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Impact Reports

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As 2022 begins, it’s time once more to review our impact over the past twelve months.
2021 was a rollercoaster year for Ecologi &#8211; a year which saw us <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/ecologi-b-corp-company" target="_blank" rel="noopener">become a B Corp</a>, join the <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/were-a-un-decade-on-ecosystem-restoration-actor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration</a>, and <a href="https://www.crowdcube.com/companies/ecologi/pitches/bM0E5Z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">become part-owned by our community</a>.
In the early Summer, we announced the conclusion of our first round of investment, <a href="https://medium.com/building-ecologi/ecologi-chapter-2-ebaf66d1dbb9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which raised £4m, led by General Catalyst</a> and set us on the path to scaling up our impact into the future. Our team began to grow, and whilst in January 2021 we were only around a dozen full time staff members, by the end of the year our team with a dream was over 35 strong.
November 2021 also saw a small team from Ecologi travel to Glasgow, to COP26. As well as providing <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/what-was-agreed-at-cop26" target="_blank" rel="noopener">daily reporting and analysis</a> about the key developments in Glasgow, the team’s activities during COP included providing carbon-free transportation around Glasgow in Ecologi-branded ‘Pedicabs’, collaborating with climate activists and educators including <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CV7WtsOjJr0/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Isaias Hernandez</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CWc5n2aj22H/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alice Aedy</a>, and joining thousands of youth strikers to march for the planet.
As the end of 2021 came into sight, we had another fantastic achievement to share with our community, as <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/ecologi-b-corp-company" target="_blank" rel="noopener">we passed our B Impact Assessment</a> and became a certified B Corp. The whole team was thrilled to have scored 123.7 points in our assessment, and are proud to join over 4,000 other businesses committed to putting people and planet first.
We also wrapped up <a href="https://www.crowdcube.com/companies/ecologi/pitches/bM0E5Z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our crowdfunding campaign</a>, which saw 2,760 investors join us in our journey, raising an additional £4.3 million and sharing ownership of the organisation with our community. We were blown away by the enthusiasm of our community and cannot thank those who invested enough for supporting our vision to help restore the planet.

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<h3>Climate news</h3>
In the world of climate science, few developments in 2021 commanded as much attention as <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_Full_Report_smaller.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the publication of the latest IPCC report</a> in August. This was the Working Group I (WGI) contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), relating to how the climate is changing, and what is causing it to do so.
The report highlights the unequivocal truth that human activity has warmed the planet and its atmosphere, and noted that global targets of keeping mean temperature rise below 1.5°C will not be met without “deep reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions”. The IPCC report <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/08/1097362" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was considered “code red for humanity”</a> by UN Secretary General, António Guterres, and it came at a time when we were witnessing the impact of warming across the world in 2021, with extreme weather impacting millions of lives around the world.
After global greenhouse gas emissions fell in 2020, projections anticipate that <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/global-energy-review-2021/co2-emissions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emissions will have risen again by 4.8% by the end of 2021</a>. This is disappointing, but would mean that we have not yet returned to peak emissions reached in 2019. We are hopeful that we can collectively apply lessons learned throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, when emissions dropped, to ensure that global emissions fall in the coming years even as the global economy picks up pace again.
<h3>A changing landscape of climate action</h3>
After being delayed a year, COP26 was labelled by many as the world’s last chance to avert a climate catastrophe, so there was a lot of pressure on delegates to deliver. While the final text of the Glasgow Climate Pact that resulted from the COP was <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/what-was-agreed-at-cop26" target="_blank" rel="noopener">less ambitious than many had hoped</a>, there were clear advances on previous COPs, and multilateral pledges on <a href="https://ukcop26.org/glasgow-leaders-declaration-on-forests-and-land-use/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ceasing deforestation</a> and <a href="https://www.globalmethanepledge.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reducing methane emissions</a> gave some hope that our representatives are finally starting to understand the urgency of taking concrete action.
As attention turned towards climate change at major global events and due to extreme weather conditions, individuals and businesses looked for ways to reduce their impact on the planet. The publication of a formal criteria for net-zero, <a href="https://sciencebasedtargets.org/net-zero/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">by the Science-Based Targets initiative</a>, provides a new and robust framework for businesses to reduce and neutralise their impact on climate. Increased demand for carbon credits by sustainability-conscious organisations <a href="https://carboncredits.com/carbon-prices-today/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">caused carbon prices to rise even faster</a> than they already were. 
Ecologi’s response to all this is to keep pushing, with renewed resolve, towards our goal &#8211; halving global greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. In 2022, we’ve got our sights set on scaling the range and depth of impact we have around the world. 
But first, it’s time to reflect on the incredible year that was 2021.

