What we do

All our projects are in the UK and will be a mix of nature-based and engineered carbon removal.

We will plant new forests that not only sequester carbon but also improve biodiversity and community benefit. We are also pioneering engineered carbon removal projects such as enhanced rock weathering that have the potential to sequester carbon permanently and at scale.

All project types remove atmospheric carbon and provide other critical co-benefits that support the environmental restoration of the UK.

Engineered Carbon Removal Nature-based Solutions

Engineered Carbon Removal

Enhanced rock weathering

You can be forgiven for thinking ‘enhanced rock weathering’ sounds a bit dull, but this technique packs serious punch.

Basalt, a commonly available igneous rock, has naturally sequestered atmospheric carbon for millennia. Rainfall contains carbon (in the form of carbonic acid) and when it rains, the carbonic acid reacts with basalt rocks. The reaction creates a bicarbonate that is washed through river systems and stored in oceans for hundreds of thousands of years. Rock weathering is responsible for about 10 gigatonnes of natural carbon removal from our ecosystem every year.

‘Enhanced’ rock weathering mimics nature by simply accelerating this process. Using a natural by-product from local basalt quarries, we work with farmers to spread finely crushed basalt rock dust onto arable crop land. The crushed rock dust sequesters carbon much faster and also supports crop production. Basalt dust is a cheaper alternative to lime and reduces the need for expensive fertilisers, reducing chemical pollution. Basalt also improves soil alkalinity and increases crop yields, protecting UK food security and safeguarding harvests for generations to come.

Nothing dull about that.

There are tonnes of reasons to advance enhanced rock weathering. Two billion to be precise.

Carbon removal is vital to combat the effects of climate change. Nothing else will do. Enhanced rock weathering has the potential to remove approximately 2,000,000,000 tonnes of carbon per year.

Our UK project is a small part of this, but silicate rocks are commonly available all over the world. We want to show how enhanced rock weathering can be done well, then share our learning and experiences with others to launch their own projects.

So, that’s 2,000,000,002 reasons.

Nature-based Solutions

Integrity grows on trees.

Everyone understands we need to plant more trees. The Carbon Bank wants to contribute to the UK’s target to plant 30,000 hectares of new forest, every year, until 2050. To do this responsibly, we are proud to follow the Woodland Carbon Code, a pioneering UK standard since 2011 which established best practice for species selection, carbon sequestration and climate resilience. We constantly strive to exceed best practice and expect to commit to the British Standard Institute’s (BSI) nature recovery certification framework, BSI Flex, to ensure our projects meet the very highest quality and certification standards.

It’s not all about carbon.

Some forestry projects adopt a ‘carbon farming’ approach. Rows upon rows of trees, packed in to maximise carbon credit revenues. We don’t do this. Our nature-first approach is tailored to each site and includes open ground, wet areas, rides, glades and edge habitats to promote biodiversity.

We also prioritise meaningful local community engagement to create a balanced approach that works for everyone involved. Our credits are among the more expensive on the market, but our buyers understand that for forestry projects to be sustainable long term, they must be about more than carbon.

Seeing is believing.

Our nature-based projects will all be based in the UK. Buyers sometimes want to be able to see what they’re contributing to, so we invite them to come and visit. Getting out into nature, away from the office, enjoying ‘walking’ meetings, client showcasing, staff away days are all possible within our forestry projects. This creates both tangible and intangible impacts for buyers, from improved marketing and brand perception to staff loyalty, wellbeing and happiness.