 people marched for climate change worldwide</a>, demanding a just transition to 100% renewables, and that all remaining fossil fuels be left in the ground.
At the time of COP21, the city itself was also on high alert, as just two weeks prior, the terror attacks at the Bataclan theatre and on the streets of Paris had taken place. Activists who had travelled to Paris for the conference were banned from congregating, and voices &#8211; particularly from the Global South, often from the countries most affected by and least responsible for climate change &#8211; were shut out. The gripping documentary film <a href="http://www.notwithoutusmovie.com/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Not Without Us</a> tells the stories of some of the activists on the ground in Paris during COP21.
Aside from grassroots activists, plenty of others also get involved at the COPs. Journalists descend on the host cities, charities and NGOs attend as delegates, commercial interests battle for flattering PR coverage, local businesses scramble to accommodate the rush of visitors, politicians write themselves into history books with grand claims about the future of the human race, and regrettably, big polluters use the conferences <a href="https://www.ecosia.org/search?q=cop26+greenwashing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as an opportunity to greenwash themselves</a>.
So really, the COPs are a melting pot. Whilst a lot of the news coverage you’ll see during the conference will concern the negotiations and their outcomes, there will be a great deal more going on behind the scenes, and on the streets of Glasgow.

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<h2>What makes COP26 remarkable?</h2>
It’s likely that COP26 is the most eagerly awaited climate conference ever.
Glasgow is the first opportunity to see the ‘ratchet mechanism’ from Paris in action &#8211; compelling signatory countries to <a href="https://www.climatewatchdata.org/2020-ndc-tracker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increase the ambition of the nationally-determined contributions</a> they agreed to in Paris.
As yet, it’s unclear how these ratcheted NDCs will take shape, and it is likely that nations who fail to commit to (and follow through with) robust and science-based climate policies will be heavily criticised by activists, the media, and other participating nations.
The one-year delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has only served to ramp up expectations, and within the last 12 months we have also borne witness to some of the tragic consequences of our continued emissions &#8211; consequences like historic wildfires, floods, hurricanes and more &#8211; all of which seemed unimaginable to many people only a few years ago. 
It’s likely, given the recent activations of Extinction Rebellion, Insulate Britain and others in the UK, that there will be a large activist presence in Glasgow during the conference. We can expect protests, publicity stunts, and other kinds of grassroots activity around the city &#8211; and the world &#8211; when the conference takes place in November. One march, <a href="https://cop26coalition.org/gda/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">organised by the COP 26 Coalition</a>, is organised for 6th November.

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Notably though, there will also be a great deal of important voices left out. Many activists and indigenous voices from the Global South <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58472566" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have been excluded due to political and financial barriers</a> to their attendance, such as vaccine inequity and strict border rules making them ineligible to travel to the country due to both UK and Scottish government regulations. Another issue preventing these communities from participating in COP is the eye-watering price of overnight stays in and around Glasgow during the two-week conference. At the time of writing, a quick online search produces results for hotel rooms and short-term rentals during the conference ranging between £500 and £3,000 per night.
The recent publication of the findings of <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar6/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPCC Working Group I’s contribution</a> to the Sixth Assessment Report (entitled The Physical Science Basis) has only further stressed the urgency of the climate crisis and put more pressure on the parties at COP to take concrete action on climate.
The wording in the latest report gives the starkest warning yet of the unequivocal consensus among scientists that the time to take dramatic and permanent action to reduce emissions is now &#8211; and all this takes place in the context of numerous loud and clear acknowledgements that current national commitments <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/united-nations-antonio-guterres-berlin-patricia-espinosa-paris-b1922220.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are woefully insufficient</a> to limit warming to the 1.5ºC limit from Paris.
All of these factors suggest that COP26 is going to be worth paying attention to. It is likely to be a remarkable couple of weeks up in Scotland, and the outcomes from the COP will likely define international climate action over the next several years &#8211; years which we know to be pivotal in our ongoing fight to limit warming as much as possible.
Our team will be closely following all the developments from Glasgow. We’ll be publishing regular updates from each day of the COP proceedings, helping you to make sense of these complex and politically-charged climate negotiations.