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By the end of 2021, our amazing community had funded the planting of a staggering 30,209,850 trees. This means that, across 2021, the Ecologi community funded just under 24 million trees.

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As our community continues to grow, so does our recurring impact &#8211; by the end of 2022, we could be looking at over 80 million trees funded and ready for planting.

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In 2021, we were hugely excited to start working with new reforestation partners, and to support planting at new reforestation sites around the world. See a few photos from our newest supported sites below.

Eden employees tending to seedlings in Tendwet nursery, where trees for the Kass FM project are being grown. Two local nurseries have been set up to nurture seedlings to be planted in this project.

Photo from Eden Reforestation Projects.

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Kenya

Trees for Kass FM are being grown in two local nurseries - Tendwet and Nkoben. They are run by local people employed by our partner, Eden Reforestation Projects.

Photo from Eden Reforestation Projects.

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Seedlings ready to be planted by Eden employees. The seedlings are carefully grown in the nursery until they reach a big enough size to survive in the ground, with roots long and healthy enough to ensure the plant gets all the nutrients and water it needs.

Photo from Eden Reforestation Projects.

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The Mbale project helps restore degraded farmland by planting trees. The trees help keep the soil healthy, preventing desertification, and helping farmers grow more nutritious food.

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Uganda

The trees help restore soils, improving nutrient availability and water availability for crops. Planting trees can bring lots of life back to the land.

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In Irregele Milato, Mozambique, mangroves are being planted by Eden employees. These mangroves help protect coastal communities from flooding, and support both terrestrial and marine life.

Photo from Eden Reforestation Projects.

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Mozambique

Healthy mangrove forests support lots of biodiversity. Their roots form part of fantastic habitats for marine creatures. 

Photo from Eden Reforestation Projects.

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New projects

As our community grows and continues to fund more and more trees, we are planning to develop further partnerships to get these trees in the ground. Beginning with our latest new partner, <a href="https://trees.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trees For The Future</a> in Autumn 2021, we are now in the process of onboarding a further three partners in the first quarter of 2022, with more later in the year.
As the range and scope of our reforestation efforts continues to evolve, we can’t wait to share more stories from the field to help bring you closer to the projects your contributions are supporting.

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Whilst we keep track of how many trees have been funded for planting, it always takes a little while before the trees we’ve funded are planted &#8211; depending on planting seasons and local conditions, for example.
As of the end of 2021, our partners have reported the successful planting of 9,953,727 trees on behalf of the Ecologi community so far, and we have <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dACvzjE5nBE1cKZBAhYzsUa7rIiLJqCWXVgY4bNS8_Q/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already placed orders</a> for the next several million trees too, based on the dedicated reforestation funding from our community in 2021. 
Here are some of our key planting updates in 2021:

Our beautiful mangrove trees in Madagascar have been growing well over the last year! From starting out as propagules that look a bit like sticks, we're so pleased to see them thriving with lots of new, healthy leaves.

Photo from Eden Reforestation Projects.

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Madagascar

Woolly pigs out in the snow at Future Forest Company's Brodoclea site. Since this year's piglets were born there are now over 200 woolly pigs who call this site their home. They are helping to trample bracken and restore biodiversity to the area.

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Scotland

Sam from Ecologi with David from the Future Forest Company, when some of the Ecologi Team visited Brisbane Mains in November. The Ecologi team had a great time visiting the site, and even planted some trees themselves!

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A beautiful new Oak tree planted in Brisbane Mains. This Oak tree, along with all the others funded by the Ecologi community, will play a crucial role in restoring the natural habitat.

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GPS-tagged photo from the Bosawas site in Nicaragua. This site has been fully funded, with almost a quarter of a million trees funded by our community!

Photo from Eden Reforestation Projects.

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Nicaragua

Unfortunately a wildfire destroyed some trees in Changalane. They have since been replaced. The Eden employees responded quickly to prevent further losses.

Photo from Eden Reforestation Projects.

