river flowing through a forest

Carbon removal & carbon neutrality

Taking action for net-zero operations

From carbon neutral to net-zero: our journey in carbon removals

Zurich began compensating our operational carbon emissions1 over a decade ago, as we saw value in leveraging carbon financing initiatives to support climate protection projects outside our direct value chain. What started as an approach based on carbon neutrality - the standard of its era - has evolved into something more stringent: reducing our own operational emissions1 toward a 2030 net-zero target while becoming an early actor in the permanent carbon removal market.

Our journey

A decade ago, carbon neutrality was the benchmark. Companies reduced what they could and offset the rest, typically by funding projects that avoided emissions elsewhere, such as forest conservation. It is a meaningful step, but science has since moved on.

Net-zero raises the bar. It demands that emissions are reduced as deeply as possible, and that only residual emissions be balanced by removing carbon already in the atmosphere - not just preventing new emissions.

To manage this transition, we continue purchasing carbon offsets, while supporting carbon removal projects largely through pre-purchasing agreements, to reach net-zero by 2030 for our own operations1.

2030

  • 2030 early mover net-zero target

    After deep emissions reductions, aim to purchase carbon removal certificates equivalent to all remaining operational emissions1.

  • <

    2023 and onward

    Expand portfolio to include e.g. enhanced rock weathering (ERW), mangrove restoration, micro-algae biochar, DAC with co-produced clean hydrogen, and carbon-negative building materials.

  • 2022

    First pre-purchase agreements for carbon removal - Climeworks (direct air capture (DAC), Switzerland), InterEarth (biomass burial, Australia), and Oregon Biochar Solutions (USA). Zurich becomes an early-stage buyer in a still nascent industry.

  • 2014 onward

    Pursuing an approach to carbon neutrality via offsets – Prioritize emissions reduction first. Fund verified avoided deforestation projects to compensate for annual operational emissions1.

Carbon neutrality vs. net-zero: why the distinction matters

Carbon offsets fund projects that help avoid emissions from being released into the atmosphere. They are valuable, but not the same as physically taking CO2 out of the air. Carbon removal certificates, by contrast, represent CO2 that has been independently verified as extracted from the atmosphere and stored long-term.

Zurich’s Approach to:Carbon neutralityNet-zero
MechanismOffsetting - funding projects that avoid emissions elsewhereCarbon removal - physically extracting CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it permanently
Examples of projects supportedRimba Raya REDD+ forest conservation, Indonesian Borneo (protecting 130M+ metric tons)Portfolio of removal certificates across 9+ projects, e.g. biochar, DAC, ERW, mangroves, biomass burial
Role of offsettingCompensates annual operational emissions1 on a like-for-like basisOffsets maintained during transition; removal certificates grow to cover residual operational emissions1 by 2030

Through our pre-purchasing agreements, we aim to ramp up our supply of carbon-removal certificates to eliminate the same amount of CO2e as we produce — from 2030 onwards.

Anja-Lea Fischer

Head of Operational Sustainability

Anja-Lea Fischer

Why take action now in an immature market?

The carbon removal industry is nascent. Most of the solutions needed to meet global climate targets at scale do not yet exist at commercial volume. Early buyers play a critical role: pre-purchase agreements provide upfront capital that allows innovators to launch, prove their technology, and attract further investment.

We structure most contracts as pre-purchase agreements - committing to buy, with partial payments upfront and further tranches released as milestones are met. Due diligence precedes every partnership, and we monitor progress closely throughout. In 2025, InterEarth, one of our first early-stage carbon removal projects, delivered its first certificates to Zurich six months ahead of schedule.

The urgency of the situation means we need to be proactive and help scale up the carbon removal industry, which is still in its infancy.

Linda Freiner

Chief Sustainability Officer

Linda Freiner

Our removal portfolio

We take a deliberate portfolio approach — combining nature-based and technology-based solutions to manage risk and reflect climate science, which is clear that no single method can meet global needs alone. Forestry and biodiversity conservation remain important alongside removal investments.

