Buyer's Guide to Tree Plantation

Start with your goal, then compare partners on survival and how they count it, transparency (geo-tags, photos, satellite checks and data you can open), species and site, benefits to communities, CSR registrations and reporting, and what the price includes. Be careful with carbon claims for young trees.

The short version

  • Survival, and how it is counted.
  • Geo-tagged, checkable trees.
  • Native, site-suited species.
  • CSR-1 and Schedule VII fit for CSR spend.
  • Like-for-like price comparison.

Start with your goal

Decide what the programme is for before comparing partners: CSR compliance, a net-zero plan, BRSR reporting, employee engagement, brand gifting or a regulatory condition. The goal decides the programme, the reports you need and how long trees must be cared for. Not sure? Try the programme finder.

Ask how survival is measured

Planting is easy; survival is the result that matters. Ask every partner for their survival rate and how it is counted: per project, from records of each tree, at what age, and whether dead saplings are replaced.

Across our programmes survival is 85%, counted per project from geo-tagged tree records. See how we measure survival.

Insist on transparency you can check

  • A location (geo-tag) and photo for every tree.
  • Field visits with dated photos, and satellite views of each site.
  • A page or dashboard your team and stakeholders can open.
  • A way for anyone with a certificate to look up their tree.

GreenTrack does all four for every project we run.

Check species and site

Native, site-suited species survive better and support more wildlife. Ask who owns the land, who protects the trees after planting, how water is managed in the first dry seasons, and why each species was chosen.

Look for benefits to people

Trees last when the people around them benefit. In agroforestry, farmers keep the income from fruit and timber, which can raise farm income up to 3× compared with conventional two-crop farming. Ask how communities are involved and who benefits.

CSR compliance checklist

  • Tree plantation fits Schedule VII item (iv): environmental sustainability, ecological balance and agroforestry.[2]
  • An implementing agency must be registered with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (form CSR-1); trusts, societies and Section 8 companies also need 12A and 80G registration and a three-year track record.[1]
  • Agree reports for utilisation, progress and impact, and the format your board and auditors need.

Work out your budget with the CSR obligation calculator.

Reporting for ESG and BRSR

Ask for data in the form your reports need: trees planted and surviving by site, species, area, community outcomes and carbon estimates with the method stated. Listed companies filing BRSR[3] should check which disclosures the programme supports. Try the BRSR readiness check.

Compare costs like for like

A low price per tree can hide a small sapling, no aftercare or no replacement. Compare what is included: sapling size, planting, years of care, replacement of failed saplings, geo-tagging and reports. Our published price is ₹299 per tree for a 4 ft sapling, planting, three years of care and a geo-tag; estimate a programme with the project cost estimator.

Be careful with carbon claims

Trees take years to grow, and carbon credits need an approved methodology and independent verification. Be wary of partners selling "carbon credits" for newly planted trees. Quality labels such as the Integrity Council's Core Carbon Principles help.[4] Read our carbon credit rate guide.

Red flags

  • No survival figure, or no explanation of how it is counted.
  • Photos only from planting day.
  • No geo-tags or a way to check trees.
  • Very low prices without aftercare.
  • Carbon credits promised for saplings.
  • No local partner or community involvement.

12 questions to ask a plantation partner

  1. What is your survival rate, and how do you count it?
  2. How many years of care are included?
  3. Do you replace saplings that die?
  4. Is every tree geo-tagged with a photo?
  5. Can we see the site and the data at any time?
  6. Which species, and why?
  7. Who owns the land and protects the trees?
  8. How are farmers or communities involved?
  9. Are you registered as a CSR implementing agency (CSR-1)?
  10. What reports will we receive, and when?
  11. What exactly does the price include?
  12. What carbon claims, if any, can we make?

Sources and references

  1. Ministry of Corporate Affairs: Companies (CSR Policy) Amendment Rules, 2021
  2. Companies Act, 2013: Schedule VII (India Code)
  3. SEBI: Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report
  4. Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market: Core Carbon Principles

Frequently asked questions

What survival rate should I expect from a plantation partner?

Ask how it is counted before comparing numbers. Across our programmes survival is 85%, counted per project from geo-tagged tree records.

What should be included in the price per tree?

Sapling size, planting, years of care, replacement of failed saplings, geo-tagging and reports. Our published price of ₹299 includes a 4 ft sapling, planting, three years of care and a geo-tag.

Does the partner need CSR-1 registration?

An implementing agency for CSR projects must be registered with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs through form CSR-1.

Can we claim carbon credits for the trees we plant?

Only if the project follows an approved methodology and is independently verified, which takes years. Be careful with partners offering credits for saplings.

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