Carma: A Climate Action Platform Supporting UK Veterans

What is Carma?

Carma is a climate action platform that’s making waves by supporting UK veterans while tackling climate change head-on. Founded in 2022 by Royal Navy veteran Jim Holland and Iain Gurney, Carma started as a simple idea: create jobs for veterans through tree planting in the UK. Since then, it has blossomed into a full-scale platform offering businesses and individuals easy ways to integrate sustainability into their daily lives and operations. From tree and kelp planting to verified carbon credits and plug-in climate solutions, Carma provides the tools to take meaningful, measurable climate action. It’s climate action that’s good for business, people, and the planet—all wrapped into one.

Main Benefits of Carma

Carma’s approach isn’t just about planting trees; it’s about creating lasting value across multiple fronts. Here are some key figures and facts that highlight its impact:

• Trusted by over 500 businesses since launch
• 3% of revenues (excluding carbon credits) donated to the Standing Tall Foundation, supporting veterans
• £400 donated to Highground charity for every 1,000 trees funded in the UK
• Employment opportunities provided for UK service leavers and veterans through tree-planting days
• Awarded B Corp status in August 2023 with an impressive B Impact Score of 127.9 (well above the 80 needed)
• Winner of the Soldiering On Award for Best Start-Up in September 2023, recognising social and environmental impact

Supporting UK Veterans Through Climate Action

Carma’s mission goes beyond just environmental benefits. It’s deeply rooted in supporting UK veterans, helping them transition smoothly into civilian life. Since 2023, Carma has been providing employment opportunities for service leavers and veterans by involving them in tree-planting days across the UK. This hands-on work not only helps the planet but also gives veterans a sense of purpose and community. Plus, every tree planted in the UK contributes to donations that support veterans’ career development through charities like Highground. It’s a win-win—climate action that creates jobs and supports those who’ve served.

Innovative Climate Solutions for Businesses

Carma offers a range of climate solutions designed to fit the needs of businesses and individuals alike. Whether it’s a one-off investment or an ongoing commitment, Carma’s platform makes it easy to take action. From planting trees and kelp to purchasing verified carbon credits, customers can choose projects that align with their values and sustainability goals. The platform’s plug-in climate solutions simplify the integration of sustainability into everyday business operations, making climate action accessible and measurable. It’s about empowering businesses to do good while doing well.

Community and Team Building Through Tree Planting

One of the most unique aspects of Carma is its tree-planting days, which double as the ultimate team-building activity. Imagine your team out in nature, planting trees together—what’s not to love? It’s a fantastic way to boost morale, foster teamwork, and contribute to the planet all at once. This hands-on experience connects people with nature and the cause, making climate action tangible and rewarding. After all, Carma’s roots are in these very tree-planting days, which started as a way to employ veterans and have grown into a signature part of their offering.

Carma’s Impact on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• SDG 13: Climate Action – Directly addressing climate change through tree and kelp planting and carbon reduction
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – Creating jobs for UK veterans and service leavers
• SDG 15: Life on Land – Restoring ecosystems through tree planting initiatives
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – Collaborating with charities like Standing Tall Foundation and Highground
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – Offering verified carbon credits and sustainable business solutions

Giving Back and Sponsoring Future Generations

Carma doesn’t stop at climate and veteran support—it also invests in the future. In June 2024, Carma sponsored “Trailer Swift” at the Greenpower Challenge, an initiative that teaches young engineers about teamwork, engineering, and sustainability. This sponsorship reflects Carma’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of innovators who will continue the fight against climate change. By supporting educational programs like this, Carma helps build a sustainable future, one young engineer at a time.

What Carma actually does

Carma runs tree-planting days, kelp restoration, and verified carbon credit projects, with the work carried out as paid employment for UK military veterans transitioning to civilian life. The company was founded in 2022 by Royal Navy veteran Jim Holland and Iain Gurney, and publishes every planting site, GPS-tagged and independently verified, to what it calls its Climate Ledger.

Where Carma shows up

• Corporate climate action: businesses fund tree-planting and kelp restoration through Carma instead of buying unverified offset credits.
• Veteran employment: planting days are paid work for veterans, not volunteer labour.
• Charity funding: a share of revenue goes to veteran charities including the Standing Tall Foundation and HighGround.

Proof, not just claims

Carma is a Certified B Corporation, with a B Impact Assessment score of 127.9, well above the 80-point certification threshold. Every planting site is GPS-tagged and independently verified rather than self-reported.

Trusted by

Why this belongs on a sustainability directory

Carma’s SDG13 and SDG15 case is its verified planting and kelp restoration work, published to a public ledger rather than taken on trust. Its distinct angle is pairing that climate work with paid employment for veterans, giving SDG8 a direct, structural link to the same mechanism, not a separate CSR program bolted on afterward.