Nature-based solutions

Agroforestry

Agroforestry is the intentional planting of trees and shrubs around or among crops or pasture in order to create more diverse, productive, healthy, and sustainable approaches to farming. Planting trees and shrubs on previously cleared land sequesters carbon and is an important tool to increase the resilience of communities with a high exposure to the physical impacts of climate change. Resilience is increased since planting of trees and shrubs helps to reduce soil erosion, improve soil structure and fertility create wildlife habitatand increase biodiversity.

 

Trees planted using agroforestry techniques can also produce a renewable source of wood, fruits, nuts, and other products. Agroforestry practices are especially valuable techniques in Sub-Saharan Africa where there is a high volume of smallholder farmers who have a low level of resilience to the physical impact of climate change.

Biochar

Biochar is a charcoal-like substance made by burning organic material from agricultural or forestry waste (or biomass) with a limited supply of oxygen and at relatively low temperatures (5-800 degrees C).

This process, called pyrolysis, means the organic matter does not combust. Instead, it transforms the carbon dioxide that a plant absorbs during photosynthesis into a very stable form of carbon that can’t easily escape into the atmosphere. This avoids the carbon captured by the plant being emitted when the plant decays.

 

Organic waste used to make biochar includes woodchips, grass, crop residues, leaf litter, dead plants, trees, manure—and even algae. This means biochar’s chemical composition can vary depending on the feedstock and the methods used to heat it. However, on average, about 70 percent of its composition is carbon.

Biochar can remain in soil for centuries, even thousands of years, making it an ideal technology for scalable carbon removal.

In addition to storing the carbon inside organic material and preventing it from turning into carbon dioxide, biochar offers a range of environmental and social benefits.

When applied to certain types of soil, biochar can improve water retention, moderate soil acidity, reduce nutrient leaching, and lower the need for irrigation and fertilizer. These benefits decrease the environmental impact of agriculture and help make this critical industry more sustainable.

By enhancing soil structure and fertility, biochar not only boosts crop yields but also helps agricultural systems better withstand the impacts of climate change, such as drought or extreme weather—thereby strengthening the resilience of society as a whole.

Biomass burial

Carbon dioxide in the air, which plants convert into carbohydrates by photosynthesis, is returned to the atmosphere when plants die and decay. What if we could sequester the carbon locked up in trees in such a way that it doesn’t get released back into the atmosphere when the tree is no longer alive?

That’s the premise behind the biomass burial solution. In this approach trees are planted in order to capture carbon. Once grown, the tree above ground is harvested and the collected biomass buried underground in a sealed cavity. The aim is to permanently store the carbon captured within the biomass. As the roots of the tree are left in the ground, the tree will re-grow and in time, be harvested again, allowing the burial process to be repeated to capture and permanently store carbon for hundreds of years.

The cycle of grow-harvest-bury-grow acts as an effective atmospheric CO2e pump, capable of removing significantly more CO2e per area of land compared to replanting trees to create a new forest. This allows high-rainfall, high-productivity farmland to be used for food and fiber production while still addressing climate change. When the right conditions are maintained after burial, the CO2e contained within the underground biomass can be permanently sequestered. This approach also improves soil quality, prevents soil erosion and desertification, restores lost plant and animal habitats, and addresses groundwater over-recharge. Groundwater over-recharge is a major cause of secondary salination and a key factor in the degradation of arable land, especially in Western Australia.

Enhanced Rock Weathering

Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) is a carbon removal method that speeds up the natural process of weathering, where rocks break down and chemically react with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In this process, silicate or carbonate minerals are ground into fine particles and spread over large areas of land, such as farms. When these minerals dissolve in rainwater, they react with CO₂ to form stable carbonate compounds, helping to capture and store carbon.

In addition to removing carbon ERW brings a range of benefits for sustainable land management and healthy ecosystems. Importantly, ERW can help increase crop yields and strengthen resilience to climate change by improving soil health, making it a promising approach for building a more sustainable future for food production and land use.