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Updates

Our reforestation projects directly supported 1,026 livelihoods in 2021, either through employment (such as in planting, forest protection and plant nursery staff) or engagement with long-term forest restoration training programmes.
As well as expanding to new sites and partners in 2022, we are looking forward to developing new ways to leverage technology to bring you closer to the projects. You can expect more maps, drone footage, satellite images, and, COVID-permitting, stories from our own team’s visits to some of our supported forest restoration sites.

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The trees we’ve planted this year are young, and are not part of programmes verified to a carbon standard (therefore they cannot be used for carbon accounting or carbon offsetting). However, we do like to help our community to visualise the approximate impact of the trees, quantified in terms of their lifetime carbon drawdown potential. To do this, we’ll use a very simplified illustrative calculation.
Taking the weighted average tree mix across our platform, and peer-reviewed literature for the sequestration potential of healthy ecosystems using the species in this tree mix, we estimate that the figure for emissions to be sequestered by the trees funded by the Ecologi community so far, over their lifetime, is around 2.72 million tonnes &#8211; that’s about equivalent to the emissions produced by four million <a href="https://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/CarbonOffset/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">round trips between London and New York</a>. 
This will likely be the last time we’ll use this back-of-a-napkin approach to totting up the carbon from our trees in our reports, as another of our Impact team’s goals for 2022 is to provide our community with more substantial estimates of the amount of carbon emissions reduction our work is producing, and how we are tracking against our mission to reduce 50% of projected global emissions in 2040, by 2040. There are also new areas of climate impact we hope to introduce to our platform in 2022 as well, with a view to also providing substantiated carbon drawdown estimates for these projects too.

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In December 2021, we passed a huge milestone, reaching 1 million verified tonnes of carbon reductions funded by our community. We’ve been anticipating cracking our first million tonnes of carbon retired since the very beginning, and this will no doubt be the first of many.
By the end of the year, the Ecologi community had funded the reduction of carbon emissions totalling 1,122,621 tonnes, the equivalent of the emissions produced to power over 200,000 American homes for a year, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">or to charge a smartphone 136 million times</a>.

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Whilst the number of tonnes of carbon reduced is vital, so too is the quality of the projects our community supports.
We carefully select projects we purchase carbon credits from to make sure our community is having the largest positive impact possible. One thing that helps to identify the best projects, aside from being Gold Standard or Verified Carbon Standard certified, is the number of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that a project contributes toward. Every project we support contributes to SDG number 13 &#8211; Climate Action. But we also look at which other SDGs projects contribute toward. 
On average, the carbon reduction projects we supported back in 2020 contributed to 3.67 of the UN’s SDGs, but in 2021, through careful selection of the projects we have funded, we were able to increase this average, so that each project we supported in 2021 contributed to an average 5.11 Sustainable Development Goals.
Aside from SDG 13 (Climate Action), the most common SDG co-benefit among our projects this year was <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SDG 8 – Decent Work &amp; Economic Growth</a> (verified in 71.4% of our projects), followed by <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SDG 7 – Affordable &amp; Clean Energy</a> (64.3%), and <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal15" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SDG 15 – Life on Land</a> (42.9%).

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In 2021, we also supported our first project that has been verified with impacts towards all 17 of the Sustainable Development Goals &#8211; a <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/protecting-lowland-peat-forest-in-indonesia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">peatland conservation project in Indonesia</a>. Through multiple local initiatives supporting access to clean water, education, biodiversity and many other things, this project is bringing countless benefits to local communities.
In total, 2021 saw us support 28 carbon reduction projects in 18 countries, with the largest proportion of projects being in South and Central America (29% of projects), followed closely by Southeast Asia (25%).

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Throughout 2021, the Ecologi community supported 10 different kinds of carbon emission reduction projects. The most common project type we supported was <a href="https://drawdown.org/solutions/forest-protection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forest protection</a>, making up 25% of the projects, followed by <a href="https://drawdown.org/solutions/landfill-methane-capture" target="_blank" rel="noopener">landfill gas capture</a> (18%).
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2022 is sure to be another exciting year for Ecologi. The scale of our community’s impact &#8211; in terms of trees funded and tonnes of carbon reduced &#8211; is only going to increase, and we can’t wait to work with new partners on new projects throughout the year.
As well as all the exciting developments and updates across our platform which we’ve already mentioned, we are also working on expanding the range of climate impact solutions we offer for our community to support. Beyond tree planting and carbon reductions, <a href="https://drawdown.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">we know there are plenty more ways</a> we can help our community protect the planet, so keep your eyes peeled for some exciting announcements in the next couple of months.
Finally, as an epic year of collective climate action comes to an end, we want to thank everyone who has contributed to the success of the Ecologi community over the last 12 months. Each and every contribution amplifies our collective impact, and brings the greener and safer planet we all dream of that little bit closer. Together we will continue to drive real climate action in 2022.

