Centree is developing an open ecological measurement standard that quantifies forest maturity and ecosystem value beyond simple land area or carbon metrics. Its methodology assigns a Centree count to a specific area, enabling more accurate comparison and investment in natural capital. The protocol is being piloted on a 55,000-hectare Indigenous-led project in British Columbia.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Traditional metrics like land area or gross forest age fail to capture the true ecological value of an ecosystem, treating a recently clear-cut area the same as a primary old-growth forest. This limits the ability to properly quantify ecosystem services, such as biodiversity and carbon sequestration, and hinders investment in natural capital and effective counterbalancing of environmental impact.
Solution
Centree provides a nuanced methodology that calculates an ecological indexing value, called a Centree, based on a wide range of data sets including forest maturity, soil quality, and water availability. This dynamic metric allows for a more holistic comparison of ecosystem value across different regions and biomes. The Centree Protocol applies this methodology to a specific area, confirms its permanent legal protection, and creates a public record, enabling the issuance of Centree Tokens. These tokens serve as a method of pricing, payment, and revenue distribution for living forest shares, facilitating investment in protected nature.
Target Audience
The primary audience includes conservation organizations, impact investors, and governmental and academic bodies focused on natural capital investment and ecosystem service quantification.
Features
- Proprietary methodology that integrates multiple data sets to calculate a Centree count, reflecting ecological value beyond simple area or age.
- Dynamic variance built into the methodology, allowing it to be applied and adapted across various regions and biomes.
- Application of the protocol results in a public record confirming permanent legal protection of the quantified area.
- Issuance of Centree Tokens that are recognized as a method of pricing, payment, and revenue distribution for living forest shares.
- Open and available protocol for quantifying proven protected nature, with governance maintained by a not-for-profit foundation.