Impact Reports

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Ecologi Impact Report 2020

In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic brought about a seismic shift across all industries, as well as in individuals’ personal, professional and social lives.
Aided by the global shutdown in response to COVID-19, we saw a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, of <a href="https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/12/3269/2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">around 7% globally</a>. For the first time, humanity has been able to reduce emissions year-on-year, and if that trend were to continue, we could write down in the history books that 2019 was the year that global emissions peaked. We also now have a clear idea of what exactly is required to solve the climate emergency &#8211; the kinds of large scale collective action that will help us to mitigate the crisis.
On the other hand, considering the psychological and economic damage the global shutdown has caused, the pandemic has also produced a huge amount of climate anxiety &#8211; all this, for just a 7% drop in emissions?
As well as the pandemic shutdown, 2020 also saw other important developments in climate &#8211; from the <a href="https://www.unglobalcompact.org/take-action/20th-anniversary-campaign" target="_blank" rel="noopener">20th anniversary of the UN Global Compact</a>, to the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cop26-postponement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">postponement of COP26</a> here in the UK. Within climate, as within all industries, 2020 was a strange and challenging year.
At Ecologi, we are taking all of this to heart, and have been working tirelessly to develop our climate positive subscription products to have more impact. Luckily, we were able to adapt to online working: our in-house operations are fully remote at the present time, and thankfully our <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/">tree-planting and offset</a> projects have been able to continue operating throughout the pandemic.
Our Impact Report for 2020 shows a breakdown of the ways we have used our subscriber and B2B income to fund climate solutions, and how we have contributed to solving this most challenging of problems, in our first full-year of operation.
Despite the challenges of 2020, we are extremely proud of the massive impact we have had so far, and are optimistic and excited for 2021 to be a year of impactful and effective climate action.
If you have any questions about our impact, please contact <a href="mailto:hq@ecologi.com">hq@ecologi.com</a>.

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Over 6 million trees now funded by our subscribers

On 22nd December 2020, we funded our 6 millionth tree, ready to be planted in our planting sites around the world.
We had noted toward the end of the year that our tree count was accelerating, reaching a pace of approximately one million trees per month funded by our customers, in the run up to the festive period. The graph in Figure 1 shows the rate of growth in this regard, which we hope will continue into 2021.

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Figure 1

To put this in perspective, funding our first million trees took 9 months (surpassing the one million trees mark on 2nd March 2020). By the end of the year, it took our community of climate positive people 36 days to go from 4 million to 5 million trees, and it took only 19 days to go from 5 million to 6 million.
At the beginning of 1st January 2021, we had funded the planting of 6,419,515 trees.
Some of the end-of-year increase might be attributable to a festive bump, especially with the introduction of <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/gifting">our new gifting product</a>, which we launched in November. We don’t have the data on this yet, as we haven’t been through enough Christmases(!) but we anticipate that it’s likely we will see a slight slowdown in the early weeks of 2021 as the festive excitement quietens down.

Due to operational constraints, there is a time lag between trees being funded and trees being purchased; we operate on a grace period of around 60 days between trees being funded by our subscribers and being purchased from our partners.
Toward the end of 2020 this time lag extended slightly, as we are making some internal banking changes to allow us to move more quickly from funding to purchasing. We anticipate catching up with our trees due for purchasing in early January 2021, ready to start a more streamlined process in the year ahead.
By the end of 2020, we had purchased (and recorded on our <a href="https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/adfb141d-4153-4c22-b6b4-976f7f3930b2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Public Impact Ledger</a>) 3,471,589 trees from our partners, accounting for trees funded by subscribers up to the end of September 2020.
The graph in Figure 1 shows our accelerating rate of growth: we are currently near the bottom of an exponential curve, with our tree-funding pace approximately doubling each month. Factoring in the anticipated slowdown at the start of 2021, we can expect to reach 10 million trees funded in around March or early April 2021, with our 10 millionth tree purchased and planted well before the Summer.
Looking to the future, we are really excited for our subscriber base to continue growing, so that we can fund more and more trees around the world. With our tree count remaining on an exponential growth curve, we would expect to see around 46 million trees funded by 31st December 2021. A flatter curve would see around 17 million trees funded by then, and the reality is likely to fall somewhere in between these two.
As we are still only a young company, forecasts and projections for trees funded will become easier over time as we have more data points to look back on.