 

ERW greatly accelerates the natural weathering process to remove atmospheric carbon dioxide. This is achieved by crushing or grinding rocks and minerals to a fine powder to increase the total surface area of the material that is available to effectively capture and store carbon. The material is also applied to agricultural soils where the concentration of carbon dioxide is up to 10 times higher than in the atmosphere. Once the material is applied to agricultural land that has sufficient moisture and is of a suitable pH, it begins to break down, permanently removing carbon dioxide that was within the atmosphere. Carbon removal occurs when rainwater, a diluted form of carbonic acid contained in the soil weathers the silicate, hydroxide and carbonate minerals in the material, creating calcium cations and bicarbonate anions. This bicarbonate anion is a stable store of carbon. Both the bicarbonate and calcium ions remain in solution in surface and ground waters before flowing to the ocean, where they have a residence time of 80,000 years1. On average, after 80,000 years, the negatively charged bicarbonate ions bond with the positively charged calcium ions to precipitate limestone on the ocean floor, leading to carbon removal lasting millennia. By analysing soil, soil waters and gas fluxes across the land where the material was applied it is possible to quantify using geochemical models, the rate and volume of CO₂ removed from the atmosphere.

ERW offers numerous benefits beyond carbon sequestration, particularly in agriculture and environmental protection. It improves soil fertility and health by adding essential nutrients and regulating pH levels, which enhances crop growth and water retention. This process also supports plant resistance to pests and diseases, reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers, and prevents soil erosion. Additionally, ERW can mitigate ocean acidification by increasing water alkalinity and immobilize heavy metals, reducing their toxicity. These benefits collectively promote sustainable land management, enhance biodiversity, and contribute to overall ecosystem health.

1 Berner et al, 1983. The carbonate-silicate geochemical cycle and its effect on atmospheric carbon dioxide over the past 100 million years, American Journal of Science.

Mangrove restoration

Mangrove restoration is recognized as an effective carbon removal solution due to its ability to sequester large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Mangroves, which are salt-tolerant trees that thrive in coastal regions, play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by capturing carbon in their biomass and the surrounding soil.

Restoring degraded mangrove areas not only enhances carbon storage but also provides numerous co-benefits, such as protecting coastlines from erosion, supporting biodiversity, and sustaining the livelihoods of local communities. Consequently, we see mangrove restoration as a nature-based solution that mitigates the impacts of climate change and increases resilience against its physical effects.

In addition to its carbon sequestration benefits, mangrove restoration plays a vital role in enhancing coastal resilience and ecosystem health. Mangroves serve as natural barriers against storm surges, hurricanes, and tsunamis, reducing the risk of flooding and protecting inland areas from severe weather events. Their complex root systems stabilize shorelines by trapping sediments and preventing coastal erosion. Furthermore, mangroves create rich habitats for a wide variety of marine and terrestrial species, fostering biodiversity and supporting fisheries that are crucial for local economies. The restoration of these ecosystems also promotes water quality by filtering pollutants and trapping sediments, which benefits both marine life and human communities. Implementing mangrove restoration projects involves community engagement, sustainable management practices, and long-term monitoring to ensure the successful recovery and maintenance of these vital ecosystems.

Our projects and partners

Australia

Biomass Burial

biomass burial site

On degraded, low rainfall, and previously cleared farmland in Western Australia, InterEarth plants native species that produce woody biomass, well suited to the arid climate. This biomass is grown, harvested, and then buried in sealed underground cavities to permanently store the carbon it has captured.

In addition to their own biomass, InterEarth also accepts certain waste woody biomass from third parties, especially material at high risk of being left to decompose or fueling wildfires. By burying biomass, InterEarth prevents decomposition and the release of carbon back into the atmosphere, while also helping to reduce wildfire risks—supporting a safer and more sustainable environment.

Biomass burial works by taking plant material that has absorbed carbon dioxide from the air and burying it in places where it won’t easily break down. This prevents the biomass from decomposing and releasing carbon back into the atmosphere, so the carbon stays safely buried.

Compared to other carbon removal solutions, biomass burial is relatively straightforward—it uses natural processes and doesn’t need complex technology. However, it does require careful monitoring to make sure the biomass remains stored for the long term and doesn’t start to decompose underground. Inter-Earth carefully monitor their burial sites with sensors and carry out sampling.

Zurich originally signed a pre-purchase agreement with InterEarth in 2022, making upfront payments and further contributions as the project met pre-agreed milestones. In 2025 InterEarth delivered its first carbon removal certificates to Zurich—six months ahead of schedule.