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Hopescrolling: The good news timeline

It’s not all bad. While there’s a lot of negative news about the climate, let’s not forget the good stuff. Find climate wins, reasons to be hopeful and plenty of positivity in our good news timeline.

The good news timeline

Ready to make a difference for our planet? Get in touch, and let’s chat about how we can help you on your climate journey. 

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Ecologi Impact Funds: A new way to support climate action

We’ve just launched our much anticipated product, <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/solutions/impact-funds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecologi Impact Funds</a>, a new way to maximise your business climate impact by funding multiple high-quality projects in one go whilst also spreading residual risk.
In this deep-dive, we’ll explore:
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<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">What is an Impact Fund; </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Why they are best for our planet and how they fit into your net-zero journey;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The difference between carbon compensation and contribution approaches;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Why your business should start contributing to Impact Funds today.</li>
</ul>

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<h2>What is an Impact Fund?</h2>
Our new Ecologi Impact Funds maximise your business climate impact by funding multiple high-quality projects in one go while also spreading residual risk. 
 
The Ecologi Impact funds are carefully curated project cohorts centred around a particular theme or climate intervention. Each of our Impact Funds is carefully designed to drive progress against our three key pillars of impact: 

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<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Climate: Reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Nature: Conserving and restoring nature and natural systems</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">People: Transforming society and improving lives</li>
</ol>
When you contribute towards an Impact Fund, you’re not just funding a single project in a single location. You’ll be funding a cohort of multiple different projects which might be based all over the world – but all centred around driving transformative action for our climate, nature, and people.
The cohort of projects we support within each Ecologi Impact Fund is dynamic, meaning that some projects will receive support from the Fund over an extended period, and others will receive individual grants. All projects contribute to the Fund’s core aims, and all projects are carefully vetted and selected by our expert team.

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<h2>Why are Impact Funds best for our planet?</h2>
When we think about the existing models of financing climate and nature projects, the focus is usually on one of two things: either inputs (like paying to plant trees), or certification (like carbon credits). Both of these are critical vehicles for channelling funding to incredible projects, but they don’t tell the whole story.
Take tree-planting, for example. To establish and maintain an impactful forest restoration or agroforestry project takes so much more than just planting the trees. Any one of Ecologi’s partner reforestation projects is actually doing far more than simply planting trees – and all of this costs money, which has to fit into the project’s budget. For example, project designs and associated budgets might include all of this (and more):
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<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Securing land tenure;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Communications and campaigns;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Logistics, vehicles and transport; </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Seed collection or acquisition;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Tree nurseries and infrastructure;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Staff salaries and technical training;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Community services and outreach;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Energy provision;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Tools and safety equipment;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Leadership training and capacity building;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Reinvestment into the local community;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Fencing and other critical infrastructure;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Water and irrigation;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Project monitoring and evaluation;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Outplanting of trees;</li>
</ul>
If, when we support these projects, we as funders are only thinking about this last bullet point – thinking about our role as simply “paying to plant trees” – then we are neglecting to recognise the incredible effort that goes into the truly holistic programme required to restore nature sustainably and at scale. At best, this is simple tunnel vision. But at worst, this means funders risk thinking that the only thing that’s important is how many trees were planted within the project boundary.
Our Impact Funds help to transform this mindset: decoupling funding from inputs and instead centring our thinking around strategic, thematic and carefully-curated project cohorts means that implementation partners receiving the funding are able to focus on producing restorative outcomes for ecosystems and communities. They also help our customers to understand that what we are doing in supporting restorative projects is not tit-for-tat – it’s us playing our part to restore our planet by supporting a blended range of projects which we acknowledge will have a holistic impact.
So through Ecologi’s first new Impact Funds, we’re not focusing on ‘paying to plant trees’. We’re focusing on restoring forests and landscapes.
<h3>Leading climate science is already taking this approach</h3>
Recent publications from the Science-Based Targets initiative in <a href="https://sciencebasedtargets.org/resources/files/Above-and-Beyond-Report-on-BVCM.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">their beyond value chain mitigation (‘BVCM’) report</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.smithschool.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2024-02/Oxford-Principles-for-Net-Zero-Aligned-Carbon-Offsetting-revised-2024.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the newly-updated Oxford Principles</a> from the University of Oxford, have supported the innovative contributory approach which is exemplified in our Impact Funds. Many of our restoration partners, including <a href="https://www.internationaltreefoundation.org/news/beyond-offsets-an-alternative-approach" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Tree Foundation</a>, <a href="https://www.eden-plus.org/stories/its-time-to-go-beyond-tree-planting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eden: People + Planet</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfBVBHNpR30" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Acción Andina</a> and <a href="https://www.weforest.org/what-we-do/our-restoration-principles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WeForest</a> have taken similar stances.
Global Forest Generation noted that:
<blockquote>In some cases reforestation may only form a small part of an ecosystem restoration project. Our activities and budgets have always reflected a holistic program with many components that we have identified as essential to effective, long-term ecosystem restoration.</blockquote>
With our new Impact Funds, Ecologi is proudly joining our friends and partners to raise our voices in a call for holistic restoration for people and our planet. <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/solutions/impact-funds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Schedule a call</a> with our experts to see how your business can start contributing to the Impact Funds, or continue reading for more of a deep-dive.