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<h3>Next in this mini-series, we’ll take a look at what you should look out for at COP26.</h3>
In the next article, we will explore what to expect from the COP negotiations; explain the way the conference proceedings and surrounding activities will take place in Glasgow; show you how to spot and call out the corporate greenwashing which is bound to take place at COP; and also discuss the many voices that have been excluded from Glasgow, which as a result will unfortunately not heard on the world stage.
The second and final part in our run-up-to-COP article series &#8211; <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/what-will-happen-at-cop26" target="_blank" rel="noopener">What to look out for at COP26</a> &#8211; can be viewed here. 
Find out how we <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/in-depth/world-leaders-cop26" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offset all the world leaders&#8217; travel to COP26</a>.
<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/plan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up today to take real climate action with Ecologi</a>.

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Earth Overshoot Day 2022

This year’s Earth Overshoot Day falls on 28 July 2022. Here’s a look at what <a href="https://www.overshootday.org/newsroom/country-overshoot-days/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Earth Overshoot Day</a> is, what it means for our environment and how we can help move this date.

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Earth Overshoot Day marks the date in the calendar when the human demand for Earth’s natural resources exceeds what the planet can generate within a year. Put simply, once we’ve passed Earth Overshoot Day, it’s a clear indication that we are using the Earth’s resources at an unsustainable rate.  
The date is calculated on the basis of data supplied by the <a href="https://www.footprintnetwork.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global Footprint Network</a>, which determined that in 2022, we&#8217;re using as much ecological resources as if we lived on 1.75 Earths.
A country’s overshoot day is determined by working out whether its Ecological Footprint per person is less than the global biocapacity per person, which is 1.75 global hectares. If a country exceeds its allowance, it’s using resources the Earth can’t replace quickly enough.

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Who’s responsible for Earth Overshoot Day?

Every nation on the planet is responsible for Earth Overshoot Day. Each individual country’s Overshoot Day is based on their demand and use, with some nations being bigger culprits than others. However, Earth Overshoot Day is a key indication of our global resource consumption patterns, and reminds us of the collective impact each country has.
No two countries consume natural resources in the same way, so it stands to reason that their Overshoot Day will be different for many countries &#8211; some countries don’t have a determined Overshoot Day if their Ecological Footprint per person is less than the global biocapacity per person. Let’s be clear though – while an Overshoot Day later in the year may seem like a good indication, a country’s goal should be to have no determined Overshoot Day at all. Having a later Overshoot Day just means that these nations don’t take as long to exceed their allowance. 
Ideally, we wouldn&#8217;t have an Earth Overshoot Day at all, because we shouldn&#8217;t be exceeding our biological resource budget! With that being said, moving the date of Earth Overshoot Day will be a great indication of progress made on this front.

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What does Earth Overshoot Day mean for our environment?

There are many contributing factors from different industries and activities that influence Earth Overshoot Day, but some of the biggest culprits are:
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<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The amount of energy we consume, specifically non-renewables, like coal and oil. <a href="https://www.overshootday.org/solutions/energy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">We need to be investing and using renewable energy</a>, like solar and wind power and reducing our reliance on our cars.</li>
</ul>
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<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Resources required to feed the human population, and the amount of food that goes to waste. Not only does it take a lot of energy to grow the crops that feed our feed, but the cost of transporting goods from one place to another also consumes dirty energy that’s negatively impacting the environment. </li>
</ul>

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Being responsible for Earth Overshoot Day doesn’t solely lie with politicians. Every day people can do their bit to reduce the demand for Earth’s natural resources. It starts with small changes to your lifestyle and spreading the word.
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<h3>Change your eating habits</h3>
Vegan and vegetarian diets are less resource intensive. Consuming less meat and animal products, particularly beef and dairy products, and switching to plant-based alternatives can go a long way to helping. 
For example, China’s government has committed to reducing half of its meat consumption by 2030, which would shrink humanity’s Ecological Footprint by 377 million global hectares, and move the date of Earth Overshoot Day back 5 days. This figure also includes methane emissions from cow flatulence. 
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<h3>Waste not, want not</h3>
Some 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year, which equates to about a third of all food produced to feed humans. What’s more, roughly 40% of the food goes to waste in the United States. According to the UN, cutting the world’s food waste by half would move Overshoot Day by nearly two weeks.
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<h3>Rethink your energy consumption</h3>
57% of humanity’s Ecological Footprint comes from carbon. By reducing carbon from humanity’s Ecological Footprint in half changes our consumption of 1.75 of Earth’s resources, right down to 1.1 and moves the date of Overshoot Day by nearly three months.

