Clean Air Action Corporation

What Clean Air Action Corporation does

Clean Air Action Corporation is a US-based environmental management nonprofit founded in 1994 that operates the TIST (The International Small Group & Tree Planting Program) as its flagship initiative. The TIST Program partners with subsistence farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and India to plant trees through a Small Group organizational model, with participants receiving training in sustainable land use, small stipends, leadership development, and access to health information. Clean Air Action pioneered the first Ozone Alert Program, the first multi-stakeholder emissions trading initiative (MERIT), and the first US interstate and international emissions reduction transactions; the company now monetizes its afforestation work primarily through the sale of verified carbon credits.

The core technology underpinning TIST is a proprietary real-time tree monitoring and quantification system with GPS mapping, under which individual trees are mapped, tracked, quantified internally, and third-party verified for accuracy and transparency. This monitoring infrastructure enabled TIST to become the first afforestation program in the world to achieve dual certification under the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and the Climate, Community and Biodiversity (CCB) Standard, including a Gold certification under CCB Version 2, with 14 successful Validated and Verified Projects. The company reports over 1 million trees alive since 1999, 80,000+ women actively participating, hundreds of community leaders developed, and verified co-benefits exceeding $8 per tree.

Clean Air Action generates revenue through two streams: (1) carbon credit sales on voluntary markets enabled by its dual VCS/CCB certifications, and (2) donations and contributions accepted through the TIST Program Shop. Pricing for carbon credits is not publicly disclosed. The organization operates with a deliberately lean structure — no physical offices, zero owned vehicles, no first-class travel — and works in cooperation with The Institute for Environmental Innovation (I4EI) to enable the TIST Program. Distribution is executed through direct community engagement with organized Small Groups of farmers rather than traditional sales channels, and the leadership team is distributed across the US, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Name

Clean Air Action Corporation

Legal name

Clean Air Action Corporation

Website

https://cleanairaction.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clean Air Action Corporation is a US-based environmental nonprofit that runs the TIST afforestation program with subsistence farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and India, generating verified carbon credits and providing training, income, and co-benefits including health information and leadership development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carbon Offset and Afforestation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Carbon Removal Project Development, Financing & Offtake (Developers, Aggregators, Buyers Clubs) (EUABAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agroforestry & Perennial Cropping Systems (EUABABAD), Carbon Offtake Structuring & Contracting (ERPA, Long-term Offtakes, Price Floors) (EUABADAE)

Keywords

• Carbon offset programs
• Afforestation services
• Tree planting program
• Emissions reduction consulting
• Sustainable land use

Headquarters

HQ city

Maine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Carbon Credit Sales: TIST farmers grow trees that sequester carbon, generating verified carbon credits that are sold on carbon markets. The program has achieved dual certification under Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard (CCB), enabling carbon credit monetization.
2. Donations and Contributions: TIST Program Shop provides options for donors and investors to contribute financially to the program, supporting tree planting activities and farmer stipends.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Clean Air Action Corporation operates the TIST (The International Small Group & Tree Planting Program), an award-winning afforestation program that partners with subsistence farmers in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and India to plant trees and generate verified carbon credits. The organization also historically delivered the MERIT (Maximizing Emission Reductions through Inter-source Trading) initiative and the first Ozone Alert Program. Revenue is generated through the sale of dual-certified (VCS and CCB) carbon credits and through donations via the TIST Program Shop.

