FAQs

No. ARC focuses on ecological restoration. We do not issue carbon credits, and we do not provide carbon-offset certification through our restoration projects.

This was a deliberate decision made early in ARC's history. Our reasons are:

• Carbon figures vary too much to report with confidence. Sequestration rates differ widely between the species we plant and the conditions they grow in.
• Carbon is only part of a forest's value. A functioning forest provides habitat, water, healthy soil, cultural value and livelihoods. Measuring it by carbon alone undervalues all of that.
• Offset projects can steer restoration in the wrong direction. They tend to favor fast-growing species and environments that store carbon quickly, rather than the native ecosystems local people and wildlife depend on.
• Carbon standards change often. Certification is complex and costly, and that burden falls hardest on community-led projects in the regions restoration is meant to serve.

No. Restored forests capture and store carbon as they grow. ARC simply does not quantify, sell or certify that carbon, because we cannot yet measure it to the standard we hold ourselves to.

ARC does not currently provide carbon-sequestration figures to partners. Carbon sequestration varies significantly by species, ecosystem, climate, tree growth, age and local environmental conditions.

ARC avoids applying generalized estimates where locally appropriate scientific evidence and monitoring are not available.

Carbon storage in trees is usually estimated with allometric equations, which relate a tree's growth and size to its biomass. These equations are reliable in principle, but they are only as accurate as their fit to the species and environment where the original study took place.

A study of Indian Ocean mangrove restoration in Mozambique, for example, does not necessarily apply to mangroves in Madagascar. Until studies are carried out in the specific regions where we work, ARC will not supply these figures to partners.

ARC reports the restoration activities and impacts it can directly document. ARC cannot be held responsible for partner claims that go beyond what ARC reports.

Any carbon-neutral, net-zero, reduced-impact or manufacturing-related claim made by a partner should rest on its own appropriate methodology and supporting evidence. Environmental-claims guidance in many markets now expects such statements to be accurate, specific and backed by evidence.

The safest approach is to describe what ARC actually documents: trees planted, ecosystems restored and people employed.

If you are unsure how to word a claim, contact us before publishing.

Depending on the project and available records, ARC can provide:

• Tree species, with common and scientific names
• Number of trees or propagules planted
• Planting dates and locations
• Planted-area polygons and GPS information
• The ecosystem or habitat being restored
• Nursery and planting activities
• Project progress and monitoring information
• Photographs, reports and project updates

Employing local people is central to ARC's Employ to Restore model, so we report on the people behind each project, including:

• The local communities we work with
• The number of people employed at the local project site
• Staff working with our implementing partners
• ARC team members supporting project management

Reports and updates are made available to project supporters and partners, including progress on plantation development at the site level.

You can also explore ARC's restoration sites on our interactive map.

ARC is committed to the Employ to Restore model: restoring both forests and local economies. Community members are hired as paid workers to grow, plant and protect the forests around them for the life of each project.

Our mission has always been, and will remain, focused on creating short-, mid- and long-term economic breakthroughs for the communities we work with.

That commitment shapes how we report. Alongside forest outcomes, we aim to show:

• What was planted, and where the planting material came from
• Where and when it was planted, and why it suits the ecosystem
• Who was involved and employed
• How the restoration is progressing over time