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On your business’s road to net-zero, you have two central objectives:
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<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">First: measure your business’s emissions, set ambitious reduction targets, and reduce your emissions across all scopes as much as possible, as quickly as possible.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Then: support the global transition to net-zero and the restoration of nature by contributing to climate and nature projects around the world. </li>
</ol>
Ecologi’s Impact Funds can help you with step (2), by enabling you to <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/ecologi-impact-funds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">support a diverse range of projects</a> which will help to safeguard and restore nature, and scale-up carbon removal technologies. This is an alternative to traditional carbon offsetting, which is where you’d buy carbon credits equal to the emissions you produce. 
Specifically, our Impact Funds can help you align your project funding strategy to Goal #2 of the Science-Based Targets initiative’s <a href="https://sciencebasedtargets.org/resources/files/Above-and-Beyond-Report-on-BVCM.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BVCM best practice</a>, as well as centring all four of the SBTi’s core principles for BVCM: scalability, financing need, co-benefits and climate justice.

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Since 2020, at Ecologi we have also been aligning our work with the Oxford Principles, which as well as providing guidance for blended carbon credit-based portfolios which increasingly lean towards carbon removal with permanent storage, also stress the vital importance of businesses contributing to nature restoration beyond simply the purchasing of carbon credits. The Revised Oxford Principles (2024), states:
<blockquote>It is necessary to protect and restore ecosystems to achieve net zero globally and to support adaptation to climate change impacts, irrespective of whether such projects generate credits that are retired as offsets.</blockquote>
Making a contribution to Ecologi’s Impact Funds won’t reduce your emissions for you, and it won’t allow you to make compensatory green claims such as carbon neutrality. But what it will do is enable your business to do its part to support the global transition to net-zero, holistically protect and restore ecosystems, and empower people and communities – whilst you’re working on reducing your emissions.
Doing so will help you meet the BVCM criteria set out by the SBTi and Oxford Net Zero today, and we believe these contributory approaches will form the backbone of project funding obligations under new and updated standards in the future too – such as the revised SBTi Corporate Standard and the ISO Net-Zero Standard (both expected to be published in Q4 of 2025).
We can also help you if you’re looking for <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/page/schedule-a-call" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high-quality carbon removal or avoidance credits</a> for your business. And if you’re a little earlier on in your net-zero journey and you need support measuring your business’s emissions, <a href="https://zero.ecologi.com/signup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">we can help with that too</a>!

