Tree planting has for long been heralded as one of the most feasible large-scale climate change solutions. But the business viability of the process is just about coming to light now, with private firms taking just as much interest as responsible government entities across the world.

According to the World Resources Institute, global governments have committed to restoring 160 million hectares of deforested land alone (1). Imagine, then, if private firms, for-profit and not-for-profit organisations got together to work towards the same goals? We’d have an environmental revolution, led by tree planting, in the bag.

But environmentally sustainable business practices are also negatively looked upon as resource draining and time-consuming. Time-consuming it may be, but research has found that environmental sustainability projects have the power to drive sales and revenue regardless of the industry, target audience or product. And if sustainability will secure the future of humans and all other life on Earth, then perhaps there is no other moral alternative.

Here’s the lowdown on some ways tree planting can increase revenue:

Provides Returns on Investments

By investing in tree planting and through this, in the restoration economy, businesses become part of the larger network of firms investing in environmental change in hopes of returns. The returns aren’t just financial– they’re also futuristic. By investing in the environment’s growth, businesses are making life in the future more and more sustainable, which by default means their name is tagged alongside the restoration of the environment for future generations.

Opens Up New Avenues for Collaborations and Partnerships

When governments and private organisations pledge to support reforestation and climate change, chances are they have a big vision and money to invest but don’t know how to go about it. This is a golden chance for companies whose services are design, direction, management and implementation of these projects. This not only feeds the sustainability engine, but also allows willing participants to execute their vision through expert partnerships rather than fumble around on their own and waste potential.

It’s on a similar note that EcoMatcher was founded– to allow private firms and businesses to scale their tree planting vision as a partner organisation. Similar growth pathways are available for other firms willing to tap into this reservoir of potential.

Cross-Sell with Related Products

Cross selling is touted as a very profitable avenue of sales for consumer-oriented firms. It involves offering products to customers that are similar or related to what they’re buying or what’s in their browser history. This is a gold mine for companies whose products are somewhat related to the environment– re-usable water bottles, trekking gear, travel products, even diary or grocery goods.

However, cross selling in this case doesn’t need to have a connection, if the way tree planting is marketed is as a sustainable measure or just a little addition to an already-filled basket. EcoMatcher offers a WooCommerce plugin that allows customers to click on ‘Plant a Tree’ in the check out section, where buyers are already prepared to pull the trigger on the purchase. A tree gets added to their order at USD 3.49 — the same price as a medium-sized Frappuccino in a chain café (there’s a marketing tip for you!).

Tap Into Sustainable-Minded Customers

88% of surveyed consumers wanted brands and businesses to help them make a difference– a golden ticket, if anything (2). Sustainable brands can bag more square feet on retail or e-retail shelves, and are more in demand than mass-produced or unethical counterparts. This is a burgeoning market, one that shouldn’t be taken for granted or passed off as a fad. Consumers increasingly drift towards brands that are sustainable and are open about their path towards sustainable development goals and targets.

Mistaking the market for being gullible enough to believe ‘greenwashing’, however, can be a grave error. Consumers consistently do their own research before committing to a brand, so if there’s a loophole in a business’ environmental sustainability projects, chances are it’ll do more harm than good. This is a market that is ready to turn loyal, as long as businesses are equally willing to do good and be transparent about the extent of their projects (3).

On a final note, tree planting is also a harbinger of technological innovations and advancements. More and more companies are turning to technology to quicken the pace of tree planting — for some, it’s a personal moral conviction while for others, it’s a business-oriented strategy that can ramp up revenue or returns on investments.

Either way, the environment will greatly benefit from collaborations between visionary organisations and results-driven partner organisations when it comes to reforestation.