ABN AMRO Clearing and Land Life Company will kick off a five-year reforestation program this summer that includes large-scale tree plantings across the globe. In addition, ABN AMRO Clearing will invite its employees out into the field for company planting days in countries where ABN AMRO Clearing is based such as the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Australia and the United States.
“Planting trees in areas where it is needed the most supports our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals on climate action,” said Pauline Engelberts, Global Chief Operations Officer, ABN AMRO Clearing. “It is also important for us that we connect the tree planting we do together as a team in our own neighborhoods to what is required for climate action on a global scale.”
The five-year, multi-geography climate action program builds further on the current two-year climate action plan between ABN AMRO Clearing and Land Life Company. As part of the current program, over 17,000 native trees are currently being planted on 21 hectares of degraded land in Castilla y León, Spain and Victoria, Australia combined.
The new five-year program is raising the bar when it comes to creating tangible climate impact. Each year, ABN AMRO will plant 50,000 trees on average, offsetting an estimated 10,000 tons of CO2 and rebuilding habitat and biodiversity worldwide.
Spain was selected because it is one of the countries most severely affected by desertification in Europe. In Australia, the land is severely degraded from overgrazing and wildfires, and the restoration projects will help reverse the level of fragmentation, erosion and loss of biodiversity.
The trees planted in each location will be tracked and traced so the growth and carbon capture can be followed over time.
“ABN AMRO Clearing has always looked beyond carbon in their climate action program,” says Rebekah Braswell, CCO of Land Life Company. “They connect rebuilding forests and ecosystems with employee engagement. This program shows their commitment to climate action in the long run, and we are very proud to support this forward-looking approach.”