This article first appeared in Convenience & Impulse Retailing, authored by Deborah Jackson

Nestlé has announced plans to plant 10 million trees in Australia by 2025 in partnership with Greening Australia, Canopy, and One Tree Planted.

It is part of Nestlé’s Global Reforestation Program, which aims to plant and grow 200 million trees by 2030. The program is part of the company’s actions to scale up regenerative agriculture and deploy natural climate solutions to absorb greenhouse gases, contributing to its net zero target by 2050.

Planting the 10 million trees will sequester an estimated 2.1 million tonnes of CO2 over a 25 year carbon crediting period. Averaged over the project lifetime, this is equivalent to fuel emissions from more than 25,000 cars each year. Trees planted and grown will be monitored across 28 years as they mature, delivering long-term environmental and economic benefits.

Working in collaboration with local landholders and communities, the 10 million trees of native species, will help to restore local biodiversity, improve water quality, and enhance degraded soils. Trees will be planted in locations linked to regional areas where Nestlé sources raw materials and will be registered by Greening Australia’s environmental markets business, Canopy, for carbon credits with Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator.

Magdi Batato, Executive Vice President, Head of Operations, Nestlé, said the reforestation program in Australia is an important step forward in the company’s road to net zero by 2050.

“Beyond the positive impact on our carbon footprint, this partnership will protect natural resources, accelerate the transition to regenerative agriculture and food systems as well as provide local communities with economic benefit.”

The reforestation program is part of Nestlé’s Forest Positive strategy, which moves beyond delivering a deforestation-free supply chain. The strategy focuses on conserving and restoring forests and natural ecosystems, while respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.

As part of the Group’s wider reforestation initiative, Nestlé has embarked on initiatives to plant trees in countries including the Philippines, China, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Colombia.