Trefadder: Leading the way in carbon capture while protecting Norway’s biodiversity on land and in the sea

By Molly McPharlin | Photos: Trefadder

Since launching Norway’s first commercial climate forest in 2019, Trefadder has delivered premium carbon credits to customers around the world. Based in Norway, the company manages carbon capture through the planting and protection of forests, with all projects fully documented, verified and traceable. Trefadder’s latest focus is the restoration of Norway’s kelp forests – the largest of their kind in Europe. These special biodiverse environments store vast amounts of carbon and serve as nurseries for young fish and other marine organisms.

Every person and business has a carbon footprint. While most emissions can be reduced, there are residual emissions that are harder to cut, especially from certain types of businesses. Carbon credits allow companies to offset these residuals by supporting projects that remove an equivalent amount of CO₂ from the atmosphere.

Since its launch, Trefadder has served over two hundred clients worldwide across sectors like technology and energy, and is trusted by companies as varied as Microsoft, ABB, Vår Energi, and BDO. “Companies choose Trefadder for our high-quality forest projects that offer full transparency, traceability, and documented CO₂ capture,” says Anders Kristiansen, CEO of the company, whose own background is in both IT and environmental science. Both businesses and private individuals can join Trefadder. “Our private membership contributes to tree planting, old-growth protection, and habitat restoration,” he says.

Planting new trees in a forest managed by Trefadder.

Managing the carbon footprint of AI

AI companies and data centres are now also turning to Trefadder for its carbon credits. “In Norway alone, large data centres are being planned that will rely on both renewable energy and fossil fuels, as wind, solar and hydropower alone cannot meet their enormous energy demands,” says Kristiansen. “Many AI companies are now seeking to offset the energy they draw from gas and coal with Trefadder carbon credits generated through large-scale tree planting, protection of old-growth forests and biodiversity projects – all happening inside Norway.”

Alongside carbon credits (sometimes known as climate credits) for companies that want to compensate for their emissions, Trefadder’s projects include new tree planting, forest conservation and forest protection. Trefadder collaborates with local farmers to build Norwegian carbon forests using only specific Norwegian tree species. “We only plant the right tree in the right place,” says Kristiansen. These varieties include spruce, pine, oak, beech, maple, and ash. The forests create jobs and support local communities.
“We’re also leading Norway’s largest oak forest restoration.” Trefadder manages forest exclusively in Norway, whose geography and natural barriers, such as fjords and mountains, offer ideal conditions for climate forests and long-term carbon capture.

Trefadder is also actively planting new trees and forests for carbon to help offset carbon footprints.

Helping nature regenerate the kelp forest

Trefadder’s most recent project focuses on marine restoration and the regeneration of kelp forests. Since the 1970s, overfishing in Norway’s coastal regions has led to a decline in the populations of natural predators of sea urchins, such as cod and wolf fish, allowing the urchins to multiply into billions, eating and destroying the kelp of an area the size of half a million football fields.

Artificial reef modules help to accelerate marine recovery.

Kelp forests are the natural habitat for many types of fish and serve as nurseries for young fish, shelter over 100,000 organisms per square metre, and store huge amounts of CO₂. “Kelp forests are the ocean’s own rainforests,” says Kristiansen. “Trefadder’s mission is to rejuvenate and rebalance marine life so that nature can restore the biodiversity of these areas. I’m a specialist in aquaculture with a focus on shellfish, so this project has been a long-term goal for Trefadder. Kelp forests are similar to forests on land – when the forest thrives, the animals thrive, using it to find food, shelter, and places to reproduce. This is the same for marine life.”

Sea urchins look small and harmless but can be deadly to Norway’s kelp forests.

A healthy marine environment

Norway has one of the world’s longest coastlines, and a healthy marine environment and sustainable fishing industry are important for both the country’s economy and well-being. Trefadder is involved in projects such as removing sea urchins with a special, Norwegian-designed urchin remover, which is gentle and precise, clearing them from areas of the seabed ready to recover. Sea urchins are then used as food or fertiliser, and nothing is wasted. This allows kelp spores to reclaim the ocean floor and, with light and space, grow up to two metres annually as nature again takes over. The company has also been involved in reintroducing young wolf fish to the region. They act as natural predators of sea urchins, helping keep biodiversity in balance.

Searching for areas of the seabed ready for restoration.

Moreover, Trefadder is installing reef modules, artificial reefs that mimic kelp forests by providing shelter for fish and accelerating marine recovery. “These structures support ecosystems by offering stable habitats and hiding places for young fish. They also encourage algae and microbial growth. Within weeks of installing them, life begins to re-establish. The reefs function as productive ‘nursey zones’ that strengthen the survival rates of baby fish and the entire marine food web,” says Kristiansen. “Marine restoration is complex and requires multiple approaches, but improving habitat quality through artificial reefs is one of the most fundamental and effective measures available.”

Preparing to remove sea urchins from damaged kelp forests.

Talks on nature-based climate solutions

Trefadder provides educational talks and information to universities and companies, as well as TED talks on how nature-based solutions can address climate and environmental challenges. The company has received recognition from Norway’s Prime Minister and other governmental leaders, and its projects are grounded in state-supported research.

Kristiansen thinks that, when well-managed, tree planting and forest conservation both on land and underwater are highly successful in the fight against global warming. “Think of the climate crisis as an overflowing bathtub: we need to both turn off the tap (reduce emissions) and pull the drain plug (remove CO₂ from the atmosphere). Tree planting is one of our best tools for this—when done correctly, with the right trees in stable locations, it’s an effective way to lower atmospheric carbon.” Together with the kelp project, Trefadder is projected to capture and store millions of tons of CO₂.