Living Carbon transforms marginal land into high-value environmental assets by combining advanced tree biotechnology with innovative reforestation. As a public benefit corporation founded in 2019, the company develops photosynthesis-enhanced trees that capture more carbon from the atmosphere than conventional trees. Their team specializes in restoring abandoned mineland and degraded agricultural land into diverse, thriving forests, partnering with landowners to generate annual income while improving long-term property value and biodiversity.
The company uses genetic engineering techniques, including CRISPR and particle bombardment, to create hybrid poplar trees with improved photosynthesis efficiency and growth rates. These bioengineered trees can accumulate up to 50% more carbon than their natural counterparts, making them a powerful tool for climate change mitigation. Living Carbon has planted hundreds of thousands of trees across multiple U.S. states and has secured major carbon removal offtake agreements with corporations like Microsoft, Google, Meta, and McKinsey through the Symbiosis Coalition.