The key to success is using the Earth’s resources effectively and sustainably, and the good news is that simple changes to our lifestyles can make a huge difference in eradicating the concept of Earth Overshoot Day. 
Let’s use this year’s Earth Overshoot Day to serve as a clear call to action for more sustainable resource use by collectively focusing our efforts on safeguarding Earth’s resources through ecological restoration, GHG reduction, and supporting initiatives, businesses, and politicians that put the planet first.
We all have a part to play in collectively ensuring a sustainable future 🌎
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<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/plan">Sign up today to take climate action with Ecologi</a>.

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Our B Corp journey

Ecologi is a <a href="https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">B Corp</a> through and through. Our DNA is based on a commitment to people and planet, not just profit, and the desire to run an ethical business is in our bones. Our whole ethos of <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/collective-action" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collective action</a> to reverse climate change just wouldn’t work any other way. But becoming a recognised B Corp is no stroll in the park. It’s been a long, sometimes tough, but totally worth it journey. Here’s our story:

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From the day we were first founded in 2018 we knew we just had to become a B Corp. The B Corp movement exists to make business a force for good in the world by prioritising people and planet. Ecologi was set up to give individuals and businesses the power to take on the Earth’s climate crisis. The overlap was huge, and we knew we had the heart, soul and spirit of a B Corp from the word go.

Being a B Corp is a real badge of honour, which isn’t an automatic given just because you believe you run a moral business. You have to <a href="https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/certification" target="_blank" rel="noopener">really prove</a> that the business you run stands for everything that B Corp entails, a requirement that rightly ensures the integrity of the certification. So, in 2019, we set off on our B Corp journey to prove we had what it takes. 
More than two years and 200 fairly detailed questions on how Ecologi is run later, we finally made it official! In December 2021 we announced to the world that we were an accredited B Corp. It was a long process, it was stressful at times, but it was a great learning opportunity that helped us to reassess our performance and plan even better things for the future.

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What was even better than tying the B Corp knot was to have completed the assessment process with a B Impact score of 123.7. To put that into context, most businesses achieve a score of around 80. We told you we were meant to be a B Corp 😉 
Andy Hawkins, Chief Purpose Officer, Business On Purpose (B Leader), had this to say: 
“Supporting Ecologi through their impact assessment has been an inspiration – their commitment to transparency and improving impact was brilliant.”

When we became a B Corp we joined 4,000 (now almost 5,000) <a href="https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/find-a-b-corp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">other businesses</a> committed to the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance. B Corps promote full public transparency and legal accountability to strike the right ethical balance between profit and purpose. It’s an illustrious list that includes the likes of <a href="https://www.toms.com/uk/impact-emea/planet-emea.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TOM’s</a>, <a href="https://uk.keepcup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KeepCup</a>, <a href="https://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patagonia</a>, and <a href="https://www.benjerry.com/about-us/b-corp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben &amp; Jerry’s</a>, to name but a few.

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Once certified, B Corp signs a legally binding agreement to always consider the impact of their decisions on their stakeholders. And in the eyes of B Corp, those stakeholders include everyone; from the company’s employees, to their suppliers, to the community around them, and even to the environment they exist in. We were proud to make this very commitment and to be among the ethical leaders of the business world.

After becoming certified, things really ramped up in the best way possible! Just this month we’ve been recognised as a <a href="https://bcorporation.uk/best-for-the-world-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Best for the World™ 2022</a> B Corp in two categories! Every year, B Lab recognises <a href="http://bcorporation.net/best-for-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the top-performing B Corps</a> in the five impact areas they assess when awarding B Corp accreditation (Community, Customers, Environment, Governance, and Workers). The global top 5% in each size group and impact area are named as ‘Best For The World’. Our scores were in the top 5% for both Environment and Governance impact areas. And we’re just getting started.

