The Chicago Region Carbon Program (CRCP) provides opportunities to invest in tree planting and preservation. The program enables an efficient enrollment of planting and preservation projects into a regionwide carbon crediting program.
The goal of the CRCP is to improve the health and canopy of the urban forest in the Chicago region through increased tree planting or preservation while also generating revenue.
To invest in tree planting and preservation to increase carbon storage and support communities, contact CRTI’s Corporate Sustainability Partnership Program.
The revenue from carbon credit sales could be provided to urban forestry projects, enabling landowners to expand the health of the urban forest and the quality of life for people in the communities where those projects take place.
How to Apply
Review the CRCP Story Map for more information on project eligibility and general Carbon Credit information. You can also watch the 2023 Kick-off Webinar recording here. For 2024, please check out the 2024 informational packet here. If you have a potential project and want more information, please submit your contact information here or contact Zach Wirtz at zwirtz@mortonarb.org.
Applications for the 2024 CRCP are due on June 3, 2024.
Support
The Chicago Region Carbon Program was developed through the generous support of the Walder Foundation and the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation.
Who is involved?
City Forest Credits (CFC) is a nonprofit carbon registry that has established protocols for the development and implementation of urban forest carbon projects that seek to sequester carbon and provide social impacts and ecosystem benefits in cities and towns. CFC issues carbon credits based on their protocols and tracks the issuance, transfer, and retirement of Carbon+ Credits in a secure database.
The Morton Arboretum, founder of the Chicago Region Trees Initiative, requested the assistance of CFC to help build a carbon credits program in the Chicago region.
CRCP Partners (Local Project Operators) are landowners or tree-related organizations who plant or preserve trees. They can enroll tree projects in the CRCP to earn carbon credits and generate a new source of revenue. This structure will enable a range of local projects to participate through the CRCP collective partners—creating a scale of efficiencies and impacts that will attract more projects and more buyers to purchase the credits.
Who can participate?
CRCP covers urban areas within the Chicago Wilderness region of southeastern Wisconsin, northeastern Illinois, northwestern Indiana and southwestern Michigan. Check out the CRCP Story Map for more information.
What types of projects are eligible?
Tree planting projects and tree preservation projects. You can learn more about which projects are eligible on the CRCP Story Map.