ACADEMIC OUTREACH
PEER REVIEW

Balance® has blended biodiversity creation, climate change mitigation, and socio-economic concerns in the creation of the peer-reviewed Balance Unit, a step beyond traditional carbon credit schemes. Our purchase of existing carbon credits assures that businesses and planting partners who work with Balance will not suffer from the faults of monoculture-based, socially unengaged, carbon credits.

To inform the development of our methodology, BALANCE® engages in scientific research with academics across several fields, from economics to climate modeling. Our studies are designed to empirically investigate and improve the BALANCE® methodology, to guarantee that project developers’ client claims conform to the latest developments in science and technology. Our overarching goal is to investigate how differently the world could look after 100 years of sustainability practices like those guiding BALANCE®, as compared with continuing adoption of existing carbon credit-based methods, which expire long before the 100-year radiative forcing cycle of atmospheric CO2 is completed.

Some of the topics we are currently focused on include:

Comparative analyses of methods in sustainability

Microeconomic analyses and related community-level research

Macroeconomics and government policy

BALANCE® co-benefits and human rights provisions in sustainability practices.

The International Journal of Sustainability published an empirical research article on the Balance® Methodology.


Our department of academic outreach, directed by JohnMichael Jurgensen at the University of Chicago, has begun academic collaborations with several professors and researchers, including students working on PhD-level research and experts with decades of relevant scientific experience. Our goal is to continue developing and improving the BALANCE® methodology with the findings of these inquiries, as well as to generate a number of peer-reviewed publications on the topics listed here.

 

COMPARATIVE ANALYSES OF METHODS
IN SUSTAINABILITY

Our comparative sustainability methods research investigates how well long-term environmental initiatives like BALANCE® compare to traditional carbon credit systems in reducing carbon emissions.

It also assesses the broader effects of BALANCE®’s planting principles, including their ability to support biodiversity and other key environmental variables, like water quality and soil health. At various academic partner universities, we will use data from both ongoing projects and advanced computer simulations to conduct these studies.

MICROECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY-LEVEL STUDIES

BALANCE® investigates how organizational decision making and income-based factors can influence carbon reduction strategies for local communities and businesses.

We are studying the effectiveness of BALANCE®’s proprietary sector-based GHG emissions calculator for business, in comparison with similar measures. Our research ultimately strives to understand and improve the practices, incentives, and outcomes for sustainable carbon reduction at all levels, while benefiting local communities and indigenous people throughout the process, through the creation of BALANCE® co-benefits, providing economic security and well-being.

MACROECONOMICS AND GOVERNMENT POLICY

This research focuses on existing regulatory policies at various levels (local, subnational, national, and international) and assesses the substance of their guidelines and overall effectiveness.

We also investigate the consequences of corporate inaction on both economic development and environmental outcomes, considering differences between sectors that adopt environmentally balanced approaches and those that do not. In a more applied context, this inquiry informs our understanding of sectoral turnover and the wider policy effects of helping businesses to balance their supply chain GHG emissions while conforming to international sustainability standards and goals. This includes study of the efficacy and differences in outcomes for cases which conform to BALANCE®’s guidelines, compared with those that do not.

CO-BENEFITS AND HUMAN RIGHTS

BALANCE® contractually prioritizes the individual-level effects of forestry and sustainability practices in all projects.

Our research on co-benefits employs corporate finance modelling, focusing on risk, return, corporate strategy, and valuation, to understand the incentives necessary for investment in carbon reduction and other goodwill-related projects at both the internal supply chain and local community levels.

Our human rights-related work investigates the practical, economic, and ethical implications of sustainability practices. BALANCE® will conduct an analysis of the results of widespread shift from a 40-year rotation cropping, monoculture-based system (the current standard for carbon credits) to biodiversity-focused, 99-year minimum, BALANCE® Units. This will include measures of year permanence minimums, with indigenous people engaged in income generating projects such as permaculture, agroforestry, fishery from included waterways, catchment enhancement, forest products, sustainable firewood production, and more. BALANCE® also encourages our project developers to create biochar for their own use, and through our purchase, accumulate biochar credits. These results, of planting with BALANCE®, and others, will be considered in our studies of the effects of shift to BALANCE® Units, compared with those of the current monoculture-based system practices.

If you have an interest in joining BALANCE®’s research or would like to find out more about our current work, please contact us here.