By taking on the mantle of a ‘<a href="https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/news/press/b-lab-announces-2022-best-world-b-corps" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Best For The World</a>’ B Corp, we are aware of our responsibility to model the kind of business we all need to see in the world. We want to prove that competing to not just be the best in the world, but the best for the world, is possible and is a winning business strategy. 
So we’ll continue to work hard and do even better as an equitable, inclusive and progressive business, while encouraging others to <a href="https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/movement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">join the movement</a> and do the same. By working hand in hand with both our own community and the global B Corp community, we aim to improve and make an even bigger impact on the world next year.
Here’s to the next chapter of our B Corp journey…
If you’re not already part of our business community why not see how Ecologi can <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/overview?gclid=Cj0KCQjw_viWBhD8ARIsAH1mCd7jQcOdK334lo9YJB0SGJY0t7IBb7Yg2EkPyMzvivW9n6pyRIAocC8aAvPTEALw_wcB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">help your business</a> offset its emissions and get started on its net-zero journey? If you&#8217;re already partnering with us you can give your impact a boost at any time from <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/profile" target="_blank" rel="noopener">your profile</a>.

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Our third year in numbers

Have you ever wanted to visualise the good you’re doing, or wondered just how much of a positive impact you’ve had on the planet by being a member of Ecologi? Well, these are the kinds of things we think about a lot! 
One year might not seem like a very long time at all, but over the course of just 12 months we’ve been able to create real and positive change by helping our 35,247 brilliant Ecologi members to take meaningful climate action.
This was also the year in our history when <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/ecologi-b-corp-company" target="_blank" rel="noopener">we became a B Corporation</a>, and were recognised as one of the <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6952919728751276032/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Best for the World™ B Corps of 2022</a> in two categories.
Having just passed our third birthday on July 15th 2022, we’ve pulled together some key numbers that illustrate the Ecologi community’s amazing achievements since the beginning.

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This is one of our favourite metrics to track &#8211; not just because this number is growing at an incredible rate, but also because of the huge array of benefits for people, biodiversity and the planet that this number represents. The total number of trees our community has funded for planting is 45,057,949 &#8211; with 27,406,893 trees funded since our last birthday.
Thanks to the incredible quality of the reforestation work being done by our <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/get-to-know-our-reforestation-partners#!" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trusted planting partners</a>, these benefits extend well beyond just environmental gains, covering social benefits too like gender equality, education, and livelihood protection. 
At Ecologi, it’s non-negotiable that all of our reforestation projects are community-driven. Our partners all work closely with local communities to establish planting sites and design planting strategies which will ensure that local people feel a sense of ownership and pride in the success of the project, and further instils recognition and enjoyment of the co-benefits that stem from the thriving environment created. By creating alternative sources of income derived from the healthy habitats they are helping to restore, communities can thrive alongside the trees that might once have been destined for deforestation. Over time, the impact of the restored land continues to increase as biodiversity returns, and the local community are able to reap the benefits of these projects for generations to come.
It’s always helpful to visualise the number of trees we’ve funded for planting this year in real terms to get some perspective on how amazing this achievement is. We calculated that our weighted average tree density is 77.69 sq km &#8211; which is about 1.3 times the size of New York’s Manhattan Island. This means that we’ve funded the planting of enough trees to cover the whole of Manhattan Island, and then some!

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At the end of our first year in 2020, we had reached a total of just under 100,000 verified tonnes of emissions reduced. This number more than quadrupled by the end of our second year, when we reached a total of just under 450,000 verified tonnes of CO2e reduced.
Now, at the end of our third year in operation, we’ve funded verified emissions reductions totalling 2,078,672 tonnes &#8211; that’s quadruple the amount we were able to reduce the previous year &#8211; it’s both mind-boggling and motivating to know we can have such an impact over just 12 months! According to the <a href="https://data.cdp.net/Emissions/2021-City-wide-Emissions/tmta-7i7p/data" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CDP’s 2021 City-wide Emissions</a> data, that’s approximately equivalent to 6.4% of London’s annual emissions, or 117.5% of Oslo’s annual emissions! 
All the CO2e emissions that we reduce are done through the purchasing and retiring of carbon credits from projects that are verified by top carbon standards &#8211; either the <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/what-is-the-gold-standard-carbon-offset" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gold Standard</a> or the <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/what-is-the-verified-carbon-standard#!" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Verified Carbon Standard</a>. An additional layer of scrutiny that we introduced this year was <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/updates/weve-teamed-up-with-carbon-intelligence-platform-sylvera" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teaming up with Sylvera</a>, a carbon intelligence platform, to ​​independently assess the quality of the nature-based carbon reduction projects we support. This ensures that we’re supporting some of the most impactful carbon reduction projects in the world.
The combined benefit of our climate impact projects is huge &#8211; but as a global community, we still have a long way to go to secure 1.5ºC or “well under” 2ºC rise in global temperatures as required by the IPCC, and discussed in their <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/in-depth/whats-in-the-new-ipcc-report-and-what-does-it-mean" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest report</a>. Ecologi continues to support projects that directly contribute to restoring nature and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and we’re so proud of how our community’s impact has grown over these first three years.

