Restore the Earth Foundation's 1 Million Acre Reforestation Vision | ESG Decoded Podcast #199

Coastal Louisiana is losing a football field of land every hour. Restore the Earth Foundation (REF) is betting a million acres of restored forest can turn that around — and they're nearly halfway there. In this episode, host Erika Schiller is joined by Taylor Marshall, REF's Executive Director and a project manager for Ecometrics – a platform that quantifies the environmental, social, and economic impact of restoration projects. Together they talk about how native bald cypress reforestation delivers far more than carbon, from flood protection and cleaner water to the return of cultural practices that faded when the forests did. The conversation traces Restore the Earth's path from small post-Katrina tracts to full landscape-scale restoration, and the collaboration model that made that growth possible across federal agencies, state partners, local parishes, and corporate funders. Marshall shares what two decades of hard-won lessons have taught her about designing projects that endure, and the valuation work that finally gave funders a business case they could act on. Don’t miss an episode—subscribe to ESG Decoded on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social for the latest updates!Episode ResourcesRestore the Earth Foundation - https://restoretheearth.org/Climate-driven depopulation and adaptation realities in America's coastal ground zero (Nature Sustainability) - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-026-01820-zEcoMetrics: Measuring and Valuing the Impact of Nature-Based Solutions - https://www.ecos.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/EcoMetrics_WhitePaper_Jan2026.pdfRestore the Earth Foundation Awarded Louisiana's First Water Quality Credits - https://restoretheearth.org/2025/05/06/restore-the-earth-foundation-awarded-louisianas-first-water-quality-credits/Louisiana's Coastal Master Plan - https://coastal.la.gov/our-plan/-About ESG Decoded ESG Decoded is a podcast powered by ClimeCo to share updates related to business innovation and sustainability in a clear and actionable manner. Join Emma Cox, Erika Schiller, and Anna Stablum for thoughtful, nuanced conversations with industry leaders and subject matter experts that explore the complexities about the risks and opportunities connected to (E)nvironmental, (S)ocial and (G)overnance. We like to say that “ESG is everything that’s not on your balance sheet.” This leaves room for misunderstanding and oversimplification – two things that we’ll bust on this podcast.ESG Decoded Resource Links Site:  https://www.climeco.com/podcast-series/Apple Podcasts: https://go.climeco.com/ApplePodcastsSpotify: https://go.climeco.com/SpotifyYouTube Music: https://go.climeco.com/YouTube-MusicLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/esg-decoded/IG: https://www.instagram.com/esgdecoded/*This episode was produced by Singing Land Studio About ClimeCoClimeCo is an award-winning leader in decarbonization, empowering global organizations with customized sustainability pathways. Our respected scientists and industry experts collaborate with companies, governments, and capital markets to develop tailored ESG and decarbonization solutions. Recognized for creating high-quality, impactful projects, ClimeCo is committed to helping clients achieve their goals, maximize environmental assets, and enhance their brand.ClimeCo Resource LinksSite: https://climeco.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/climeco/IG: https://www.instagram.com/climeco/