Our 100 million tree goal is designed to restore our most essential forests, with the intent of maximizing benefits for climate, community and biodiversity.
Pledge by Mastercard
This pledge will take place from 2021 to 2030
Pledge overview
Mastercard launched the Priceless Planet Coalition with our partners to preserve the environment through funding the restoration of 100 million trees by 2030. Mastercard believes that by working collectively with our global network of banks, merchants, businesses and consumers and other partners we can drive more positive change than if we each acted alone.
Priceless Planet Coalition (PPC) partners contribute directly to funding restoration and execute campaigns to engage consumers to contribute to the goal. Mastercard’s global payment infrastructure provides additional ways for cardholders to contribute, including “round-up” campaigns at a range of leading retailers that allow consumers to add a tree-planting donation at the point-of-sale.
Large-scale restoration programs need to be executed deliberately, with consideration given to several factors. Mastercard partners with global environmental organizations, Conservation International and World Resources Institute, who lead the design, mobilization and coordination of the program based on their science-based and holistic approaches to restoration, monitoring and evaluation, and successful track records in global conservation. With the guidance of these organizations, the Coalition is developing a global portfolio of high-quality restoration projects, emphasizing those with strong potential for positive impacts on climate, community and biodiversity.
Actions in this pledge
Restoring and growing trees and forest landscapes - 100 million trees
- Assisted natural regeneration
- Reforestation
- Agroforestry
- Mangrove restoration
Priceless Planet’s approach will include a comprehensive forest restoration monitoring and evaluation protocol, which will be applied to every PPC project for a period of 5 years. Highlights include:
• Baseline, first-year and long-term protocols for every project for the entire program period enables global analysis
• Geospatial/remote sensing including satellite and drone technology
• Field-based sampling/ground truthing methods
• Statistical evaluation of methods tested to ensure comprehensive monitoring and to maximize accuracy/efficiency
• “Counterfactual” control sites, matched with the original conditions of restoration locations chosen during the baseline period
• Comparisons to project sites to determine the additionality of PPC projects; will not count as incremental trees
Enabling activities for trees and forest landscapes
- Nursery and seedling development
- Sustainable forest management
- Community mobilisation
- Data collection, management and technological tools
The same approach as for all restoring and growing activities of the Priceless Planet Coalition will be applied to all enabling activities.
Our ecologically and socially responsible approach
Projects and geographies with the greatest potential for positive impacts on climate, community, and biodiversity goals will be chosen for Priceless Planet Coalition, with help from Conservation International and WRI, who have substantial capacity to fulfill large-scale reforestation projects and will provide detailed project plans with funding and delivery timelines.
Project selection criteria and standardization will focus on:
• Standardization of practices across all projects
• No invasive species, and no species destined for timber harvest
• Proper community engagement
• Ecologically and socially appropriate restoration methods• Robust and standard monitoring and maintenance plans, etc.
• Maximization of climate, community and biodiversity safeguards and benefits
Priceless Planet’s approach will include a comprehensive forest restoration monitoring and evaluation protocol, which will be applied to every PPC project for a period of 5 years.
Our results tracking
Ecological metrics
- Approximate number of trees or area of coverage that contributions have funded;
- Annual progress updates on tree growth and survival rates;
- Number of trees restored at project maturity;
- Approximate amount of carbon-equivalent sequestered;
- Additional reporting on climate, community and biodiversity benefits
Social metrics
- Job creation;
- improved livelihoods
Our partners
The most current list of partners who have joined our coalition can be found at www.pricelessplanet.org/
Our locations
We are working at locations across Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, China, Colombia, Congo, Democratic Republic of the, France, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mexico, Philippines, Portugal, Spain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), United Kingdom (UK), and United States of America (USA).
We are working at locations across 6 continents – in countries such as Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico Kenya, and Cambodia. New projects are evaluated and selected for implementation on an annual basis. Priority restoration activities will occur primarily in tropical forest ecosystems, and in particular project locations with strong potential for climate, community and biodiversity impacts and overall restoration value. Priceless Planet Coalition’s approach includes a comprehensive forest restoration monitoring and evaluation protocol, which is be applied to every restoration project for a period of 5 years.
Our implementation progress
Pledge implementation progress reporting is managed in collaboration with IUCN’s Restoration Barometer, and is required annually from the year following pledge publication.
Mastercard pledge implementation progress report 2022 (with partial supporting documentation)
Mastercard pledge implementation progress dashboard 2023 (with partial supporting documentation)
