The 22nd April marks Earth Day 2022 and this year’s theme for the annual campaign is ‘Invest In Our Planet’, calling on us all to act (boldly), innovate (broadly) and implement (quickly) in a partnership for the planet. “Businesses, governments, citizens – everyone accounted for, and everyone accountable.” (EarthDay.org)
Climate action is a long-term commitment and one that Shire Leasing has firmly in focus. In line with Earth Day 2022, it is with great pleasure to announce that Shire Leasing has reached a key milestone in our ongoing ‘Tree for a Lease’ programme, having commissioned the planting of over 5,000 trees as part of our commitment to invest in our planet.
Through our partnership with Play It Green, an organisation offering a simple and accessible way to support reforestation whilst lowering carbon footprints, every new lease transaction Shire Leasing funds results in a tree being planted. Our current planting programme is taking place in the North West of Madagascar, a country where over 90% of rainforests have been lost.
The long-term benefit on the environment is tremendous as a single tree stores on average 22kg of CO2 per year and in exchange releases oxygen (European Environment Agency). Shire’s forest will go on to absorb over 110 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the Earth’s atmosphere each year, with this increasing as we build our forest numbers further.
Shire’s ‘Tree for a Lease’ programme not only helps support the environment, but it also offers long-term employment, gender equality and livelihood to the local communities planting and managing the mangrove and upland forests at the three tree-planting sites in North-West Madagascar.
Trees bring a multitude of benefits:
1. Removes greenhouse gas CO2, so vital in combating climate change.
2. Absorbs and filters water, preventing floods and waterborne disease.
3. Provide habitat to 80% of the world’s biodiversity to help life to thrive.
4. Forests provide jobs to 1.6 billion people globally
5. Regulate climate in their surroundings resulting in less energy use.
(Source: Play It Green)
To find out more about the initiative and to follow the progress of our ‘Forest Garden’, visit our CSR webpage.
