Carbon Credits for Urban Trees

1. Carbon Credits for City Forests
Planting and protecting city forests through verified carbon
credits
Copyright @ 2016-2022 City Forest CreditsTM All Rights Reserved.
November 15, 2022
Mark McPherson
mark@cityforestcredits.org

2. City Forest Credits
Funding and Climate Leadership for Local
Tree Orgs
 National nonprofit carbon registry organization
 Connect local tree projects in cities and towns to new
source of funding
 Empower companies to invest in local climate action
City Forest Credits

3. Problem
3
Benefits of
Trees
Environme
nt
Social
Equity
Human
Health
Store carbon
Manage stormwater
Enhance climate resilience
Provide jobs
Address environmental injustices
Improve access to nature
Promote physical activity
Provide shade
City Forest Credits
Losing urban trees
Inequitable distribution and
maintenance
Lack of public funding

4. Opportunity
LOCAL
Spend carbon offset
dollars where they
matter most
MEASURABLE
Report on quantified,
standardized data
CREDIBLE
Trust robust national
carbon protocols
and standards
Leverage dollars, amplify impact
Reliable and efficient investments in people and planet
City Forest Credits

5. National Carbon Protocols
Rulebooks for verified carbon
projects
 26 - year commitment for planting
 40- or 100-year commitment for
preservation
Available at: https://www.cityforestcredits.org/carbon-credits/carbon-protocols/
City Forest Credits

6.  “Urban Area” per Census Bureau maps; see https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-
maps/2010/geo/2010-census-urban-areas.html
 An incorporated or unincorporated city or town
 Planning area for a regional metropolitan planning agency or entity
 Land owned, designated, and used by a municipal entity for sourcewater or watershed protection
 Transportation or utility right of way through one of the above
Urban Area Definition – Not
Just the Core
Projects must be in or adjacent to one of the following:
City Forest Credits

7. Carbon+ Credits – Like
No Other
Carbon
Dioxide
Rainfall
Intercepti
on
Air
Quality
Energy
Savings
Each carbon credit represents one ton of carbon dioxide plus
quantified ecosystem values
City Forest Credits

8. Reportable Social
Impacts
Carbon projects contribute to
global goals
 Tree planting and preservation projects
report social impacts and contributions
towards UN Sustainable Development
Goals
City Forest Credits

9. Carbon Projects

10. Impact To Date
City Forest Credits
 Credits issued to date (July 2022): 53,287
 Total number of credits that will be issued in the future over lifetime of
existing projects: 97,581

11. How It Works
City Forest Credits
1
2 3
4

12. National Sale 2021
Carbon
Dioxide
City Forest Credits
“Tech firm pays up to $45/t to
scoop up entire US urban forest
credit portfolio”
Carbon Pulse – April 6, 2022

13. CRTI and CFC
recruits local
projects for CRCP
Local Project
Implementers and
CRTI prepare
application and
project info
Local Project
Implementers
submit project
docs
CFC validates,
obtains third-
party verification
and issues credits
CRCP or others
sell credits
Chicago Region Carbon
Program (CRCP)

14. Pittsburgh, PA
Goal: Protect woodlands from encroaching development
above the Youghiogheny River
Project Design: 124 acres, maple, cherry, and oak-hickory
forest, 40 years old
Impacts:
 Cleaner air and water for residents
 Prevent flooding and landslides
 Habitat for deer, turkey, and birds
 Recreation and environmental education opportunities
Photo Credits: Allegheny Land Trust, Pittsburgh-Post
Gazette
Read about the project in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
https://www.post-gazette.com/business/powersource/2021/03/21/Carbon-credits-Elizabeth-Township-forest-preservation-Allegheny-Land-Trust-development/stories/202103210046
City Forest Credits
Allegheny Land Trust
Buena Vista Heights
Conservation Area

15. “Offset ratings firm awards high grade
to urban forestry project”
• Carbon Pulse published 10:55 on October 4, 2022 / Last updated at 10:55 on October 4, 2022
City Forest Credits

16. Chattanooga, TN
Photo Credits: Lavender Roots and Lookout Mountain
Conservancy
City Forest Credits
Goal: Protect forest from development and connect
residents to recreation opportunities
Project Design: 58 acres, oak-pine forest, 90 years old
Impacts:
 Protect scenic, historic, and ecological resources of Lookout
Mountain
 Wildlife habitat corridor for eastern box turtles, red tailed
hawks, black bears, and more
 Community recreation connection
 Howard School partnership with teens
Lookout Mountain
Conservancy
St. Elmo Forest

17. Chattanooga Project Details
City Forest Credits
 Carbon+ Credits: 10,127
 Co-Benefits: $1.38 million over 40 years
 Credit Sales: Sold 8,715 credits in national
aggregated sale; $295,000 revenue
 Commitments: Monitor and track forest
health, submit report every three years for
40 years

18. Des Moines, IA
Photo Credits: Trees Forever
City Forest Credits
Trees Forever
Reforesting Des Moines
(2021)
Goal: Partner with City of Des Moines and Microsoft
to plant trees and launch a workforce training
program
Project Design: 1,390 trees planted in right-of-way
and city parks
Impacts:
 Community connections and youth engagement in
workforce training program, Growing Futures
 Storm recovery
 Increase tree canopy across city where it is needed
most

19. Des Moines Project
Details
 Planting Design: Single Tree
 Carbon+ Credits: 4,398
 Co-Benefits: $157,170 per year in 25 years
 Credit Sales: Sold 440 credits in national
aggregated sale
 Commitments:
 Monitor and track tree survival, submit
report annually for 25 years
 Sample and measure tree growth over
project duration
City Forest Credits
Photo Credits: Trees Forever
Read about it in The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/02/climate/trees-cities-heat-waves.html

20. Planting – Credits and
Revenue
City Forest Credits
 Single tree planting design, mix of broadleaf deciduous large, medium, and small trees
 Credits issued at five intervals over 26 years
 Verification at each issuance
Planting
Project Trees Carbon
Credits (tons
CO2)
Year 1: 10%
($34/credit)
Year 4: 30%
($40/credit)
Year 6: 30%
($40/credit)
Year 14: 10%
($75/credit)
Year 26: 20%
($100/credit)
Total
Estimated
Gross
Revenue
1,114 2,864 $9,724 $34,360 $34,360 $21,450 $57,300 $157,194

21. Planting Evaluation
City Forest Credits
See Liz, Jen, Rachelle at City Forest Credits
IRA Funding:
Every tree planted get credits

22. The tree in front of my
home is a word

23. The trees on my street are a
sentence

24. The trees in my neighborhood
are a paragraph

25. All the trees in my community
are a story

26. What will our story
be?

27. Thank You
Local climate action, new sources of revenue
CONTACT US
Info@cityforestcredits.org