How to Become Carbon Neutral

Whether you’re a non-profit organization, small business or company, consider a greener business practice by offsetting the carbon emissions caused by your activities. With Tree Canada’s help, you can neutralize these emissions through our tree-planting program. Every step in our process maximizes efficiency:

• An independent carbon expert calculates your annual emissions (caused by business trips, heating and lighting, electric consumption, etc.)
• We calculate the number of trees necessary to offset your carbon emissions, based on the success rate of our tree plantings
• We plant trees in your name and care for them until maturity
• We provide you with a Carbon Neutral Organization certificate and logo
• We recognize you as a Carbon Neutral Organization on our website

So, you want Tree Canada to recognize your event, your business, or your household as "carbon neutral?” Read on for Tree Canada's carbon protocol, the guarantees that we provide, and how to get started.

Step 1: Estimating carbon emissions

The first step in becoming carbon neutral is to get in touch with Tree Canada. We will ask you to pay in advance to calculate your greenhouse gas emissions, which may cost between $500-$1,500. Since January 2010, Tree Canada has called on an independent expert to calculate emissions. That guarantees the most precise calculations possible and avoids conflict of interest with our tree planting activities.

Once you have paid the initial fee, Tree Canada will put you in contact with the independent consultant who will ask you about your use of transportation and your activities or business' use of energy in general. Once the consultant has done the calculations you will receive a report identifying the sources of your greenhouse gas emissions. This will help you reduce your carbon footprint in the future.

Step 2: Planting Trees to Offset Your Emissions

Once Tree Canada has this third party report on the GHG emissions, we will be able to calculate the number of trees needed to offset you emissions. In its carbon offset program, Tree Canada always searches for planting sites that are compliant with our Protocol (Forest and Urban Tree Carbon Project Protocol). Once a suitable planting site is found in Canada, we determine which species of trees are best to plant on this precise site using multiple factors such as soil quality, local climate and scientific researches on the growth and yields of the species in question. Please contact Tree Canada to know which site has been found for 2013.

Tree Canada (in close collaboration with its contractors) takes care of site selection, site preparation, the ordering and the planting of the trees, the intensive maintenance associated with these trees until they are free-to-grow and the monitoring throughout the length of the project. The cost to cover all of these activities associated with "carbon planting projects" is $12/tree.

Step 3: Tree Canada's Guarantees

After a "carbon planting" it is important to do follow-up and make sure the trees are, in fact, sequestering the quantity of carbon that has been calculated. Tree Canada guarantees that.

• We provide verification of the entire process by an independent and qualified third party expert, who confirms the initial carbon emissions calculations and Tree Canada's calculations of the trees necessary to offset those emissions, taking into account site conditions, other plants growing on the site, and the health of the trees;
• Tree Canada undertakes to check on and to maintain the trees we plant, on a regular basis, to guarantee that at least 60% survive. If necessary we plant additional trees, at no extra cost to you.

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Carbon Credit Certification

Companies can choose to have Tree Canada plant trees and estimate the amount of carbon potentially sequestered by the number of trees planted. Companies in the Energy and Petroleum Sector who want to enter their carbon credits on the Voluntary Challenge Registry may especially benefit from this program. Participants are given a Carbon Certificate signed by a Registered Professional Forester legitimizing the location and number of trees, as well as the tonnes of carbon potentially sequestered.