Product overview

Clean Air Action Corporation operates primarily as a facilitator of environmental programs rather than a traditional software product company. The core offerings include the TIST (The International Small Group & Tree Planting Program) — an award-winning afforestation initiative that partners with subsistence farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and India to plant trees and generate carbon credits. Supporting programs include the MERIT trading initiative and the Ozone Alert Program. The company structure is described as lean, working in cooperation with The Institute for Environmental Innovation (I4EI) to enable the TIST Program to operate effectively.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TIST (The International Small Group & Tree Planting Program) An afforestation program that partners with subsistence farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and India to plant trees, generate verified carbon credits, and deliver measurable environmental and social co-benefits including erosion control, biodiversity enhancement, leadership development, and supplementary income.
• MERIT (Maximizing Emission Reductions through Inter-source Trading) The first multi-stakeholder emissions trading initiative in the USA, which established foundational mechanisms for modern carbon markets.
• Ozone Alert Program The first citizen alert program for ozone levels, which became a model for public environmental awareness campaigns worldwide.
• TIST Program Shop An online storefront enabling donors and investors to contribute financially to the TIST Program, supporting tree planting activities and farmer stipends.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14 successful Validated and Verified Projects under VCS and CCB Standards
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The Institute for Environmental Innovation (I4EI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerI4EI works with Clean Air Action Corporation to ensure the viability of the TIST Program and the long term health of its members. I4EI focuses on enabling Small Groups to take locally determined action on environmental renewal, community leadership, food security and improved health.
• The International Small Group & Tree Planting Program (TIST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTIST is a comprehensive sustainable development program resulting from teamwork between subsistence farmers in Africa and India and Clean Air Action Corporation. TIST is a breakthrough model for afforestation that provides participating members a way to create a long term and green source of income by planting trees.
• Verified Carbon Standard (VCS)coreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party carbon certification standard under which TIST has 14 successful validated and verified projects. TIST was the first afforestation program in the world to achieve dual certification under VCS and CCB standards.
• Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard (CCB)coreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party carbon and sustainability certification standard. TIST was the first afforestation program in the world to achieve dual certification and first to be certified Gold under CCB Version 2.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Native Energy: Carbon project developer and marketplace helping companies source verified offsets from forestry, agriculture and renewable projects. Comparable as a project developer intermediary between smallholder carbon producers and corporate buyers.
• myclimate: Swiss non-profit that develops and sells high-quality carbon offset projects globally, including forestry and agroforestry. Directly comparable as a mission-driven project developer focused on co-benefits and high-integrity certification.
• Cool Effect: Non-profit carbon project aggregator that curates and sells third-party-verified offsets from forestry, cookstoves and methane projects. Comparable as a curated marketplace for nature-based and community-oriented credits.
• Terrapass: US-based carbon offset retailer sourcing verified credits from forestry, renewable energy and methane abatement projects. Comparable carbon project aggregator serving corporate and individual buyers with VCS/Gold Standard portfolios.
• Justdiggit: Africa-focused regreening non-profit that mobilizes local communities and farmers to restore drylands and generate carbon removal. Closely comparable model of community-organized land restoration across sub-Saharan Africa.
• Eden Reforestation Projects: Non-profit that plants trees with local communities in developing countries, monetizing impact via carbon credits and donations. Closely comparable grassroots, community-led afforestation model serving subsistence populations in multiple emerging markets.
• South Pole Group: One of the largest global carbon project developers and climate advisory firms, selling verified carbon credits from nature-based and technology-based projects to corporates. Directly comparable as a carbon project developer with a similar VCS/CCB-aligned portfolio and buyer base.
• Climate Neutral Group: Netherlands-based carbon project developer and climate solutions provider active in agroforestry, cookstoves and renewables in developing countries. Comparable as a project developer focused on community-based, high-co-benefit credits.

Broad incumbents

• Pachama: Tech-enabled carbon credit marketplace using satellite and AI-based MRV to source nature-based credits for enterprise buyers. Comparable as a buyer-side platform competing for the same corporate offtake that TIST targets, though broader across project types.

Others

• Verra: Operator of the Verified Carbon Standard and other certification frameworks. Not a competitor but the standards body under which TIST's 14 projects are certified; comparable as the ecosystem gatekeeper governing TIST's market access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/strikingly
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4I-TRQbiWfEdDvldAXg5ew
• Facebookfacebook.com/strikingly

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clean Air Action Corporation