To accommodate the rapidly growing number of trees funded by our subscribers, we’ve also expanded our portfolio of planting sites. At the start of 2020, we were very small, primarily planting trees <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/mangrove-planting-in-madagascar">in one plot of land at Marotaola, Madagascar</a>, and also as part of a fledgling project <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/reforesting-kijabe-kenya">in partnership with the Intrepid Foundation in Kijabe, Kenya</a>.
That first Marotaola plot has a dedicated capacity for 3 million trees, which toward the end of September 2020 was getting full, meaning we needed to expand our planting locations. That particular plot is currently 95.3% full, with 2,858,345 of our subscribers’ mangroves being planted there. 
At the end of 2020, we now fund 9 tree planting projects based in 7 countries. Our original plot (which is now known as Marotaola 1) was joined in October by neighbouring Marotaola 2, and plots in <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/reforestation-in-bosawas-nicaragua" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bosawas Biosphere Reserve, Nicaragua</a> and <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/reforesting-changalane-mozambique" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Changalane, Mozambique</a>.
Our main tree-planting partner for these projects is <a href="https://edenprojects.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eden Reforestation Projects</a> (‘Eden’), who we work with closely to plant the trees in our dedicated planting sites. The team at Eden provide the expert care, ecological knowledge and local support to make the planting happen in-country. Through our current planting sites, Eden offers steady employment and income to over 80 local people, providing sustainable and fulfilling job roles as planters, forest guards and site managers.  This is really important to us, as (as we will see in the following section), part of Ecologi’s ethos is to ensure that the effective climate solutions that we fund also generate co-benefits in other spheres &#8211; helping to establish self-sufficient sustainable local economies, and provide fulfilling and stable jobs to those that we and our partners employ.
Whilst the vast majority of our tree-planting takes place in locations in the Global South, in May 2020 we took on new tree-planting partners and began offering the opportunity for subscribers from the UK, USA and Australia to fund our much smaller tree-planting projects local to them.

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Figure 2

Since we started planting in our additional sites in October, we have already made a significant start on filling those plots too &#8211; with around 18% of each of Marotaola 2 and Changalane already planted, and 25% of the Bosawas plot also on its way. As above, these figures only take into account those trees already purchased from our partners, and therefore not those trees funded by our subscribers but not yet purchased.

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Figure 3

In 2021, we are looking forward to taking some more time to visit some of our planting sites, bringing back stories and progress reports that we can share with our supporters. We’re also looking forward to working with new tree-planting partners, opening up new planting sites in the UK and around the world, and planting many more millions of trees in more locations across the world.

This year, our UK team were sadly unable to visit our overseas planting sites as planned, due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, we were able to receive photographs and progress updates from some of our sites around the world, and our company founders were able to scope out some of our new UK sites.
Receiving our first full-year update report from our Marotaola 1 planting site in Madagascar, documenting the period up to September 2020, our partners Eden Reforestation Projects update that: “with generous support from Ecologi, Eden Reforestation Projects planted 1,888,483 mangrove trees and employed 35 full-time staff resulting in a tremendous impact on local livelihoods and the environment.”
Over the past year, the team at Marotaola 1 have been filling our plot with multiple species of mangrove trees, including avicennia marina, rhizophora mucronata, ceriops tagal and bruguiera gymnorrhiza. In the photos below, you can see how our little trees are thriving. This amazing progress in our original planting site was boosted further by the millions of trees funded by our subscribers in October through December, and by the addition of our new planting sites at Marotaola 2 and elsewhere around the world.

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Marotaola 1

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Our mangrove trees are growing majestically in <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/updates/update-our-offset-earth-members-forest-is-growing-%F0%9F%8C%B1">Marataola, Madagascar</a>.

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Changalane

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First trees going in <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/reforesting-changalane-mozambique">Changalane, Mozambique</a>.

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Dyrham

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Our latest site in Dyrham, England is prepared for this planting season.

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Over 10,000 trees are now in the ground at our site in <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/reforesting-dalry-scotland">Dalry, Scotland</a>.

