The first forest in the world to own a digital identity: 35 hectares of wet tropical rainforest on the southern Caribbean side of Costa Rica, and the pilot of the Solarpunk Forest concept.
Let me introduce myself… my name is Solarpunk Forest… and this is me.
I have been granted a unique digital identity in the form of a non-fungible token (NFT). This NFT serves as my distinct identifier, ensuring you can accurately recognise and engage with me as a living, breathing entity of the forest.
My identity stays with my owner. What I offer on the global market are my indispensable ecological services, measured every year and minted as tokens on my NFT. This recognises and quantifies my contributions, allowing me to participate as a valued economic entity.
Today my identity is a working prototype on a blockchain test network. It is being redesigned, and a permanent link to view it will be added here once it is live.
Digital identity
Project 01 of Solarpunk Enterprises
Before 1990 this land was pasture with a few scattered trees. When farming stopped, the forest returned on its own.
Pioneer species such as Cecropia and Inga colonised the abandoned fields first, preparing the soil for the trees that followed. Three decades of natural regeneration produced the secondary rainforest that stands here today. Because it is still young and growing, it adds carbon quickly every year, which is exactly what our Stored Carbon Increment methodology measures.
Since 2021 the forest has been protected and studied, letting it regrow undisturbed.
Every photo here was taken in Solarpunk Forest by the founders.
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For you and all other entities on the planet.
Forests act as carbon sinks, absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide and playing a crucial role in mitigating climate change.
Forests provide habitat and sustenance to a wide variety of plant and animal species, contributing to biodiversity conservation.
Forests play a significant role in the water cycle by absorbing rainfall, replenishing groundwater, and reducing runoff and soil erosion.
Through transpiration and filtration, forests help purify air and water, removing pollutants and providing clean water sources.
The roots of trees and plants help bind the soil, preventing erosion, while fallen leaves and organic matter contribute to soil fertility.
Forests support pollinators like bees and butterflies, which are vital for the pollination of crops and wild plants.
Forests provide a variety of non-timber products like fruits, nuts, resins and medicinal plants, which are crucial for many communities.
By absorbing and slowing down the flow of water, forests can help mitigate flooding and reduce disaster risks.
Forests provide shade and help regulate temperature, creating cooler environments in hot regions.
These services, often overlooked by global economic stakeholders, deserve rightful recognition and compensation.
Almost none of these services are paid for today. The one market that exists, carbon, values them badly. So where do we begin to change that?
A compelling starting point is recognising forests as natural carbon sinks for CO2 emissions from both organisations and individuals. Using photosynthesis, nature's own carbon-capture solution, we can begin to value these essential services.
Initially, I can assist in absorbing the CO2 emissions you generate. The healthier I am, the more CO2 I can sequester from the atmosphere.
The funds the forest generates are reinvested in its own preservation and enhancement: protective measures, advanced monitoring technology, and AI that can advocate for and represent its interests more effectively.
Solarpunk Forest is a privately financed proof of concept, deployed in Costa Rica. This is where each part stands.
July 2023
Camelia and Dacian Brandas begin the Solarpunk Forest project in Costa Rica.
October–November 2023
A complete inventory of the one-hectare permanent research plot establishes the baseline for the first Stored Carbon Increment calculations.
Phase 1
The forest received its NFT identity, token ID 1, as a working prototype on a blockchain test network. A production version is being redesigned.
Status: prototype
Phase 2
The carbon the forest adds each year is measured with the Stored Carbon Increment methodology and minted as tokens on its NFT, one tonne of CO2 each. The methodology is written, field measurements have run since October 2023, and the token contract exists as a prototype. The first measurements, made in 2023 on the representative research hectare, show the forest adding more than 30 tonnes of CO2 per hectare per year. This is a preliminary figure while the methodology is reviewed and updated.
Status: proof of concept
Phase 3
Companies lease the forest's capacity to store their emissions directly through an online marketplace, and receive tokens as the record of each tonne stored. Until it exists, pilot leases are arranged by direct agreement. The NFT stays with the forest's owner.
Status: planned
Next
Once the pilot is working, the model is repeated in forests in other regions. How we plan to scale
Camelia and Dacian Brandas explore the forest and collect data on the ground.
After 15 years as project and product managers in finance and supply chains, they now dedicate their lives to protecting this forest and to building the model that lets forests represent themselves.
Investors, foundations, companies and supporters can all take part in taking this model to new forests.