EthioTrees Project Partners with Climate Impact Partners to Drive Reforestation and Community Resilience in Ethiopia

London, UK – June 18, 2025 – EthioTrees, a community-led ecosystem restoration project in Ethiopia, has signed an agreement with Climate Impact Partners, a global leader in high-quality, high-impact carbon market solutions, providing access to over 100,000 verified carbon removal credits generated annually.

Located in the North Ethiopian Highlands, the EthioTrees project restores degraded landscapes, growing over eight million native trees and increasing species richness by 41%. EthioTrees is designed by Climate Lab, a social enterprise developing community-based climate projects, and registered under the Plan Vivo standard, supporting smallholders and communities at the forefront of the climate crisis. The project partners with communities to co-create sustainable livelihood opportunities for smallholder and landless farmers in villages across the region.

Income is generated through carbon credit sales, with an equitable benefit sharing mechanism that ensures at least 60% of the income generated goes directly back to the communities and smallholders on the ground. This is alongside the sale of frankincense, honey and non-timber forest projects.

With the vast majority of landless farmers identifying a lack of access to drinking water as the main problem for their livelihood, the project has built more than 15 large water reservoirs, enhanced groundwater recharge, and supported 29,135 people with food aid in drought-prone areas.

Derwent London, the British-based property investment and development company, is a proud supporter of the EthioTrees project, demonstrating its commitment to investing in impactful climate solutions on its journey to net zero.

Sil Lanckriet, Co-Founder, Climate Lab, commented: "Working with Climate Impact Partners marks an important moment for EthioTrees. This partnership provides the long-term financial support necessary to scale our vital restoration efforts, and enhance the resilience of communities in Tigray. It's a powerful validation of our model, proving that ecological restoration can go hand-in-hand with sustainable development and deliver measurable climate benefits."

Kelly Fitzwater, Global Supply Chain Director, Climate Impact Partners, added: “It’s everything in addition to the carbon sequestration – the countless stories of farmers and community members whose lives have been tangibly improved – that makes the EthioTrees project such a powerful example.

"This project is enabling farmers in the Tigray Highlands to irrigate crops through the dry season thanks to restored groundwater, it's generating income for landless farmers through sustainable harvesting of frankincense and honey, and supporting thousands of families with food aid when it’s needed most. This close partnership reflects our deep belief in projects that go beyond just emissions reductions – and allows our clients, like Derwent, to directly support a project that embodies the very best of climate action and community commitment.”

John Davies, Head of Sustainability, Derwent London, said: "Our support for the EthioTrees project reflects our dedication to supporting high-integrity climate solutions that create real, positive change on our way to net zero. Having exclusive access to these credits through Climate Impact Partners reinforces our ability to meet our climate goals with confidence, knowing we are contributing to a project that delivers both environmental restoration and tangible community benefits."

The project contributes to six of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including decent work and economic growth, clean water and sanitation, and zero hunger. To date it has issued over 450,000 credits, with participation of 104 community groups.

Explore the project further at Climate Impact Partners’ London Climate Action Week exhibition - "In Focus: Capturing Real Climate Impact."