Oregon, USA

Forest waste to biochar

men planting trees

Another part of the jigsaw can be found in Oregon, USA.

Oregon Biochar Solutions produces high-quality biochar, mainly sourced from forestry waste, including fire hazard biomass and forest fire burnt wood.

Removing forest waste material reduces the risk of future fires and puts waste material to productive use. The company also donates some of its revenues to the local fire department.

The company is already producing biochar, most of which is sold to farms, and has the capacity to scale up to produce more than 3,000 metric tons per year. It plans to use the revenue derived from the sale of carbon removal certificates to pass cost savings on to local farmers and entrepreneurs looking to integrate clean products into their supply chain. Biochar carbon removal certificates therefore increase the accessibility of biochar for buyers who have not been using it until now because of its price.

By supplying more biochar to this market, Oregon Biochar Solutions enables more farmers to benefit from the added value of biochar sequestration in soils. This usage results in better and healthier soils, water savings, and reduced fertilizer usage. These effects benefit the local community and help maintain biodiversity.

Oregon Biochar will also use the revenue derived from carbon removal certificates to invest in equipment to meet a backlog of orders. Further down the road, the company hopes to operate more biochar production facilities across the USA.

Through its purchase of carbon removals from Oregon Biochar Solutions, Zurich enables more farmers to use biochar and supports the implementation of sustainable agriculture practices. Additionally, Zurich contributes to the management of forests in an area prone to fires.

New Jersey, USA

Direct Air Capture

men planting trees

Parallel Carbon, Inc. (Parallel Carbon) removes CO₂ from the atmosphere using a passive Direct Air Capture (DAC) system that utilizes a mineral sorbent. The sorbent is derived from limestone, a low-cost, globally abundant material. After capturing CO₂, Parallel Carbon uses an innovative electrochemical process to extract the atmospheric CO₂ from the limestone to create a pure stream of CO₂ for permanent geologic storage. The mineral sorbent is regenerated and reused in the process. Electrochemical DAC avoids the high heat required by traditional mineral sorbent methods and instead uses low-cost, intermittent renewable energy.

A key differentiator of Parallel Carbon's electrochemical approach is the simultaneous co-production of clean hydrogen from the same electrolyzer that drives the DAC cycle. Hydrogen is a valuable, renewable feedstock that replaces fossil fuels in hard-to-abate sectors like aviation, maritime transportation, and chemical production where low-carbon alternatives are limited.  By combining CO₂ removal and clean hydrogen production in one integrated, renewablepowered system, Parallel Carbon delivers climate benefits on two fronts; enabling the permanent removal of CO₂ whilst helping accelerate essential technologies for both atmospheric carbon reduction and the transition to cleaner fuels.

Georgia, USA

Paper mill waste to Biochar

nature

Wakefield BioChar supplies high-quality biochar derived from waste biomass generated by paper mills during their production processes. In normal circumstances, the biochar is burnt to produce energy, releasing the carbon within the biomass into the atmosphere. The revenue provided by the sale of carbon removal certificates by Wakefield BioChar, provides the financing necessary to sequester permanently the biochar from residual biomass for application to degraded land as part of a remediation project agreed with the local and state authorities and the landowner. In this case, the biochar was mixed with lime and used as an amendment to neutralize pollutants, restore soil health and improve drainage. Native plant species were then planted on the remediated land to restore the biodiversity of the site.

By purchasing carbon removal certificates from Wakefield Biochar, Zurich enables CO2 to be removed from the atmosphere and supports the restoration of degraded land for the benefit of the planet and the local community.

Puerto Rico

Bamboo to Biochar

bamboo river blockage

In the southwest of Puerto Rico, not far from the small town of Hormigueros, a startup called Bio Restorative Ideas plans to convert bamboo to biochar on the site of a former sugar cane factory.

Bamboo is a rapidly growing grass and when fallen and broken, particularly along waterways and roadways, causes blockages, flooding and erosion.

Bio Restorative Ideas hopes to transform about 7,000 metric tons of this waste and invasive bamboo into 3,000 metric tons of high-quality biochar while creating about 15-20 local jobs.

