Everyone who plants trees asks one question: is my tree still alive? CSR teams get asked it by their board, usually a year after the planting photos.
Planting photos are not a result
Companies spent ₹17,377 crore on environmental CSR in the ten years to FY2023-24, according to an analysis by Sattva Consulting. A lot of it went into planting. Most of it is reported as saplings planted, because that is the only number anyone collected.
Why the question now has to be answered
- Impact assessment. If your average CSR obligation is ₹10 crore or more, every project of ₹1 crore or more needs an independent impact assessment a year after it ends. For a plantation, the impact is the trees that lived.
- BRSR. Listed companies report environmental work in their sustainability filings. A dated survival figure holds up. A sapling count does not.
- Green credits. Tree plantation credits are now given only for trees that survive five years, and they can be set against CSR obligations.
What Get Zero gives a CSR team
- Every site checked every week from satellite images, with drone counts where you need them.
- A survival rate per project, with a curve showing how it changed since planting.
- WhatsApp alerts to your planting partner when part of a site starts drying, so trees get saved, not just reported.
- Dated maps and figures ready for the impact assessor, the annual report and the board.
For the full setup, from partner agreements to the report itself, read our CSR plantation monitoring guide. Or see what companies get.
The short answer
If your company funds tree planting, someone will ask how many trees are alive. Have the answer, with dates. Book a demo.
Common questions
Why should a company track trees planted under CSR?
Because the impact of a plantation is the trees that survive, not the saplings planted. Large CSR projects need an independent impact assessment, and listed companies report environmental work in their BRSR. Both are stronger with a dated survival figure for each site.
Which companies must do a CSR impact assessment?
Companies with an average CSR obligation of ₹10 crore or more over the previous three years must have an independent agency assess every CSR project of ₹1 crore or more, a year after it is completed.
What does Get Zero give a CSR team?
A survival rate for each project, a survival curve since planting, dated maps of every site, and WhatsApp alerts to your planting partner when trees need help.