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<h2>Why should my business contribute to Impact Funds?</h2>
Best for our planet. Our first company value is Planet First — and nowhere in our work is this more prominent than in our Impact Funds. We know that this strategic, holistic way of providing funding to the world’s flagship restoration projects is the right way to support projects that address climate change, restore nature and support livelihoods. This approach is innovative, transformational, and the world’s leading restoration experts support it.
Centralise your portfolio. Through our Impact Funds, you can fund a wide range of different climate and nature projects, all in one place. All of the hard work – from project selection to outcomes reporting – is done by us. You’ll have a centralised Ecologi profile where you can visualise your impact across the Funds you’ve contributed to, and deep dive on the projects supported within them.
High-integrity, high-quality projects. Our expert in-house team selects all projects and implementation partners with great care. We’ve designed state of the art methodologies that get right to the heart of a project’s potential effectiveness, and we work tirelessly with each of our implementation partners to uphold restoration best practices and exchange knowledge. That way, you know that if a project is featured in one of our Impact Funds, it’s been carefully vetted and selected as one of the leading restoration projects anywhere.
Spread funding risk. When you support projects individually, there’s always a risk that if the project you supported doesn’t achieve its goals, you’ll feel that your contribution was wasted. Through Impact Funds, the funding you contribute is spread across a range of different projects within the Fund, meaning that even in the unlikely event that an individual project doesn’t work out, your funding will still have contributed to many projects which met or even exceeded their restorative aims.
Boost your brand. Contributing to Ecologi’s Impact Funds is an excellent way to enhance your brand’s sustainability credentials. Businesses today are increasingly expected to take action on environmental challenges, and supporting impactful projects is a powerful demonstration of your commitment to the planet. In fact, improved brand reputation is the number one driver for businesses, with over <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/climate-comittments-report-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">34% of Ecologi respondents</a> seeing their brand elevated as a result of climate action. By aligning with large-scale, verified restoration efforts, you not only meet consumer expectations but also stand out in a competitive marketplace, leaving a lasting impression on customers.
Engage and motivate your team. Supporting Ecologi’s Impact Funds aligns with the values of today&#8217;s workforce of sustainability and social responsibility; increasing satisfaction and loyalty. According to our survey, <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/climate-comittments-report-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">28% of companies</a> saw improved employee retention through prioritising climate action. By contributing to impactful projects, your business will foster a purpose-driven workplace and strengthen a culture of shared environmental values.

<h2>How to support Impact Funds today</h2>
Schedule a call with our exports today, <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/page/schedule-a-call" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. In a 30 minute discovery call they can answer any questions you may have and help find a suitable solution to suit your goals and what matters most to your business. 
<h2>Our Impact Funds</h2>
We currently offer two Impact Funds, both funding a range of incredible projects with two distinct climate goals:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">UK Climate &amp; Nature Fund &#8211; Exclusively supports restoration and carbon removal efforts in the UK, such as reforestation, habitat restoration and biochar production. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Forests &amp; Landscapes Fund &#8211; Focused on preserving and restoring natural landscapes globally, including forest restoration, agroforestry, and coastal wetland restoration.</li>
</ul>

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UK corporate sustainability standards explained

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In the guide we compare the strengths, weaknesses and approach to target setting, reporting and carbon offsets of the most commonly used sustainability frameworks.
In this guide we’ll cover;
<ul>
<li>What are Corporate Sustainability Standards</li>
<li>Which Corporate Sustainability Standards should UK businesses know</li>
<li>Requirements of PAS 2060</li>
<li>Requirements of ISO 14068-1:2023</li>
<li>Requirements of ISO 14064-1</li>
<li>Principles of BSI Flex 3030</li>
<li>What are EightVersa’s Natural Carbon Solutions</li>
<li>SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standards</li>
<li>How Ecologi can support your business in navigating the complexities of Corporate Sustainability Standards</li>
</ul>

<h2>What are Corporate Sustainability Standards</h2>
Many organisations worldwide have pledged to meet net-zero Emissions, aiming to help keep global warming below 1.5°C as agreed at COP15. These pledges are important, but they need clear guidelines and frameworks to ensure that sustainability strategies lead to real and measurable progress.
<h3>Why are there Corporate Sustainability Standards?</h3>
A variety of frameworks have been developed to support organisations on their journey to reducing carbon emissions. They help align companies with global climate goals, offering guidance on topics such as resource management, goal setting and reporting. Following these guidelines ensures that organisations act responsibly, and take accountability for their impact contributing to global efforts to combat climate change.
To reach net zero, these sustainability standards must be widely adopted to minimise the risk of organisations participating in greenwashing and contribute to collective global action to minimise the impacts of global warming.
<h2>Which Corporate Sustainability Standards should my business know about</h2>