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Our <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/climate-positive-workforce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Climate Positive Workforce®</a> subscription allows businesses to offset the lifestyle emissions of their employees through verified carbon reduction projects, and also plant trees on their behalf.
This number represents all the businesses who, often as part of their wider sustainability efforts, are dedicated to ensuring that their employees are having a positive impact on the planet. These businesses are making a fantastic contribution towards Ecologi’s mission to <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/collective-action" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collectively reduce half of global carbon emissions by 2040</a>.

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Taking climate action should be accessible and easy as you go about your daily life; climate action at your fingertips is what we’re all about. Last year, we developed an app that enables stores hosted on Shopify to easily add trees to their impact profiles. 
So far, our <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/product/automatic-tree-planting-via-shopify" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tree-planting API</a> has allowed well over 2,000 partner stores to plant trees alongside selling their wares. This is a great example of how businesses can embrace ease and agility in their approach to tackling climate change, much like <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/bother" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bother</a>, <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/revolutionfoodslimited#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Revolution Foods</a>, and <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/wolfandmoon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wolf and Moon</a> have done. 
To learn more about our business integrations, see <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/integrations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

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Ahead of its highly anticipated Beta launch, we have over 1,700 businesses on our waitlist, ready to be the first to use our powerful carbon accounting software, Ecologi Zero, which will lead them on their journey to net-zero. 
Ecologi Zero securely connects to your businesses’ accounting software to analyse your supply chain emissions in near real-time. Along with information on energy use, business travel and employee activity, Ecologi Zero will provide a breakdown of the full spectrum of your business emissions.
Attaining accurate carbon footprinting data for your business is a crucial first step towards net-zero. A detailed and accurate carbon footprint allows your business to identify areas where meaningful emission reductions can be made and provides you with the ability to make achievable emissions targets.
Carbon accounting and your businesses’ journey to net-zero doesn’t have to be daunting or complicated. If you’re interested in finding out more or signing up to our waitlist to use this powerful software, see <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/zero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

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We’re all about delivering the best climate action solutions to our community, and the past 12 months has seen our community support a host of new reforestation and carbon reduction projects.
Our tree planting efforts wouldn’t be possible without our trusted reforestation partners. As we continue to grow, it&#8217;s been a priority to be able to support more reforestation projects globally, whilst maintaining the high level of quality and integrity that we’ve always offered. It’s quite a lengthy and detailed process to ensure we partner with the best organisations out there, which is why we were so delighted to partner with four incredible new reforestation organisations this past year; <a href="https://trees.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trees for the Future</a>, <a href="https://www.globalforestgeneration.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global Forest Generation</a>, <a href="https://www.internationaltreefoundation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Tree Foundation</a>, and <a href="https://highatlasfoundation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">High Atlas Foundation</a>.
Each month, members of our community support two high-quality carbon reduction projects which have been certified by either the Gold Standard or the Verified Carbon Standard. Over the past 12 months, the types of projects we’ve funded have varied greatly, but they have one key thing in common: they’re all fantastic climate solutions. From electricity generation through <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/solar-electricity-egypt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">solar power</a>, <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/wind-power-project-in-mexico" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wind power</a>, <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/landfill-gas-to-energy-turkey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">landfill gas capture</a> and <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/waste-biomass-electricity-chile" target="_blank" rel="noopener">waste biomass</a>, to <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/preventing-deforestation-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">preventing deforestation</a>, <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/cleaner-cookstoves-in-zambia-ghana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">providing cleaner cookstoves</a>, and even <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/delhi-transport-efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">improving transport efficiency through electrifying trains</a>, the projects the Ecologi community has supported in the past year have all made big positive impacts on people and the planet.
We’re incredibly grateful for the support that our community of businesses and individuals shows us every single day. Thank you all for being part of our journey 🌿
<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/checkout" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up today</a> to take real climate action with Ecologi.

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