Co-Carbon

What Co-Carbon does

Co-Carbon is a multidisciplinary research project established in 2020 under the Climate Change and People (CLIMATE) programme of Finland's Strategic Research Council (STN), operating through the Academy of Finland in two phases (2020-2023 and 2023-2026). The project measures and models the carbon sequestration capacity of urban green infrastructure, including parks, urban forests, green roofs, and residential yards, using field measurements, process-based ecosystem models (SUEWS and Yasso), life cycle assessment methods, and social survey research. The consortium comprises five institutions: University of Helsinki (lead), Aalto University, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Häme University of Applied Sciences, and University of Copenhagen.

The project delivers a portfolio of knowledge products including the Carbon Factor (Hiilikerroin) calculator for estimating 50-year carbon sequestration potential, the Tree Canopy Cover Atlas (Latvuspeittokartasto) covering the Helsinki metropolitan area, the Carbon-Smart Urban Green Handbook, formal Policy Recommendations, the Home Yard Carbon Gardening card set, and the Climate Information Package for Municipal Decision-Makers. Outputs also include more than 100 peer-reviewed publications since 2020, the biennial CO-CARBON Festival (held 2021, 2023, 2026), exhibitions at universities and libraries, and four themed geocaching routes (Kaupunkivihreän kätköt). Distribution is fully non-commercial: handbooks, tools, policy briefs, and educational materials are freely downloadable from the project website, and the project carries no pricing structure or commercial products.

The business model is grant-funded rather than revenue-generating, with the project sustained by STN funding through 2026. Primary stakeholders are Finnish municipalities (Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere, Hämeenlinna), urban planners and landscape architects, policy makers, and urban residents. The project operates with a community-led, co-creative approach, working with residents, businesses, and cities through workshops, surveys, and joint development. Leadership includes Professor Leena Järvi (responsible leader, WP1) at the University of Helsinki and Associate Professor Ranja Hautamäki (deputy leader, WP4) at Aalto University, alongside work-package leaders at the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the University of Copenhagen, and HAMK.

Name

Co-Carbon

Legal name

CO-CARBON

Website

https://cocarbon.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Co-Carbon is a publicly funded Finnish research project (2020-2026) that measures and models carbon sequestration in urban green spaces. It serves Finnish municipalities, urban planners, and homeowners through free tools, handbooks, policy recommendations, and citizen engagement programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Research Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Emissions Factors, LCA & Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) Platforms (EUABAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Soil & Biomass Carbon Measurement (Soil Sampling, Forest Inventory, Blue Carbon) (EUABACAH), ESG/Sustainability Reporting & Disclosure Platforms (EUABAEAB)

Keywords

• Urban carbon research
• Carbon sequestration measurement
• Green infrastructure planning
• Urban ecology research
• Climate-smart cities

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Funding: Project funded by the Strategic Research Council (STN), operating in conjunction with the Academy of Finland. Part of the Climate Change and People (CLIMATE) research programme. Funding period 2020-2026.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Co-Carbon is a multi-institutional research consortium that measures and models the carbon sequestration capacity of urban greenery. It produces research-based outputs including handbooks, carbon calculators, canopy cover atlases, policy recommendations, and decision-support tools aimed at helping cities and planners incorporate carbon storage into green-infrastructure planning.

Product overview

CO-CARBON is a multidisciplinary research project focused on measuring and modeling carbon sequestration capabilities of urban green spaces, and developing solutions for carbon-smart urban green planning, implementation, and maintenance. The project produces various knowledge products including the Carbon-Smart Urban Green Handbook (käsikirja), the Carbon Factor calculator (hiilikerroin), the Tree Canopy Cover Atlas (latvuspeittokartasto), the Urban Tree Manifesto (kaupunkipuumanifesti), Home Yard Carbon Gardening cards (kotipihan hiilikortisto), Policy Recommendations (politiikkasuositukset), and the Climate Information Package for decision-makers. The project also engages citizens through exhibitions (Hiilipuutarhurointi-näyttely), geocaching routes (kaupunkivihreän kätköt), and the biennial CO-CARBON Festival. The project operates in two phases: Phase I (2020-2023) and Phase II (2023-2026), funded by the Strategic Research Council (STN) under the CLIMATE program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Carbon-Smart Urban Green Handbook

