At The Natural Coaching Company, we commit 2% of our profits to certified, high-impact climate projects. This year, we’re proud to support the Nicaforest High Impact Reforestation Program in Nicaragua – and to retire 9 tonnes of carbon through their Gold Standard-certified credits.
An inspiring example of delivering for community and nature
Nicaforest is an inspiring example of what climate action can look like when environmental, social and economic benefits work together. The project manages 365 hectares of land, planting teak and other native species on previously deforested areas, while protecting remaining natural forests and restoring watersheds. To date, it has planted 360,000 trees, sequestering close to 98,000 tonnes of CO₂.
Beyond carbon, Nicaforest delivers on three key UN Sustainable Development Goals:
- Quality Education (SDG 4) – providing hands-on forestry experience, internships and practical learning for local students and adults.
- Decent Work & Economic Growth (SDG 8) – creating more than 200 seasonal and 30 permanent jobs, alongside shared-benefit agreements that open up long-term income for local farmers.
- Climate Action (SDG 13) – restoring degraded land, protecting biodiversity corridors, and managing forests and watersheds to the highest environmental standards.
“Without Nicaforest I would never have the opportunity to grow beans between the trees and make a profit to feed my family” – Local farmer
From enabling landless families to grow food between tree rows, to protecting rivers and native habitats, Nicaforest is strengthening community resilience and creating sustainable work and income for the region.
A balanced view
Nature-based climate projects are not a silver bullet – and it’s important to acknowledge that honestly.
The limitations:
- Tree planting alone cannot replace the urgent need to cut emissions at their source. Sequestration takes time, and forests must be carefully protected over decades to ensure carbon stays stored.
- Poorly designed forest projects elsewhere have sometimes displaced communities or overpromised climate benefits.
The strengths:
- When done well – with strong certification, local governance, and long-term stewardship – reforestation projects deliver multiple benefits that technological solutions can’t: biodiversity restoration, soil and water protection, community livelihoods, and climate resilience.
- Gold Standard certification provides rigorous monitoring, verification and transparency, helping ensure that the carbon retired is real, additional and independently audited.
Why We Still Choose This Approach
For us, supporting Nicaforest is part of a wider commitment: cutting our own emissions first, and then investing in projects that strengthen ecosystems and communities.
Retiring 9 tonnes of CO₂ is a small step, but it’s a meaningful one. It aligns with our belief that nature-based solutions, when designed responsibly, play a vital role in a broader climate strategy that includes reduction, regeneration, and resilience.
And that coaching – like any enterprise – must minimise it’s footprint and maximise it’s contribution to the planet that makes our work possible in the first place!
We are proud to be a supporter, alongside other projects we have chosen to donate to in the past.