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Almost 250,000 tonnes of verified emissions reductions

Parallel to our tree-planting projects, our subscribers have funded the reduction of 249,464 tonnes of CO2e emissions through our verified carbon offset projects, up to the end of 2020. Each and every tonne is certified by an industry-leading formal standard (usually <a href="https://www.goldstandard.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gold Standard</a> or <a href="https://verra.org/project/vcs-program/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Verified Carbon Standard</a>).
Only purchasing carbon offsets which meet these rigorous standards is crucial to our aim of funding the most effective climate solutions, as they provide security in the measurement, additionality, permanence and (lack of) leakage of the projects that we fund. Research carried out on behalf of WWF Germany by the Stockholm Environment Institute <a href="https://www.sei.org/publications/making-sense-voluntary-carbon-market-comparison-carbon-offset-standards/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">goes into great detail</a> on how different carbon standards track these criteria, and supports the notion that Gold Standard and VCS (alongside the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism) are the most effective, successful and appropriate standards available for carbon offset projects.

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We recognise Gold Standard and VCS as the top international standards for the voluntary carbon market in terms of carbon reductions, but another key reason that we select projects that meet these standards is due to their verified and documented co-benefits relating to the <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sustainable Development Goals</a> (SDGs). As well as this, we use the expert knowledge of our Climate Committee and resources such as <a href="https://drawdown.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Project Drawdown</a> to carefully select which offset projects to fund, to ensure that our subscribers’ money is being used to support the most effective climate solutions there are.
As standard, we only fund offset projects that provide a verified benefit to SDG 13 &#8211; Climate Action. In 2020, on average, our carbon offset projects this year had 3.67 SDG co-benefits, meaning that, of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, our projects provided a verified and documented benefit to an average of 2.67 other SDGs (in addition to SDG 13). Our most prolific project in terms of verified SDG co-benefits was our <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/biomass-power-project-raipur-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">biopower project in India</a>, which had a whopping eight SDG co-benefits! Going forward, by tracking additional SDG co-benefits, we can target those projects which provide much more than just their tonnage of carbon reductions, and meet verified standards in other important areas.
The breakdown of each SDG co-benefit as a proportion of all SDG co-benefits is shown in Figure 5.

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Figure 5

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/goal7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SDG 7 &#8211; Affordable &amp; Clean Energy</a> (verified in 14.9% of our projects), followed by <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SDG 8 &#8211; Decent Work &amp; Economic Growth</a> (13.2%) and <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SDG 3 &#8211; Good Health &amp; Wellbeing</a> (11.6%). 
Going into 2021, as well as selecting projects with a higher average number of co-benefits, we aim to seek out and select projects which will balance out the relevant co-benefits to ensure that as well as the climate impact that we have through the carbon standards and SDG 13, our impact will also be felt in other vital areas within the remit of the Sustainable Development Goals.

As of 31st December 2020, our supporters have funded 33 offset projects in 20 countries around the world.
Subscriber funding was spread out among projects in a broad geographical range. Predominantly, the countries where we funded offset projects in 2020 were in South and Central America, East Africa and Southeast Asia. This said, the countries which featured the most of our projects this year were India (7 projects), followed by Turkey (6 projects), followed by Brazil (3 projects).
This phenomenon occurred in 2020 because projects were selected based on individual merit (per the criteria and standards described above), which meant that in some regions (such as South America) we were funding a few projects in many countries, whereas in other regions (such as Western Asia) we were funding many projects in just one country.

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Figure 6

In terms of scale, our offset projects tend to fall into one of two categories at either end of the spectrum: either small-to-micro scale community-based projects (such as cookstoves, or local water distribution projects) or large-scale wind or solar energy projects.
As before, the selection of projects was broadly based on the individual merit of the project itself, according to the measures in our criteria (above), which meant that any trends to do with the scale of projects funded were mostly byproducts.
The mixture does however reflect our strategic aims to fund the most effective climate solutions and projects which will promote meaningful change for the climate and for local communities, and is guided by how the projects individually map onto the most effective solutions as ranked by <a href="https://drawdown.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Project Drawdown</a>.
In terms of the types of projects we funded in 2020, this varied, and the full breakdown is displayed in Figure 9. What this chart shows is that our most frequently funded project types pertain to higher ranked solutions on the Project Drawdown table of solutions.
For example, wind energy (<a href="https://drawdown.org/solutions/onshore-wind-turbines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Drawdown solution #2</a>) made up 24% of projects funded, and fuel-efficient cookstoves (<a href="https://drawdown.org/solutions/improved-clean-cookstoves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Drawdown solution #21</a>) made up 12%. Other popular project types this year included avoided deforestation (15% of projects; <a href="https://drawdown.org/solutions/forest-protection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Drawdown solution #38</a>) and landfill gas capture (15% of projects; <a href="https://drawdown.org/solutions/landfill-methane-capture" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Drawdown solution #58</a>).

