Healthy forests for healthy people – expanding our investment in climate action and nature

Forests are vital to the health of people and the planet. ¹ That is why we are expanding AZ Forest, our global reforestation and biodiversity initiative, investing $400 million to plant and maintain 200 million trees by 2030, to restore over 100,000 hectares of land, benefiting communities, nature and health.

We recognise the deep connection between health, nature and the climate. Launched in 2020, AZ Forest is our global initiative to restore forests to help mitigate climate change, protect biodiversity and build sustainable livelihoods.

Alongside expert implementation partners, communities and governments, we are planting trees in areas where forests have been depleted, helping to restore degraded land and build community and ecological resilience. Our new projects in Brazil, India, Vietnam, Ghana and Rwanda are in addition to the 10.5 million trees already planted in Australia, Ghana, Indonesia, the UK, the US and France.² At COP28, we announced an additional pledge to plant up to six million trees in western Kenya.

Local communities at the heart of AZ Forest

Our new investments aim to maximise tree planting co-benefits for local communities by placing them at the heart of reforestation efforts. Our AZ Forest programme combines sustainable agroforestry with natural reforestation, giving local communities access to new sources of revenue, and supporting human health by safeguarding water resources, promoting food security and nutrition, lowering surface and air temperatures and combatting air pollution. The expanded programme is estimated to deliver benefits to local communities, positively impacting up to 80,000 livelihoods.

A nature-based solution to climate change

Our AZ Forest reforestation programme is part of our science-based decarbonisation strategy, Ambition Zero Carbon, to achieve science-based net zero by 2045 at the latest.³ Through AZ Forest we aim to mitigate the impact of our residual footprint and remove emissions we have not yet eliminated, reduced or substituted from 2030 onwards.

By restoring degraded land, creating wildlife corridors for endangered species and helping to rehabilitate river systems, AZ Forest also enables biodiversity to flourish, whilst building resilience to climate change.

A science-led approach

Tree planting is being monitored by independent third-party experts including the European Forest Institute (EFI).⁴ We will use the latest innovations in remote sensing, high-resolution imagery and long-term monitoring to track the health of trees, soil and water quality and biodiversity, as well as carbon sequestration.

New and expanded AZ Forest projects

Kenya

In western Kenya, we have pledged to plant and maintain up to six million trees, adjacent to the Rift Valley, and covering more than 3,500 hectares of land. The project will be amongst the first to use an advanced AI deep learning model to analyse drone footage and satellite imagery to monitor tree growth and health, while also quantifying levels of carbon sequestration.⁵ The programme aims to promote long-term tree health, increase biodiversity of flora and fauna, and generate an economic boost for local communities. 

Brazil

Our new partnership with Biofílica Ambipar and Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (IPE) called “Corridors for Life” will plant 12 million trees within the Atlantic Forest, with over 100 native species planned in each project area. Creating ecological corridors between fragmented pockets of forests in the west of São Paulo state, this programme will create an important habitat for vulnerable and endangered species such as the black lion tamarins, jaguars, pumas, ocelots, tapirs and over 200 species of birds and bats. It will also create local employment opportunities.

India

In north east India, we will plant 64 million trees to restore degraded land in Meghalaya, supporting rural livelihoods. Working in partnership with Earthbanc and local implementation partners, the project will combine reforestation principles with agroforestry, helping to preserve and restore local ecosystems and create opportunities for local communities.

Vietnam

In Vietnam, we have committed to planting 22.5 million trees, including sustainable orchards for fruit and nut production, essential oils, and resins, linking these with sustainable value chains. This will support improved diets and nutrition, soil and water conservation and sustainable livelihoods for over 17,000 smallholder farmers.

Ghana

We are expanding our existing AZ Forest partnership in Ghana with the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA), New Generation Plantation Technical Assistance (NGPTA) and other partners to plant an additional 2.2 million trees, bringing the total number of surviving trees to 4.7 million, and restoring eight thousand hectares in the Atebubu-Amantin and Sene West districts of central Ghana. This community-led programme which is part of a network of “Living Labs” combines natural forest restoration with nature-based business models for small-holder farmers. The CBA’s “Living Labs” aim to demonstrate how landscape restoration can catalyse the development of circular bioeconomy value chains while restoring biodiversity and local livelihoods.

Rwanda

We have provided funding for the development of a reforestation project in partnership with the Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS) and Reforest’Action that aims plant 5.8 million trees. With the goal to be another “Living Lab”, the “MuLaKiLa” project will focus on woodlots and agroforestry, sustainable food production and climate resilience. Benefiting more than 30,000 farming households, the project is expected to become one the largest forest restoration initiatives in Rwanda.

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