There is no net-zero without major global reforestation. Simply reducing CO2 emissions is not enough, we need to absorb CO2 back out of the atmosphere. In fact, natural carbon solutions such as trees have the potential to meet ~37% of CO2 reductions needed by 2030 for the world to be on a sustainable pathway. The climate science community, from the UN to Project Drawdown, is in consensus that planting and restoring forests is one of the key tools we have to help us reach our climate goals
As urgency and awareness around climate change intensifies, individuals want to do more to contribute to the challenge but they feel helpless, don’t know what to do or who to trust. Nor are they willing to make radical changes to their lifestyles to reduce their personal footprint. Meanwhile, in reforestation, we have a powerful tool to meaningfully reduce CO2 in the atmosphere. With this in mind, Harry Hely-Hutchinson founded Selva, a platform to connect people that care with solutions that work. “We all have a role to play. Just as we have each been part of the carbon problem, with Selva we can each be part of the solution and, with reforestation, it is far more convenient and affordable than most people think. Lots of small individual actions can amount to a huge difference”, says Harry.
Selva is an online platform and community that enables everyone to calculate and then offset their carbon footprint with monthly personalised subscriptions to the best reforestation organisations on the planet. Its mission is to reforest the planet through the power of collective optimism. After Selva calculates their personal footprint with a few quick lifestyle questions, users choose which carefully vetted project they would like their trees to be planted at, the higher your footprint, the more trees you need to plant. Users can track over time how many trees they have planted and the CO2 savings from those trees, and share this impact with friends, while also learning about the complex issues of climate change through down-to-earth, honest educational resources. “We want to inspire people into action through a message of optimism and transparency. We know they care, we just need to find the right message that provides people with the assurances and motivation they need to get involved”
Whereas other platforms are broader in their carbon offsetting solutions (to include renewable power projects for example), Selva is exclusively focused on reforestation. On planting new trees. Trees are a unique tool for reducing atmospheric CO2 as they are available today, meaning we don’t need to rely on uncertain technological improvements; they can be scaled, as there is plenty of room to plant; and they are entirely natural, meaning no dirty supply chains that underpin many renewable technologies. The CO2 benefits and impact are also very clear to users. With each user contribution, new carbon-hungry trees are being planted that wouldn’t have otherwise been planted. The same cannot always be said for carbon offsetting with renewable power projects.
On top of that, trees are the cheapest tool available to remove carbon from the atmosphere. It costs $1~$10 per tonne of CO2 absorbed with forestry, compared with ~$800-$1000 per tonne cost from direct air capture machines (giant fans that suck CO2 out of the air). With trees, the average European citizen can offset their entire carbon footprint for less than £5 per month. If each of the 215 million Netflix subscribers also had a Selva subscription, global CO2 emissions would be 5% lower!
Not to mention the numerous other benefits trees have. They provide critical ecosystems for biodiversity, helping purify the local air and reinforce soil to prevent desertification. In addition, an estimated 1.6 billion people around the world rely on forests and trees in some way for their livelihoods, and scientific research has shown that trees even release chemicals that are good for our mental well-being by reducing stress levels and anxiety.
Selva are the tree experts, they know where to plant trees to make the biggest impact. Many of their trees are mangrove trees planted around Madagascar as Mangrove forests absorb four times as much CO2 than other types of forest. Selva’s reforestation partners ensure the longevity of the trees through rigorous monitoring and tracking, sustainable forestry best practices, and using drones and other technology. Most importantly though, long term impact is ensured by establishing the right long term financial and social incentives for the communities on the ground that plant and protect the trees.