These universities are undertaking BALANCE® research programs

FOREST OF AVON TRUST
For over 30 years, the Forest of Avon Trust has worked tirelessly to connect people with trees across the West of England. This collaborative initiative works with partners and landowners to plant trees, improve woodland management, and engage the community with their natural heritage..
FOREST OF AVON TRUST
For over 30 years, the Forest of Avon Trust has worked tirelessly to connect people with trees across the West of England. This collaborative initiative works with partners and landowners to plant trees, improve woodland management, and engage the community with their natural heritage..
FOREST OF MERCIA
The Forest of Mercia is a testament to the power of tree planting. This dedicated Community Interest Company has revitalised Staffordshire and the West Midlands for decades, creating vibrant ecosystems that benefit the environment and the local community..
FOREST OF MERCIA
The Forest of Mercia is a testament to the power of tree planting. This dedicated Community Interest Company has revitalised Staffordshire and the West Midlands for decades, creating vibrant ecosystems that benefit the environment and the local community..
HUMBER FOREST (HEYWOODS)
The Humber Forest (HEYwoods) is a testament to the transformative power of trees. It celebrates the rich natural history of Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, and North Lincolnshire, weaving a tapestry of woodlands, hedgerows, and green spaces to enhance the landscape and foster a vibrant ecosystem..
HUMBER FOREST (HEYWOODS)
The Forest of Mercia is a testament to the power of tree planting. This dedicated Community Interest Company has revitalised Staffordshire and the West Midlands for decades, creating vibrant ecosystems that benefit the environment and the local community..
PLYMOUTH AND SOUTH DEVON
The Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest (P&SD) is a vibrant new initiative, a partnership between Plymouth City Council, South Hams District Council, West Devon Borough Council, the National Trust, and the Woodland Trust. This ambitious project will stretch from the heart of Plymouth to the edge of Dartmoor, creating a thriving mosaic of habitats and enhancing the connection between the city and its beautiful surroundings.
PLYMOUTH AND SOUTH DEVON
The Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest (P&SD) is a vibrant new initiative, a partnership between Plymouth City Council, South Hams District Council, West Devon Borough Council, the National Trust, and the Woodland Trust. This ambitious project will stretch from the heart of Plymouth to the edge of Dartmoor, creating a thriving mosaic of habitats and enhancing the connection between the city and its beautiful surroundings.
THE WHITE ROSE FOREST
The White Rose Forest isn’t just a collection of trees – it’s a growing network of woodlands transforming the landscape of North and West Yorkshire. This community-driven initiative strategically plants millions of trees in both urban and rural areas, creating a vibrant, resilient, and diverse natural environment.
THE WHITE ROSE FOREST
The White Rose Forest isn’t just a collection of trees – it’s a growing network of woodlands transforming the landscape of North and West Yorkshire. This community-driven initiative strategically plants millions of trees in both urban and rural areas, creating a vibrant, resilient, and diverse natural environment.
FOREST OF MARSTON VALE
The Forest of Marston Vale is an extraordinary testament to the power of vision and collaboration. For over 20 years, this initiative has transformed 61 square miles of Bedfordshire into a vibrant mosaic of woodlands and green spaces, offering a haven for nature and people alike.
FOREST OF MARSTON VALE
The Forest of Marston Vale is an extraordinary testament to the power of vision and collaboration. For over 20 years, this initiative has transformed 61 square miles of Bedfordshire into a vibrant mosaic of woodlands and green spaces, offering a haven for nature and people alike.
CITY OF TREES
City of Trees is a force of nature, transforming Greater Manchester into a greener, healthier, and more vibrant place to live. This innovative movement goes beyond just planting trees – it’s about restoring woodlands, creating urban green spaces, and forging a deep connection between the community and its natural environment.
CITY OF TREES
City of Trees is a force of nature, transforming Greater Manchester into a greener, healthier, and more vibrant place to live. This innovative movement goes beyond just planting trees – it’s about restoring woodlands, creating urban green spaces, and forging a deep connection between the community and its natural environment.
GREENWOOD COMMUNITY FOREST
Nestled in the heart of historic Nottingham Forest, the Greenwood Community Forest is a testament to Nottinghamshire’s deep connection with nature. Once a vast temperate rainforest, Britain’s woodlands hold a special place in our history. The Greenwood initiative seeks to revitalise this legacy, creating vibrant ecosystems, vital wildlife corridors, and spaces where people can reconnect with their natural heritaget.
GREENWOOD COMMUNITY FOREST
Nestled in the heart of historic Nottingham Forest, the Greenwood Community Forest is a testament to Nottinghamshire’s deep connection with nature. Once a vast temperate rainforest, Britain’s woodlands hold a special place in our history. The Greenwood initiative seeks to revitalise this legacy, creating vibrant ecosystems, vital wildlife corridors, and spaces where people can reconnect with their natural heritaget.
GREAT WESTERN COMMUNITY FOREST
The Great Western Community Forest (GWCF) is a testament to the power of collaboration, bringing together local people and organisations to create a better environment. With the vibrant town of Swindon at its heart, this ambitious project stretches from the White Chalk Downs to Salisbury Plain and all the way to the River Thames, covering an impressive 39,000 hectares.
GREAT WESTERN COMMUNITY FOREST
The Great Western Community Forest (GWCF) is a testament to the power of collaboration, bringing together local people and organisations to create a better environment. With the vibrant town of Swindon at its heart, this ambitious project stretches from the White Chalk Downs to Salisbury Plain and all the way to the River Thames, covering an impressive 39,000 hectares.