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<h2>What is PAS 2060?</h2>
PAS 2060 was first published in 2010, it aimed to provide the requirements for achieving carbon neutrality for products and organisations alike. After 15 years in operation, PAS 2060 will be retired at the end of 2025, and superseded by ISO 14068- 1:2023.
The standard provides organisations with a methodology for measuring and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and allows for the purchasing of carbon credits to offset any emissions that can’t be reduced.
<h2>What are the requirements of PAS 2060</h2>
<h3>Measure</h3>
PAS 2060 requires organisations to first measure their carbon footprint, accounting for all Scope 1 and 2 emissions, as well as any Scope 3 emissions that constitute more than 1% of the organisation&#8217;s overall emissions.
<h3>Reduce</h3>
Organisations must then create and implement a carbon reduction plan (CRP). This plan should clearly outline specific actions and targets for reducing emissions over time.
<h3>Offset</h3>
After reducing emissions, organisations can then offset remaining emissions using third-party verified carbon credits, these can be carbon avoidance or carbon removal credits.
<h3>Document</h3>
Organisations must document their carbon neutrality initiatives in a Qualifying Explanatory Statement (QES). This should be a public document that includes key information such as the carbon footprint calculation, reduction measures and offsetting activities.
<h3>Drawbacks</h3>
PAS 2060 does not require evidence of continual improvement to the organisation&#8217;s carbon footprint, which can lead to an over-reliance on carbon offsets, as opposed to meaningful reductions in carbon emissions. Additionally, a PAS 2060 application must be accompanied by at least one year’s worth of supporting data therefore, PAS 2060 should not be considered for new clients/projects after December 2024.

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<h2>What is ISO 14068-1:2023</h2>
ISO 14068-1:2023 is a new standard under development by the British Standards Institute (BSI). As mentioned above, ISO 14068-1 replaces PAS 2060.
The standard aims to provide the requirements and guidance for achieving and demonstrating carbon neutrality. Unlike PAS 2060, the standard applies to organisations only and does not apply to products.
ISO 14068-1:2023 is a full international standard that prioritises carbon reduction initiatives. This standard requires evidence that reduction initiatives have taken place before any carbon offsetting is allowed.
<h2>What are the requirements of ISO 14068-1:2023</h2>
<h3>Measure</h3>
Organisations will need to measure their Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions under this standard.
<h3>Reduce</h3>
They will then need to set clear and ambitious targets to reduce their emissions. Whilst purchasing carbon credits to offset emissions is allowed under this standard, organisations must be able to justify why offsets were purchased instead of undertaking further emission reductions.
<h3>Offset</h3>
Carbon removal offsets are approved to offset any ‘hard to remove’ emissions, providing they are less than 5 years old. This standard does not allow for the purchasing of carbon avoidance credits.
<h3>Document</h3>
ISO 14068-1:2023 also requires a carbon reduction plan, which documents the resources necessary to successfully deliver the plan, and the individuals responsible. The continuous improvement of the subject’s carbon footprint is required to maintain a carbon-neutral status unlike PAS 2060.
<h3>Drawbacks</h3>
It could be argued that ISO 14068-1:2023 requires a deep understanding of carbon accounting, emission reduction strategies and value chain emissions. Many organisations don&#8217;t have this expertise in-house and would therefore have to appoint an external third party to support them through the process, this could result in high costs to implement this standard which new and/or small companies may not have.

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<h2>What is ISO 14064-1</h2>
ISO 14064 guides organisations in reporting their GHG emissions and removals. The primary objectives of the standard are to help organisations manage and report emissions, and set and achieve reduction targets. It is a part of the 3 part ISO 14064 standard and applies to any organisation of any size.
<h2>What are the requirements of ISO 14064-1</h2>
ISO 14064-1 is the first part of the 3-part standard, it aims to provide organisations with an approach to measure, report and verify their emissions and offsets.
<h3>Measure</h3>
Organisations must outline which emission sources and activities are included in their reporting however ISO 14064-1 does not require the reporting of Scope 3 emissions.
<h3>Reduce</h3>
ISO 14064-1 does not explicitly require organisations to reduce emissions before engaging in offsetting however it does emphasise the importance of regularly reporting GHG emissions including prioritising emission reductions.
<h3>Offset</h3>
ISO 14064-1 recognises the use of carbon offsets as a legitimate tool for managing GHG emissions however places a strong emphasis on transparency and accurate reporting. ISO 14064-1 allows for both avoidance and removal credits providing they are credible, verifiable and meet recognised standards for offset projects such as additionality and permanence.
<h3>Document</h3>
ISO 14064-1 requires an inventory management plan that outlines data collection and reporting, and regular review of the GHG inventory. Additionally, a comprehensive GHG report should be prepared to detail the organisation&#8217;s emissions and purchased offsets.
<h3>Drawbacks</h3>
ISO 14064-1 also requires a comprehensive understanding of GHG accounting. This standard is largely focused on reporting, as opposed to action. There is no mandated emission reduction meaning organisations can meet emission targets through purchasing offsets alone, limiting the overall impact on global climate change mitigation.