The resulting biochar will be used to improve soil health in terms of nutrient availability and drought resilience. Additional applications are also being considered such as an additive to concrete or other building materials, environmental remediation or water and wastewater filtration.

If all goes according to plan, production could start towards the end of 2022.

Zurich is attracted to this project because it will use waste bamboo as a feedstock for the pyrolysis process that would otherwise be burnt, emitting CO2, or fermented, emitting methane. In Puerto Rico, bamboo management is a challenge as the invasive, non-native plant grows and spreads rapidly and often causes blockages in rivers, leading to floods. The bamboo harvesting will support flood resilience in Puerto Rico as fallen bamboo blocks waterways and creates drainage issues, also in emergency response scenarios caused by storms.

The project will help create good quality jobs and support the transition to new economies in an area where industrial activity ceased with the closure of the sugar cane plant more than 20 years ago.

In addition, the use of biochar in agriculture aligns with Zurich’s push for adoption of sustainable agriculture practices and can help to reduce use of fertilizers and water whilst supporting soil quality improvements.

Bio Restorative Ideas is in development phase and has not yet started biochar production. Zurich’s pre-purchases are partly funding its growth and scale up. We have made some up-front payments which will be passed onto the producer to support its development.

If this supplier can find buyers that agree to the future purchase of its carbon removals, its project can be implemented quicker and also begin to expand in other locations.

By getting involved at an early stage, Zurich’s pre-purchases support the development of the biochar carbon removal industry which might not happen without the early adoption of such solutions by a corporate leader. Before making pre-purchases Zurich carries out its own due diligence to verify the operational plans of projects it supports are in place and key criteria are met. In particular, Bio Restorative Ideas has demonstrated exceptional risk analysis, that has, for example, led to the development of a completely mobile solution to relocate the entire facility in the event of a natural disaster.

Ireland

Enhanced Rock Weathering

woman working in the garden

Silicate Carbon Limited (Silicate) is based in Ireland. Their business purpose is to permanently remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through the technique of Enhanced Rock Weathering. Silicate’s process involves grinding primarily returned concrete to a fine powder and then spreading this material to agricultural land. Using this material for ERW purposes is an effective use of a waste product that has an abundant supply. It also has a range of other benefits beyond carbon removal as the material has the capability to improve soil fertility and health by adding essential nutrients and regulating pH levels, which enhances crop growth and water retention. This process also supports plant resistance to pests and diseases, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers, and prevents soil erosion. Additionally, ERW can mitigate ocean acidification by increasing water alkalinity and immobilize heavy metals, reducing their toxicity. These benefits collectively promote sustainable land management, enhance biodiversity, and contribute to overall benefits for people and planet.

The composition of concrete varies depending on how it is made, but it always contains two principal components: cement and aggregate. Cement, the liquid part of concrete, contains high calcium concentrations that are primarily hosted in fast-weathering minerals such as portlandite and amorphous calcium silicates - perfect for rapid carbon drawdown. The aggregate (chunks of rock) that makes up the rest of concrete is determined by the local rock sources. Carbonate rocks, such as limestone, and silicate rocks, like basalt, are commonly used. Just like cement, both limestone and the olivine component of basalt will remove atmospheric carbon dioxide when weathered, although their carbon removal capacities and weathering rates differ.

Silicate take field measurements of soil, soil waters and gas fluxes across the land where the material was applied in order to ground-truth and validate geochemical models which calculate the rate and volume of CO2 removed from the atmosphere. Silicate’s carbon removal will be quantified in accordance with the Puro Standard and independently verified by a third party. CO2 Removal Certificates (CORCs) resulting from Silicate’s activities will be issued through the Puro Registry.

Zurich has signed a multi-year pre purchase agreement with Silicate to remove a part of Zurich’s unavoidable carbon emissions and have already made some advance payments that provides access to funding to support the growth and scale up of Silicate’s business and operations. Further payments are based on Silicate achieving pre-agreed contractual milestones.

