Why Planting a Tree Today Is the Best Investment for Tomorrow

5 min read

June 26, 2025

With growing urgency and demand for addressing environmental concerns all over the world, many individuals and businesses are focused on reforestation. Tree planting directly benefits forest biodiversity by creating habitats for wildlife and increasing connectivity.1 Moreover, trees “moderate climate by absorbing about one-third of the carbon emitted by human activities”2, such as land use change and burning fossil fuels. Finally, restoration projects not only have a positive environmental impact but also social, such as employment, stable income, women empowerment, access to water, health and financial services.3 Planting trees is a low-cost, high-impact long-term investment into the health of our planet and people.

The Impact of Tree Planting

Environmental Benefits

Tree planting projects provide profound environmental benefits, making them a cornerstone of sustainable business practices. Restoration enhances biodiversity by creating habitats for a wide range of species, supporting ecosystem health and resilience. Restoring forests also aids in water regulation, soil conservation, and overall ecosystem restoration, contributing to a healthier planet as “forest, water and energy interactions provide the foundations for carbon storage, for cooling terrestrial surfaces and for distributing water resources”.4

A green sapling planted at a reforestation site next to an older tree
Reforestation at veritree's Oregon site

Companies that prioritize reforestation align with global efforts to combat climate change and meet increasingly regulatory demands for ecological responsibility. Scaling investments in Nature-based Solutions (NbS) is crucial to meet global climate, biodiversity, and land degradation targets. Annual investments in NbS need to triple by 2030 and quadruple by 2050, reaching a cumulative total of up to $8.1 trillion.5 These projects not only benefit the environment but also reinforce a company’s commitment to creating a sustainable future for all.

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Social Benefits

Reforestation provides a variety of social benefits, including job creation, community engagement, and food security. By investing in tree planting projects, companies can support local communities, providing employment opportunities and fostering economic growth. This engagement not only improves the livelihoods of community members but also promotes a sense of ownership and responsibility towards environmental conservation.

Female planters dancing at a restoration site in Tanzania.
Planting community at veritree's restoration site in Tanzania

Moreover, research demonstrates that employees in companies investing in sustainability have a 38% boost in loyalty, 16% increase in productivity, and 55% uptick in morale.6  Investing in reforestation can also enhance a company’s brand reputation and customer loyalty. A survey exploring the link between consumer loyalty and environmental responsibility found that 71% of U.S. adults are more loyal to companies that actively protect the environment.7 By aligning with reforestation initiatives, businesses can build a positive brand image, showcasing their dedication to environmental and social responsibility. This, in turn, fosters stronger connections with customers who value and prioritize green practices, leading to increased loyalty and long-term customer retention.

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Financial Benefits

Investing in reforestation can be a cost-effective strategy for businesses, offering substantial financial returns. A global initiative aimed at achieving nature-related sustainability goals over the next six years could yield more than 20 times the ROI, highlighting the significant economic advantages of investing in Nature-based Solutions (NbS).8 These projects provide direct financial benefits such as tax incentives and significant cost savings as governments worldwide are offering tax breaks and subsidies to companies engaging in sustainable practices.

Moreover, tree planting and ecosystem restoration initiatives can enhance a company’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) credentials – a growing factor in investment decisions. Companies that invest in reforestation not only attract environmentally conscious investors but also gain access to a growing pool of green finance options, including sustainability-linked loans and green bonds, offering favourable terms and conditions.

In a competitive market, these economic tools not only reduce costs but also send a clear signal to stakeholders that a company is committed to future-proofing its operations through tangible environmental impact.

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Choosing the Right Kind of Tree (And Why It Matters)

All restoration projects require choosing the right kind of trees to be planted to ensure long-term success and impact. At veritree, we rely on the knowledge and expertise of communities on the ground and local planting organizations to select native tree varieties that are best suited to each ecosystem. This ensures that our projects align with local climate, site biodiversity, and deliver sustainable environmental and community benefits. For example,

1. In our agroforestry planting projects, we plant trees like cocoa, coconut, cashew, and mango in Haiti, and tamarind, bananas, and silk cotton in Senegal to enhance soil health and support livelihoods.

Senegalese man in white shirt holding three little eggplants
Community harvest at agroforestry site in Senegal

2. Our terrestrial reforestation projects include planting trees like African cherry and bamboo in Kenya, oak and red spruce in New Brunswick, and eucalyptus marginata in Australia.

3. In mangrove restoration projects, we focus on native species such as Rhizophora mucronata, Avicennia marina, and Laguncularia racemosa across regions like Eastern Africa and Brazil to stabilize coastlines and support marine biodiversity.

