Forests are critical to the health of the planet. They sequester carbon, regulate global temperatures and freshwater flows, recharge groundwater, anchor fertile soil and act as flood barriers. They harbour 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity, and are a treasure trove of innovation and a source of subsistence and survival for 350 million people. Conserving existing forests, restoring forest ecosystems and reforesting suitable lands is essential if we are to transition to a sustainable pathway for our economies and societies at the required speed and scale. The three winning innovations helping to save our forests are:
Borneo Nature Foundation
Over the last 10 years, Borneo Nature Foundation has developed and refined planting methods and techniques to reforest areas of degraded peatland , planted over 30,000 seedlings and established Community Seedling Nurseries in villages next to Borneo’s last remaining tropical rainforests. Now, with the experience, knowledge and skills developed over the last decade they are scaling up the project to plant more than 1 million trees, while recognizing that carbon sequestration and habitat restoration for endangered species, like the orangutan, comes hand-in-hand with the empowerment of local communities and the creation of green economies. Borneo Nature Foundation was also the winner of the ‘People’s Choice Award’, an online poll conducted during the final of the Trillion Trees Challenge.
Reforestum & Ecosphere+
Reforestum and Ecosphere+ have partnered to enable companies and individuals to take climate action by financing forest conservation and restoration using technology solutions to access the carbon market. Their approach mobilizes support for high-quality, high impact forest projects at speed and at scale through technology that brings trust and transparency to carbon offsetting and works to aggregate the actions of many to make a huge collective impact.
Inga Foundation
Slash and burn farming is rapidly destroying the world’s remaining rainforests and sending vast amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Yet for more than 250 million farmers across the world, it is the only way they can survive. Through implementing Inga Alley Cropping (video) – the sustainable alternative to slash and burn – we can change this. By supporting farmers to take up this technique, the Inga Foundation gives them the ability to feed their families and improve their livelihoods, whilst keeping the rainforest and its rich biodiversity intact.
