Inside Sierra Leone's Groundbreaking Tech-led Tree-Planting Scheme | Freetown The Treetown | RE:TV

Freetown the Treetown is an ambitious and innovative ‘pay to grow’ scheme that is incentivising residents to plant and maintain indigenous trees and mangroves in the city. The technology-led scheme is built around an app and web platform where growers register their planted trees, which are then verified, tracked, and monitored over several years. Growers must revisit the trees they plant regularly to water and maintain them, documenting their survival in the process.

In exchange for their efforts, growers receive ‘tokens’, which can be exchanged for cash when the tree hits certain milestones in its lifecycle. These payments are ultimately funded by the international carbon market, as the tokens generated are transferred into ‘impact tokens’ and sold to corporations and institutions seeking to meet their climate targets. Because the whole system is transparent, traceable, and based on regular on-the-ground monitoring of individual trees, the impact tokens are highly investable, which is crucial given recent carbon market controversies.

It feels like a win-win all round. The local community and the environment are benefitting. This programme, which is both scalable and repeatable, demonstrates how well-deployed technology can facilitate credible nature-based solutions.

Discover how we can work with nature to encourage biodiversity, foster resilience and develop economic opportunities for local communities:    • Restoring Ecosystems  

RE:TV was founded by His Majesty King Charles III to highlight the innovations and ideas that are emerging in response to the climate and biodiversity crisis.

Inspired by The King’s long-standing commitment to nature, we provide a platform for the growing community of change-makers around the world, raising awareness of the wide variety of technological and nature-based climate solutions that point the way to a better future for us all.

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