4. For post-wildfire reforestation, we plant resilient native tree varieties like Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, and white spruce depending on the local landscape–from California and Oregon to Alberta and British Columbia.

4 bags of tree saplings are sitting in the middle of a terrestrial restoration site in Alberta, Canada
Reforestation at Sawle Lake, Alberta, Canada

Research shows that “well-designed NbS that incorporate diverse native species, avoid damaging biodiverse ecosystems and respect social safeguards offer good opportunities for mitigation with key benefits for local people”.9 By collaborating with our planting partners and prioritizing native and diverse species, veritree ensures that every corporate tree planting project delivers lasting benefits for people, nature, and environment.

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Corporate Tree Planting: Investing With Purpose

How Businesses are Driving Restoration

Around the world, businesses are playing an increasingly vital role in restoring forests, coastlines, and ecosystems through verified tree planting projects. Corporate tree planting has become a practical, purpose-driven strategy to reduce carbon footprints, support biodiversity, and uplift local communities. Whether it’s planting one tree for every product sold or donating a portion of revenue to restoration efforts, companies are activating in creative ways to integrate restoration into their core operations.

Activating with veritree

veritree partners are helping drive measurable impact—millions of trees planted, thousands of tonnes of CO₂ to be sequestered, and hundreds of livelihoods supported through meaningful green jobs. Businesses plant kelp for every guest who forgoes housekeeping services. They round up purchases at checkout to fund mangrove restoration. Some encourage switching from paper to e-statements and plant trees in return. Others engage their employees in environmental pledges or tie tree planting to referrals and credit card spending. Each model helps transform transactions into tangible environmental outcomes while building brand loyalty and engaging customers in climate action.

A teddy bear in black shirt and black hat that reads "Sutton Place Hotels" is sitting by mangrove propagules at a mangrove restoration site in Kenya
Sutton Place Hotels' mangrove restoration project with veritree

One standout example of cost-effective climate leadership is Sutton Place Hotels, a Canadian hospitality brand that has embedded tree planting into their guest experience. Through their partnership with veritree, Sutton Place offers guests the opportunity to opt out of daily housekeeping in exchange for planting trees in Canada and Kenya. This small behavioural shift yields outsized impact—reducing operational costs for the hotel while funding verified restoration. Over a six-month period, housekeeping opt-out rates increased by over 125%, resulting in significant operational cost savings. From a sustainability lens, beyond the reductions in resources like energy and water, Sutton Place has contributed to the planting of over 85,000 trees that will act as carbon sinks, help prevent soil erosion, provide habitat for wildlife, and enhance biodiversity.

This is the future of corporate responsibility: practical, measurable, and deeply rooted in purpose. Through business tree planting initiatives, companies are proving that investing in nature isn’t just good for the planet—it’s good for business.

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Verified Planting Projects as a Model for the Future

Making Investment in Nature Measurable and Trusted

As nature-based solutions scale globally, verified planting projects are setting the standard for transparency, accountability, and long-term impact. Through advanced monitoring and blockchain-based verification, veritree makes investing in nature measurable and trusted. From site planning to inventory management and impact reporting, every stage of a planting project is documented and validated.

A camouflaged in-field camera is installed on a tree for tracking wildlife at restoration sites.
Live, in-field camera for tracking changes in biodiversity at veritree's sites

This ensures that the right tree varieties are planted in the right places—and remain on the ground as intended. veritree’s platform connects corporate sponsors directly with the environmental and social outcomes of their contributions—tracking metrics like trees planted, CO₂ to be sequestered, local livelihoods enhanced with brand-new social dashboard, and even biodiversity supported, for example through bioacoustics sensors.

With over 100 million trees pledged, veritree is powering a growing community of changemakers—brands, planting organizations, and consumers—who believe in the power of verified restoration to create a healthier planet, stronger communities, and a thriving restorative economy.

Ready to get your Reforestation ROI? Reach out to our team.

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Sources:

  1. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aar6603
  2. https://natural-resources.canada.ca/search?keywords=forest+carbon
  3. https://www.veritree.com/post/veritrees-new-social-impact-dashboard
  4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378017300134#abs0015
  5. https://www.eib.org/attachments/lucalli/20230095_investing_in_nature_based_solutions_en.pdf
  6. https://hbr.org/2016/10/the-comprehensive-business-case-for-sustainability
  7. https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesnonprofitcouncil/2023/11/22/the-incredible-connection-between-consumer-loyalty-and-climate-responsibility/#
  8. https://www.unep-wcmc.org/en/news/funding-nature-related-sustainable-development-goals-would-deliver-more-than-20-times-return-on-investment-study-shows
  9. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstb.2019.0120

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Written by:

Katie Karaulova

Reviewed by:

Montana Brisbin

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