Just launched:
Native CarbonCrop Units
We use artificial intelligence to precisely assess carbon sequestration and issue carbon offsets for native forests which the Emissions Trading Scheme fails to recognise.
Update 5.7.22: New issuances now resumed. [Read more here]
Receive Native CCU for the last five years of carbon sequestration, plus every year that your forest grows
Take meaningful climate action by restoring native forest on marginal land and supporting biodiversity across Aotearoa
Easily sell your offsets via our partner Carbonz, a new marketplace dedicated to native forests
What is a Native CarbonCrop Unit?
Each Native CarbonCrop Unit represents one tonne of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere within the last five years by native forest. While similar to New Zealand Units (NZUs) issued by the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS), CarbonCrop Units are not interchangeable for NZUs and cannot be used to meet compliance obligations under the NZ ETS.
Landholders who are awarded CarbonCrop Units have a binding obligation to ensure the CO2 stays sequestered in the regenerating biomass of the registered native forest for the next 100 years.
The forest registered can only achieve this by being kept healthy, and landholders not allowing it to degrade, regardless of the initial establishment date of the forest.
How does a CarbonCrop Unit align with best practice guidelines?
The New Zealand Ministry for the Environment has guidelines on good practices for voluntary offsets. Here is an overview of how we compare:
Richard & Sarah Burdon
Glen Dene, a 3,000 hectare high country station in Otago, owned by the Burdon family, was one of the first recipients of Native CarbonCrop Units.
CarbonCrop identified 305 hectares of qualifying native forest and issued credits for 3,100 tonnes of CO2, sequestered over the last four years. The station’s owners have already sold a portion of their credits, earning more than $75,000.
“Understanding the economic potential of our native forest is vital to inform our future land use planning. The process to issue Native CarbonCrop Units was quick, straightforward and has led to a tangible financial outcome, showing us that the station can generate new, conservation-related income streams alongside traditional farming.”
Which forests can earn Native CCU?
To ensure our credits are high integrity, we can only register native forests that meet our criteria. Here are some key requirements.
Your forest must be:
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Located in New Zealand
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Comprised of qualifying NZ native tree species
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'Permanent' and not intended for harvesting
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Actively growing and sequestering new carbon - we can't award CCU to mature forest in a steady state
Your forest must not be:
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Already registered under the Emissions Trading Scheme
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Under 20 hectares - at launch we're only registering larger forests
AI-enabled Carbon Offsets
100% Native
We use AI to ensure Native CarbonCrop Units are only issued for qualifying carbon sequestration by native tree species. If detected, exotic species are excluded from our carbon calculations, which discourages wilding pines and incentivises landholders to actively support and protect natives.
Precise
We use AI to analyse the species mix, height, density, and growth over time, based on decades of aerial imagery and satellite data. This enables detailed models of carbon stock and carbon sequestration within an area of forest, down to a single square metre of land - so every unit is backed by real, precise carbon sequestration.
Traceable
Each CCU comes with a location and a unique ID, which can be cross referenced against CarbonCrop’s systems to provide full details of the area of forest, so buyers can be confident in the origins of their offsets, and perform any necessary audits.
Do you own 20+ hectares of native forest?
Join the queue to receive a free Land Assessment and find out if you qualify for Native CCU.
At the moment we are only able to register properties with over 20 ha of native forest. We plan to reduce this requirement in the future, so that landholders of all sizes can benefit.
If you don't meet this criteria, you can still request an assessment. We'll review your eligibility for the Emissions Trading Scheme and let you know if you qualify for Native CCU in future.