Plant and protect
Building ecosystems that empower communities
We work with our Planting Partners to make sure the right trees are planted in the right places, creating long-term biodiversity and local jobs combined with climate action. Together, we support local communities, create sustainable jobs, and monitor ecosystems as they recover—ensuring forests thrive for the lifetime of the carbon they sequester.
What it takes to
become a Balance
Planting Partner
Permanence: Commit to protecting forests for the duration of the CO2 life cycle - 100 years or more (more than double the 40-year duration of carbon credits).
Biodiversity: Encourage ecosystem restoration by planting the right trees in the right places.
Human rights: Where there are local communities, a minimum of 40% of the converted carbon credit money goes to them to encourage income generating opportunities such as beekeeping, permaculture and biochar.
Annual reporting: Provide regular reports on biodiversity and economic benefits.
Additionality: We work with Planting Partners to make sure that without our funding the trees would not have been planted, avoiding double counting.
Force majeure: In the event of a fire or flood, our Planting Partners replant with native species.
3-step process
Follow these four steps to unlock new income streams and be part of the future of climate action.
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1
Commit to Balance’s peer-reviewed methodology and get your project verified under a recognised standard like Plan Vivo or Gold Standard.
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2
Meet Balance’s additional criteria to boost biodiversity and deliver benefits to local communities.
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3
We sell your Balance Units for you, and you enjoy the rewards of sustainable income generated by your forest thanks to the Balance methodology.
Opportunities
Planting Partners can generate extra income from PERMACULTURE TECHNIQUES
Permaculture techniques bring benefits of soil fertility, more marketable crops + extra income.
Reducing food purchases = more self-sufficiency.
Sustainable forest management through permaculture enhances biodiversity.
Planting Partners can generate extra income from AGROFORESTRY
Trees with crops and livestock increase biodiversity and wildlife habitats.
Trees prevent erosion, improve soil fertility, and act as windbreaks.
Agroforestry offers sustainable food, fuel, and income with cash crops.
Planting Partners can generate extra income from ENHANCED WATER CATCHMENT
Trees store rainwater, releasing it to maintain river flow.
Tree shade regulates water temperature and reduces evaporation.
Planting on hillside above water catchment can increase water table level – creating places to catch fish that can be sold.
Planting Partners can generate extra income from BEE FARMING + HONEY PRODUCTION
Bee farming benefits partners without requiring extra land.
Hive products like honey, royal jelly, and beeswax provide income.
Bees play a vital role in forest pollination for fruit and seeds.
Planting Partners can generate extra income from BIOCHAR PRODUCTION
BIOCHAR is produced from wood thinning – Balance will purchase your Biochar credits providing substantial additional income.
BIOCHAR improves soil fertility, structure, and crop yields, enhances water retention and reduces irrigation needs.
BIOCHAR sequesters carbon, mitigating climate change.
Planting Partners can generate extra income from SUSTAINABLE FIREWOOD
Harvesting sustainable wood removes the need to purchase firewood by indigenous communities whilst preserving ecological balance.
Responsible use of natural resources preserves ecosystems for future generations.
Planting Partners can generate extra income from FOREST-BASED PRODUCTS
Marketable products from protected forests include wooden crafts, furniture, utensils, and natural fibers for textiles and baskets.
Non-timber forest products include medicinal herbs, essential oils, and wild fruits. All these products can be sold in the market.
Planting Partners can generate extra income from ECO-TOURISM
Benefits local communities and environmental stewardship.
Encourages sustainable practices and responsible waste management.
Promotes conservation and wildlife protection combatting illegal poaching activities.
Tourists wish to visit areas with increased Fauna and Flora.
Get Balanced Now
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Balance
my life
No receipts, no hassle—our income-based calculator saves you hours of calculations and helps you fund nature restoration and create jobs for local people.
Balance to Sector
Our new, game-changing calculator uses your sector's carbon total and your business' turnover to estimate your carbon footprint—saving you months and thousands in assessment fees.
Balance to Assessment
For large corporations needing full carbon assessments, our partner Ecometrica thoroughly analyses your scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, helping you reduce the Balance effectively.
FAQs
We plant trees and ensure they are protected. Both matter. New woodland creation is one of the most controllable and tangible ways to take carbon out of the atmosphere and reduce climate change. But forests need protection too. Trees that are planted outside of a sustainable ecosystem will die early and release carbon back into the atmosphere. Under Balance, new trees are planted in a sustainable and biodiverse way, with forests carrying a 100-year maintenance contract from a trusted partner.
The Balance system is independently verified and totally transparent. Each Balance Tonne is visible on a publicly viewable database and the planting and forest management are supervised by reputable environmental organisations such as the Woodland Carbon Code in the UK, Plan Vivo, and Gold Standard among others internationally. Over and above this, the Balance planting partners adhere to the high standards of the Balance Organisation’s six- point Methodology translated into a legal planting partner contract.
- Planting approach supports biodiversity, with mixed natural species creating a habitat suitable to the area.
- Each contract is linked to an area of publicly accessible forest.
- 99-year maintenance and protection contracts to ensure permanence. Uniquely in harmony with the lifetime of CO2 in the atmosphere. Existing credits only have a 40-year protection so they don’t work.
- All additionality issues addressed, meaning that contributions directly result in actual trees planted.
- Provision against ‘force majeure’, e.g. new roads through forests.
- Indigenous – Local People. Human rights are at the core of the Balance methodology. Climate action should be consistent with human rights obligations that create income for local people.
Emissions do not cause all their damage immediately. In the process of radiative forcing, it takes 50 years for CO2 to be at its most potent and, at minimum, another 50 years for it to be reabsorbed, which is why it is vital that climate protection actions take a much longer view than has often been the case in the past. We therefore write our planting partner contracts to cover 99 years, although our forests are designed to be around for a lot longer than that. (The Forest of Marston Vale has an 840-year lease, for example.)
Some of this can get quite complex, so please feel free contact us if you would like to discuss any of it further, and we welcome suggestions and feedback.