Wales, UK

Micro-algae to biochar

Nellie technologies

Nellie Technologies Limited (Nellie) is based in Wales UK. Their business purpose is to permanently remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by creating a biochar from micro-algae. Nellie have developed proprietary technology to rapidly and efficiently grow micro-algae in a photobioreactor. Once grown the micro-algae can be collected, dried and then used to create biochar which is then applied to agricultural land as a soil amendment. The advantage of Nellie’s approach is the novel use of micro-algae as a feedstock for biochar production which grows rapidly and can be harvested more frequently than conventional biomass sources, micro-algae also has potential to produce higher yields of biochar compared to traditional biomass and does not compete with food crops for arable land since it can be carried out on so called ‘grey belt’ land.

Zurich has signed a multi-year pre purchase agreement with Nellie to remove a part of Zurich’s unavoidable carbon emissions. The amount of carbon removed by Nellie will be quantified in accordance with the Puro Standard and independently verified by a third party. CO2 Removal Certificates (CORCs) resulting from Nellie’s activities will be issued through the Puro Registry. Zurich has already made advance payments that provides access to funding to support the growth and scale up of Nellie’s business and operations. Further payments are based on Nellie achieving pre-agreed contractual milestones.

England, UK

Carbonated building materials

Engineers at a construction site

O.C.O Technology Group Limited (OCO) is based in England, UK. Their business specializes in carbon removal through the production of carbon-negative building materials. Their process transforms Air Pollution Control Residue (APCr)—a potentially hazardous industrial by-product that is typically landfilled—into durable construction aggregates. The carbonation process uses some biogenic CO₂, principally sourced from agricultural waste from a local farm, but the majority of carbon removal is achieved during a curing phase in which the aggregates absorb atmospheric CO₂ directly from the surrounding air. The captured carbon is then permanently stored within the building materials.

This approach delivers multiple benefits for climate and society. It supports circular economy principles by repurposing industrial waste and reducing demand for conventional raw materials. Additionally, converting APCr into stable building products reduces the risks associated with landfilling hazardous waste, contributing to safer waste management and safeguarding communities against pollution risks.

Zurich has signed a multi-year pre-purchase agreement with O.C.O Technology to buy carbon removal certificates generated from the production of these carbon-negative building products. The amount of carbon removed will be quantified in accordance with the Puro Standard and independently verified by a third party. CO2 Removal Certificates (CORCs) resulting from OCO Technology’s activities will be issued through the Puro Registry. Through this collaboration, Zurich is supporting innovative carbon removal and circular economy solutions, helping to reduce the risks posed by hazardous waste and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon built environment.

Switzerland

Direct Air Capture

Climeworks DAC+S plant Orca

Climeworks is a Swiss company that empowers people and companies to fight global warming by offering carbon dioxide removal as a service via direct air capture (DAC) technology. At Orca, Climeworks’ DAC facility in Iceland, the CO2 is permanently removed from the air by capturing and geologically storing it for thousands of years with Climeworks’ storage partner Carbfix.

Climeworks’ DAC facilities run exclusively on clean energy, and their modular CO2 collectors can be stacked to build machines of any capacity. Founded by engineers Christoph Gebald and Jan Wurzbacher in 2009, Climeworks is on a journey to climate impact at scale. To do so, it strives to inspire 1 billion people to act and remove CO2 from the air.

Climeworks develops, builds and operates direct air capture (DAC) machines that remove CO2 from the air. Climeworks’ facilities consist of CO2 collectors that selectively capture carbon dioxide in a two-step process. First, air is drawn into the collector with a fan. Carbon dioxide is captured on the surface of a highly selective filter material that sits inside the collectors. Second, after the filter material is full with carbon dioxide, the collector is closed and the temperature is increased to around 100 °C - this releases the carbon dioxide. Finally, thehigh-purity, high-concentration carbon dioxide is collected and handed over for permanent storage. For its flagship facility Orca, the world's largest direct air capture and storage plant, Climeworks has joined forces with the Icelandic company Carbfix. Carbfix has a strong scientific backbone and is one of the world's experts in rapid underground mineralization of carbon dioxide.

Located near the Hellisheiði geothermal power plant, which provides the renewable energy needed to run the Climeworks machines, Orca removes up to 4'000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. Carbfix mixes the carbon dioxide that Orca captures with water and pumps it deep underground. Through natural mineralization, the carbon dioxide reacts with the basalt rock and turns into stone within a few years.

