Terraformation is a native forest restoration company based in Hawaiʻi and founded by former Reddit CEO Yishan Wong. Their mission is to restore and scale native, biodiverse ecosystems that contribute to carbon drawdown. They connect investors and developers globally to reforest and preserve entire native ecosystems to address climate change, offset carbon emissions, and meet net-zero commitments while generating carbon credits. To research, develop, and implement best practices in restoration, Terraformation has established several pilot restoration sites in Hawaiʻi that leverage the islands’ climatic and geographic diversity. By identifying and addressing major bottlenecks to ecosystem restoration, such as funding, seed supply, equipment, and team training, Terraformation has created new opportunities to scale reforestation projects in tropical regions with high carbon sequestration potential.

The world faces a shortage of native seeds necessary for large-scale reforestation, a critical issue for reversing climate change. Many forestry projects rely on imported or patented seeds, limiting the variety needed for complex ecosystems and sufficient carbon capture. Terraformation tackles this by enabling local communities to gather, process, and store native seeds through seed banking, supporting large-scale reforestation efforts. Their off-grid, solar-powered seed banks, housed in shipping containers, can store up to 10 million seeds—enough to regenerate 15,000 acres over 10 years. 

Terraformation's Seed to Carbon Forest Accelerator program equips local forestry teams with training, technology and access to capital to expand large-scale biodiverse forest projects to become successful, certified carbon projects. As of June 2024, the program has guided 14 projects, with a goal of 12 more by the end of the year. Thus far, the program has supported the restoration of nearly 25,000 hectares of biodiverse forests. 

Built by foresters for foresters, Terraware is the first specialized software built to support the entire reforestation process. The open-source software helps manage seed banking and restoration projects, improving efficiency and enabling global collaboration.

Terraformation’s partnerships and community engagement efforts aim to support local communities by creating jobs, capital, and training while promoting environmental resilience and equity.

Terraformation has sold its first verified carbon units (VCUs) through the Regenerative Development of Anlo Wetlands (ReDAW) program in Ghana, partnering with Grosvenor Property UK to restore 1,536 hectares of native mangroves (Business Wire). The project aims to adapt the region to climate change, enhance biodiversity, and improve local livelihoods. Situated in the Keta Lagoon Complex Ramsar site, it focuses on large-scale mangrove reforestation, regenerative aquaculture, and apiculture. This initiative demonstrates the potential of nature-based, biodiversity-focused solutions to generate GHG benefits by sequestering carbon dioxide, benefiting local economies, and restoring vital ecosystems (Verra).

INTERVIEW

1. How does Terraformation contribute to removing carbon from the atmosphere?

Terraformation restores native, biodiverse forests, which are highly effective at sequestering carbon. They build and support ecosystems that draw down carbon while generating carbon credits. Terraformation works with Hawaiʻi’s climatic diversity to develop best practices in reforestation and carbon credit creation in order to address bottlenecks such as funding, seed supply, and training, 

“Climate isn’t waiting, and it takes time that we don’t have to broker deals.” Terraformation accelerates this process.  -Kate Logan, Climate Impact Advisor at Terraformation 

Terraformation is a “forest creator” that recognizes there “isn’t enough native biodiverse forest to draw down carbon.”  -Kate Logan, Climate Impact Advisor at Terraformation 

“[Terraformation] helps companies creating complex, biodiverse ecosystems excel in any way possible.” 

-Kate Logan, Climate Impact Advisor at Terraformation 

2. What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in carbon removal? 

Hawaiʻi doesn’t lend itself to carbon credit projects due to limited land availability, labor costs, and resource costs. Ownership over native seeds and the land on which they are found can pose a challenge to seed banking research, limiting access to important sources of genetic diversity. Terraformation wants to expand community participation in seed collection and plantings, but this is dependent on the level of access a landowner is willing to give. 

In the overall carbon economy, companies producing carbon credits have recently fallen under scrutiny. Kate Logan points out that “Greenwashing and a lack of transparency leads to a lack of trust,” but Terraformation, with the help of the New Carbon Economy Consortium, hopes to bring transparency, honesty, and an assurance of quality to all parts of the carbon credit creation process.

3. Who are the key stakeholders in the carbon removal space?

Key stakeholders include Terraformation, global investors and developers, local forestry teams, Arizona State University, and the New Carbon Economy Consortium. These stakeholders collaborate on reforestation projects and carbon credit creation. 

“Leveraging in-house technology is helpful for [us] and for the investors and land owners.”  -Kate Logan, Climate Impact Advisor at Terraformation 

4. How are you measuring carbon removal? How is it verified? 

Terraformation’s first Verified Carbon Unit sale was made in partnership with Grosvenor Property UK through the ReDAW project in Ghana (Business Wire). You can read more about it here. Carbon accreditation involves third-party carbon accreditation groups, such as Verra and Gold Standard. 

5. How do groups like the New Carbon Economy Consortium allow you to further your progress? 

The New Carbon Economy Consortium enhances Terraformation's progress by promoting transparency and quality in carbon credit projects, building trust in the carbon market, and supporting effective climate change mitigation through nature-based solutions. 

“New economic systems are foreign to the people. How can they trust and believe in them? [The] NCEC helps to bring validity to the carbon economy to bolster trust.” -Kate Logan, Climate Impact Advisor at Terraformation 

“No entity can solve climate change on its own.”  -Kate Logan, Climate Impact Advisor at Terraformation

RESOURCES

• Seed banking goals

• Free information on seed banking practices:

  • https://knowledge.terraformation.com/hc/en-us

  • https://academy.terraformation.com/?&