Solution Overview & Team Lead Details

Our Organization

Green Site Initiative

What is the name of your solution?

Treetok

Provide a one-line summary of your solution.

A climate action financial application that will equate every tree planted with nurturing incremental financial value.

What specific problem are you solving?

Treetok seeks to grow and raise the quality and integrity of African carbon credits and ensure equitable and transparent distribution of carbon credit revenue, with a significant portion of revenue going to underserved local communities. The projected global carbon offset market size in 2030 is USD 30 billion and from 2022 - 2030 the expected compounded annual growth rate of the global tokenization market size value is 24.09%. Kenya’s annual CO2 emissions in 2021 were 19.88 million tonnes. 994 million trees are required to be planted annually to offset Kenya's annual carbon emissions (1 tree absorbs 20 Kg of CO2 annually). The value of carbon credits for 994 million trees ($10 per tonne CO2) is USD 198.8 million. Kenya’s government projected planting 5 billion trees by 2032 will provide a carbon credit value of $0.3 billion. 

Growth of carbon emissions is a global problem, and countries are intensifying the rate at which they are planting trees. While planting trees counterbalances 50% of the deforestation emissions, very few people plant trees and those who plant rarely benefit from the same. There is not enough visibility to monitor the end-to-end life cycle of planted trees and tree planters are not compensated. This challenge thwarts the gains of tree planting to curb global warming, as many trees may not reach maturity and tree planters may feel demotivated. Treetok provides the incentive and visibility needed for trees to be planted successfully. Tree planters and entire value chain stakeholders are compensated in a digitalized reward system.



What is your solution?

Treetok utilizes AI and Blockchain technologies to act as a financial system that equates every tree planted to a financial value. Every planter will be able to register and download a tree-scanning application onto their mobile phones. The planter will scan a tree during planting. This will register the tree's type, age, precise location coordinates, climate conditions, etc. Data will be tokenized and used to calculate how much carbon will be sequestrated. The value of the tokens will increase on a monthly basis as the tree grows to maturity. 

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

The solution targets all tree-planting stakeholders ensuring equitable and transparent distribution of carbon credit revenue, with a significant portion of revenue going to local communities. Local communities are the most underserved populations in revenue sharing of carbon credit revenue especially in developing countries. They are paid one-time minimum labor wages to plant trees for the benefit of carbon credit revenue. Upon maturity of the trees no other revenue trickles down to them. The system ensures all stakeholders including landowners receive an equitable share of the revenue.

How are you and your team well-positioned to deliver this solution?

All team members are from developing countries and have worked directly with local communities for an accumulated 60 years. Felix Kariuki, a Rotarian has accumulated 15 years of working directly with farmers in rural communities, derisking farming by innovatively incorporating technologies for improved production and access to the market. Peter Gitau, for 20 years has been Trading in Online Digital Assets with a bias in Commodities and Derivatives as well as Cryptocurrencies and Consults on Trade and Investment from his rural hometown where he has his offices and he sits on the board of a Savings and Credit Cooperative where he was a former chairperson for two years. Leah Njuguna, with accumulated experience of 10 years studying and working abroad in Data Science, AI, and ML roles returned to her rural home where she supports a blockchain technology company that has tokenized the transportation industry. John Mwangi has 10 years of experience setting strategic direction and collaborating within operational environments to deliver transformation change. Has strong industry knowledge of the financial sector on a global scale, having worked in PwC East Africa and practiced management consulting in the UK is currently focused on using his skills to empower farming rural communities which are the most underserved. John Karanja has 5 years of experience as a software engineer remotely building fintech platforms from his rural home in Kenya 

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Make it easier and more affordable for individuals and MSMEs to make investments and transfer payments, across geographies and across different types of platforms

In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?

Muranga, Kenya

In what country is your solution team headquartered?

  • Kenya

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Prototype: A venture or organization building and testing its product, service, or business model, but which is not yet serving anyone

Please share details about what makes your solution a Prototype rather than a Concept.

It is a Minimum Viable Product. 

How many people does your solution currently serve?

None at the moment. 

Why are you applying to Solve?

Mentorship and market entry.

In which of the following areas do you most need partners or support?

  • Business Model (e.g. product-market fit, strategy & development)
  • Financial (e.g. accounting practices, pitching to investors)
  • Legal or Regulatory Matters
  • Monitoring & Evaluation (e.g. collecting/using data, measuring impact)
  • Product / Service Distribution (e.g. delivery, logistics, expanding client base)
  • Public Relations (e.g. branding/marketing strategy, social and global media)
  • Technology (e.g. software or hardware, web development/design)

Who is the Team Lead for your solution?

Felix Kariuki

Solution Team

  • Eng Felix Kariuki ESRAG (Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group)
 
    Back
to Top