We have signed a multi-year pre-purchase agreement with Climeworks to remove a part of our unavoidable CO2 emissions. Consistent with the approach taken with the other carbon removal projects that we have selected, we have already made some advance payments that provide access to funding to support the growth and scale up of Climeworks’ business and operations.

Uganda

Agroforestry

woman working in the garden

Trees for Global Benefits (TGB) is a long-running carbon removal project in Uganda implemented by the Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda (ECOTRUST), a not-for-profit conservation organization established in Uganda in 1999 to conserve biological diversity and enhance social welfare by promoting innovative and sustainable environmental management. TGB combines community-led activities to increase carbon sequestration, encourage sustainable land-use practices, and provide farmers with performance-based payments.

TGB combines carbon sequestration with rural livelihood improvements through small-scale, farmer-led, agroforestry projects and ecosystem services. In addition to farmers’ direct payments for planting trees and climate mitigation, the project contributes to income stability, food security, and fuel security at community level.

ECOTRUST operates the TGB project across 14 districts in Uganda within the three main landscapes of Queen Elizabeth and Murchison-Semliki landscape in the Albertine region of South-Western Uganda, and the Mount Elgon Landscape in Eastern Uganda. Engaging thousands of smallholder farmers since inception and sequestering millions of tons of CO2e, the project won the UN SEED Award in recognition of its promising efforts to promote economic growth, social development and environmental protection in Uganda, and the potential of its activities to inspire others into action. We have been supported in our engagement with ECOTRUST and the TGB project by the organization C Level whose mission is to remove carbon, restore nature and build community. They work very closely with projects and communities on the ground and with the Plan Vivo Foundation.

Pakistan

Mangrove restoration

Aerial view of river flowing through dense forest

The Delta Blue Carbon Project is a significant mangrove restoration initiative aimed at restoring and conserving mangrove forests in the Indus River Delta of Pakistan. This large-scale project is operated as a private public partnership between Indus Delta Capital and The Forest and Wildlife Department of Government of Sindh and successfully combines environmental restoration with sustainable development and climate resilience.

The mangrove restoration project aims to capture significant amounts of carbon dioxide by planting new mangroves and protecting existing ones, while providing multiple socio-economic benefits to local communities. Mangroves act as natural barriers, reducing storm surges and coastal flooding, and their roots stabilize shorelines to prevent erosion, thereby increasing the resilience of local communities to climate change. In the Indus Delta area, local communities are actively engaged in planting, monitoring, and maintaining mangroves, receiving training and payment for their services under stewardship agreements. Additionally, mangroves create rich habitats for a wide variety of marine and terrestrial species, fostering biodiversity and supporting fisheries that are crucial for food security and local economies.

How we evaluate projects

Additionality

The project must not be viable without the financial support that carbon removal certificates provide.

No harm

Projects must follow a no-harm principle with no direct downsides for communities or ecosystems.

Scientific rigor

Permanence of capture and storage must be demonstrably robust, with documented life cycle analysis.

Co-benefits

Preference for projects that boost climate resilience - for example, that reduce flood or wildfire risk - or support equitable development.

Certificates are sourced through established standards - such as Puro.earth (CORCs), Plan Vivo (PVCs), and Verra (VCUs) - and are retired to ensure each claim is unique and credible. Where projects fall outside existing certification schemes, we require strong scientific credentials including independent life cycle analysis.

Outlook

We aim to be transparent about how we select and monitor carbon removal solutions, and we regularly review our criteria. By sharing this information, we hope to encourage other companies to move beyond carbon neutrality, to take early action in the permanent carbon removal market that genuine net-zero demands.

1 Zurich’s operational emissions footprint boundary has changed over time. Zurich Cover-More, our joint ventures with Banco Sabadell and Banco Santander, smaller businesses like Real Garant and Orion, were not historically part of our operational emissions footprint. Since 2024, we have included CO2e for these businesses, as well as our new acquisitions, in our offsetting activities. Farmers Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries, are out of scope of our offsetting activities.