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<h2>What is BSI Flex 3030</h2>
BSI Flex 3030 is a set of principles that can support organisations in meeting the requirements of other initiatives such as the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). BSI Flex was developed with small businesses in mind and is primarily for use by SMEs with between 5-250 employees.
BSI Flex 3030 is also designed to work alongside formal management systems such as ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) or BS EN ISO 50001 (Energy Management). It provides high-level principles and a framework for an organisation to deliver a transition to net zero. It covers how organisations can measure their GHG baseline, set reduction targets and create a credible pathway to net zero, it does not, however, cover how to develop and maintain a formal carbon or net-zero management system which highlights its position as a high-level framework to support organisations at the start of the carbon management journey.

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<h2>Natural Carbon Solutions, Eight Versa</h2>
The purpose of Natural Carbon Solutions (NCS) is to provide businesses with a transparent way to measure, verify and evidence carbon reduction efforts. This standard covers organisations, products and events.
<h2>What are the requirements of Natural Carbon Solutions (NCS)</h2>
<h3>Measure</h3>
Under the NCS accreditation, organisations must complete a detailed assessment of all GHG emissions associated with the organisation/product/event being measured.
<h3>Reduce</h3>
NSC prioritises the reduction of emissions before any offsetting activities. The framework includes setting specific and measurable carbon reduction targets.
<h3>Offset</h3>
Offsetting emissions is considered a valid step in the journey to net-zero but only after all efforts to reduce emissions have been made. Currently, both avoidance and removal credits can be purchased to compensate for any unavoidable emissions; however looking to the future, it is likely only removal credits will be approved under this accreditation.
<h3>Document</h3>
Organisations must implement a carbon reduction plan outlining the strategies and actions required to reduce their carbon footprint. If the organisation is using carbon offsets detailed documentation must be provided evidencing the chosen project is of high quality and environmental integrity.
<h3>Drawbacks</h3>
Although this accreditation emphasises the importance of carbon reduction, there are no mandatory reduction targets in place, this could result in some organisations relying on offsets to reach net-zero.

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<h2>SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard</h2>
The purpose of the SBTi Corporate net-zero Standard is to guide companies in setting credible and measurable targets to achieve net-zero emissions. The Corporate net-zero Standard is suitable for any organisation but is particularly useful for those with large, complex operations and significant carbon emissions to ensure they commit to credible, science-based emission reduction targets.
<h2>What are the requirements of the SBTi CZS</h2>
<h3>Measure</h3>
Under the SBTi standard, companies are required to measure and record their Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.
<h3>Reduce</h3>
The standard requires organisations to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 90-95% by 2050 or earlier across Scopes 1, 2 and 3.
<h3>Offset</h3>
The STBi emphasises that companies must prioritise real emissions reductions and offsetting is only permitted for unavoidable emissions. The SBTi only allows for carbon removal offsets providing they do not form part of any near-term carbon reduction targets for organisations.
<h3>Document</h3>
Organisations are to document near-term (5-10 years) emission reduction targets including the percentage reduction and target years in addition to long term targets for reaching net-zero by 2050 with detailed plans for reducing emissions 90-95% across all scopes. This documentation will be formally submitted to the SBTi for validation will ensure they are aligned with the science based criteria for limiting global warming emissions.
Organisations must report annually on their emissions and progress towards meeting their targets, they are also required to publicly disclose their targets, progress and emission data.
<h3>Drawbacks</h3>
The SBTi corporate net-zero standard is a detailed initiative that requires a lot of time and resources. The standard also requires organisations to only purchase permanent carbon removal credits, which are typically more costly, and less widely available making this route less desirable and achievable for smaller businesses.

An overview of Corporate Sustainability Standards: 

<h2>Benefits to Corporate Sustainability Standards for your business</h2>
Navigating corporate sustainability standards can be a daunting process, with so many to choose from it’s difficult to know which is going to be right for your business. Understanding and adhering to these frameworks can be of great benefit to your organisation, driving greater transparency, economic benefits and the opportunity to contribute to global decarbonisation efforts.

<h2>Are you ready to take climate action?</h2>
Our team of experts can help your business tackle the hurdles of corporate sustainability standards in the UK. If this guide has inspired your business to start funding climate action, talk to our team today.

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