Miyawaki forests
Dense native forests in cities
Can a bank count tree plantation as CSR?
Yes. Schedule VII of the Companies Act includes environmental sustainability, ecological balance and agroforestry. The project must be run directly or through a registered implementing agency. See our Schedule VII checklist.
Does planting trees reduce our financed emissions?
No. Financed emissions come from the companies and projects you lend to or invest in. Trees we plant do not change that number, and we do not present them as an offset against it.
Does the RBI require banks to plant trees?
No. RBI rules deal with green deposits, green finance and climate risk in the loan book. Its climate-risk disclosure framework was issued as a draft in February 2024; check the RBI website for the current status.
Can green deposit money fund afforestation?
RBI's 2023 green deposit framework lists afforestation/reforestation as an eligible activity. That is a lending decision under your board policy, separate from CSR spending.
How can we run a tree-per-customer campaign?
You choose the trigger, such as a new account or policy renewal. Each tree is a 2-3 ft sapling, planted, cared for three years and geo-tagged, and the customer gets a certificate. See tree gifting.
Can employees in many cities take part?
Yes. We run planting days in several cities and combine the results in one GreenTrack report. Projects with farmers and communities are planned per site after a survey.
Do you sell carbon credits from these trees?
No. We do not sell carbon credits from these plantations. Any carbon figure we share is an estimate, and trees supplement, never replace, cutting your own emissions.