Quantifiable outcome

• Research shows vegetation coverage on plots in Helsinki decreased approximately 15 percentage points from 1970s to early 2010s
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of TamperecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partner city for Hiedanranta district case study. Collaborated on carbon sink evaluation and development recommendations for the new urban district's ambitious climate targets.
• Hämeenlinna Home GardenersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Citizens science collaboration with Hämeenlinna residents who contributed practical experience to the home yard carbon gardening card development (2021-2023).
• Tieluiska OyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Construction partner responsible for building the new lawn area at Ossinlampi measurement site on Aalto University campus.
• Lassila & TikanojaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Maintenance partner responsible for ongoing upkeep of the Ossinlampi research measurement site.
• University of HelsinkicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Lead institution coordinating the project. Hosts Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Science (INAR), Sustainability Science Institute (HELSUS), and Urban Research Institute (URBARIA). Project responsible leader Leena Järvi is Professor at University of Helsinki.
• Aalto UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Consortium partner contributing landscape architecture, urban planning, and construction life cycle expertise. Project deputy leader Ranja Hautamäki is Associate Professor at Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture.
• Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Consortium partner providing atmospheric science expertise, carbon flux measurements, and ecosystem modelling capabilities. WP2 leader Liisa Kulmala is Senior Scientist at FMI.
• Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Consortium partner contributing expertise in green construction, maintenance practices, and home garden carbon gardening research based in Hämeenlinna.
• University of CopenhagencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020International consortium partner contributing social science perspectives on urban green values, acceptability, and justice issues. WP3 leader Christopher Raymond is Professor at University of Copenhagen.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Sylvera: Forest carbon data and ratings provider using satellite and field data. Comparable methodology stack (biomass measurement, model calibration) but focused on commercial forestry carbon credits rather than urban green.
• iTree (USDA Forest Service): The dominant global tool for assessing urban forest structure, carbon sequestration, and ecosystem services. Closely comparable to CO-CARBON's Carbon Factor calculator and Canopy Cover Atlas, but at vastly larger scale and broader geographic coverage.

Direct peers

• ClimateView: Nordic-origin climate action planning platform for cities. Comparable customer base (municipalities pursuing carbon neutrality) and overlap with CO-CARBON's urban climate decision-support outputs, though more commercially mature.
• Treeconomy: UK-based company quantifying carbon sequestration of urban and woodland trees using remote sensing and ground data. Comparable in scope to CO-CARBON's tree carbon measurement work but commercially oriented rather than research-driven.
• Treenet: Australian research and education organization focused on urban street trees and green infrastructure performance. Closely aligned with CO-CARBON's research-driven approach to quantifying urban tree benefits and engaging municipalities.

Others

• ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability: Global network supporting municipal sustainability and climate action. Comparable audience (city policymakers) and distribution channel for CO-CARBON-style policy recommendations and decision-maker toolkits.
• Stockholm Resilience Centre: Leading Nordic research institute on sustainability and resilience. Comparable research-grade methodology and policy engagement, with adjacent urban sustainability themes relevant to CO-CARBON's scope.

Emerging players

• Carbomap: Specialist in remote sensing and AI for measuring forest and ecosystem carbon stocks. Overlaps with CO-CARBON's urban biomass carbon measurement but operates commercially with broader geographic scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbK1cG-234fn0U3bxGB0uGw
• Facebookfacebook.com/cocarbonstn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/co-carbon
• Instagraminstagram.com/hiiliviisaskaupunkivihrea

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Co-Carbon