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Figure 7

We also focused a lot this year on protecting the Amazon (including through avoided deforestation), which is why South America was our most popular region for offset projects, with projects funded in 5 countries there this year &#8211; in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Uruguay. Afforestation tends not to be very prominent in the count in Figure 7 (3% of projects), because the vast majority of our afforestation work takes place as part of our tree-planting projects portfolio, and the offsets projects are instead focused on other areas, such as renewables (or in the case of forestry, avoided deforestation). 
This year, we also updated the way that we calculate subscriber carbon footprints to a more robust methodology, and using the latest data available from the UNFCCC and CAIT. The new calculations will contribute to a slight change in the cost of subscriptions for some of our users, but will give us a much more accurate and robust mechanism for tracking carbon footprints offset going forward. You can read all about this update <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/product/carbon-footprinting-at-ecologi">on the blog</a>.

Virtual climate festival reaches 24,000 views

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK government announced its intention to cancel the 2020 iteration of the Conference of the Parties (COP 26) which was due to take place in Glasgow, in November.
We were disappointed by the cancellation of the COP for two main reasons: because much of global governance and business had gone online without issue (including other intergovernmental summits) and often, even when the UN climate conferences do go ahead, tangible outcomes from the COPs are so bureaucratically dense as to be indecipherable for many people.
Motivated by these frustrations and the knowledge that the climate clock <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">would remain ticking</a>, we decided to run our own global virtual festival of climate action. We called it <a href="https://itstime.earth">It’s Time</a>, and it took place on 17-18th November 2020.

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It's Time

With just three months to plan and organise the event from start to finish, we put together a small team and brought together <a href="https://itstime.earth/speakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">162 speakers from all over the world</a> to inspire our virtual attendees to climate action, through both pre-recorded and live talks, activities, performances, panel discussions, documentary screenings and more.
The event was broadcast over two days from a television studio, with hosts Cel Spellman and Basma Khalifa, with content segregated into five virtual stages, streamed via Vimeo. Broadcasting over 65 hours of content, our It’s Time line-up included speakers and representatives of WWF UK, Project Drawdown, Project Everyone, Rainforest Trust UK, OLIO, Green Is The New Black, Extinction Rebellion, Intrepid Travel and many more.
The event was opened by His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales, received a video endorsement from Sir Keir Starmer, received 205 pieces of press coverage, and reached 24,481 views from attendees in 80 countries.
As part of our commitment to plant a tree for every email sign-up to It’s Time, we funded the planting of 9,011 trees for the event. Feedback from the event was sparkling, and we were extremely proud of the positive, upbeat impact that the event had managed to deliver for so many people around the world, in an extremely challenging year for all.

Factoring in the anticipated slowdown at the start of 2021 (our Christmas gifts were a big hit), we are expecting to reach an incredible 10 million trees funded by April 2021. 
At the end of 2021, on our current trajectory we’re expecting to have planted between 17 and 46 million trees. Where our year-end total will fall, between these two figures, will become clearer as the first few months of the year take shape.
Quite frankly, whether we plant 17 million trees by the end of 2021, or 46 (or more!), we hope you’ll join us in relishing the prospect of these incredible numbers. 
On top of this, we are aiming for an anticipated 1.5 million verified tonnes of carbon dioxide prevented from entering the atmosphere from funding our other climate action projects, such as from <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/supporting-new-hydropower-plant-uganda">micro scale hydropower</a>, <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/landfill-gas-in-brazil">landfill gas capture</a>, and <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/preserving-the-mesoamerican-biological-corridor-in-guatemala">preventing deforestation</a>.
This is epic climate action funded principally by small amounts of disposable cash from individuals, families and businesses. And excitingly, there’s so much further to go. This amount of impact will be achieved by around 30,000 subscribers, nowhere near 150 million subscribers that the likes of Spotify and Netflix enjoy.
Thank you to our subscribers, partners and to all who have supported Ecologi in 2020. We cannot wait to see what 2021 brings.

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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.

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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>
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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>
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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>
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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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