Estonian firm seeks finance from forests
Estonian company Single.Earth has raised millions of dollars to buy forests and wetlands to tap into a rapidly-growing carbon-offset market.
The digital platform connects landowners with businesses who will pay to preserve trees.
Why?
It’s a chance for investors to save the planet, offset their carbon footprint and make money.
Co-founder and CEO of Single.Earth, Merit Valdsalu.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF SINGLE.EARTH, MERIT VALDSALU, SAYING:
"So, the investors will have like this perfect balance between helping to save the world, save the nature, and also get financial returns on their investment. So they will be earning money through selling carbon offset and biodiversity offset, because these are the markets that are going to boom in the coming decades, but they will also see the value of these assets grow in the coming decades, because the natural world around us is decreasing, but it's the one resource that we all need to survive."
Forest management is a contentious issue in Estonia - around half of which is covered by forests.
In 2015, the government allowed ''clear-cutting’’ in some areas – which involves the chopping down vast expanses of forest – including the tree trunks.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF SINGLE.EARTH, MERIT VALDSALU, SAYING:
'And quite soon we realised that the only way we can actually make a difference is by combining financial feasibility to the equation. So, if it makes sense for the landowners, for the forest owners, to switch their management methods, they are more likely to do that. So that's why we wanted to build new alternative business models for them, and carbon offset and biodiversity offset are actually markets that are already functioning today but they are not accessible to most forest owners and landowners."
Single.Earth’s initiative could be fertile ground - given the global carbon-offset market is expected to grow to $200 billion by 2050, from $600 million in 2019, according to Berenberg forecasts.
Valdsalu said offset projects could not only generate a decent annual profit of 5% for investors... but also encourage landowners to leave trees standing.
