Protecting the world's forests is a top priority in combating climate change. Deforestation leads to the release of harmful greenhouse gas emissions into the Earth's atmosphere, but it's not too late to start taking action.
Why should we be concerned about the issue of deforestation?
Whether you live in the Amazon or in a developing city, deforestation, which is the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases, affects the lives of all of us.
Forests are very important for life on earth. 1.6 billion people depend on forests directly for food, shelter, fuel, and income. Forests also regulate our climate, eliminate harmful CO2 emissions, and can help slow the rate of global warming. Yet every year, demands on the necessities of life are higher and result in excessive and unsustainable forest exploitation, until we have lost 13 million hectares of forest land.
Trees also provide protection against natural disasters such as floods and landslides, and provide a quiet space for recreation and sports for humans. In short, we need forests and forests need us!
So why does Unilever partner with WWF?
Unilever is committed to doing our duty in combating climate change and by 2020 we want to reduce the environmental impact of our products by half. This means helping farmers improve their farming methods, reducing waste, and cutting our carbon footprint.
Coping with deforestation will give our planet an opportunity for a bright future. WWF protects endangered wildlife and the environment, tackles climate change, and promotes sustainable use of natural resources. Unilever believes that together we can disseminate the message of the importance of safeguarding and protecting trees in the world.
How do Unilever and WWF help protect these trees?
The tree protection program is part of Unilever's commitment to sustainable living and will fund the protection of one million trees in Brazil and Indonesia which are the two countries most threatened by deforestation. Together with WWF, we want to involve the community to better understand about forests and the important role of forests in our daily lives.
This partnership is part of a long-term program in which we will work with WWF and their partners, BirdLife International and the Wildlife Conservation Society, to apply the basic foundation for protecting forests around the world. Our main objective is to reduce deforestation and forest degradation, restore forest areas, promote sustainable forest management, and increase the number of trees on farmland.
Tree protection is as important as planting new trees. When trees are felled you not only lose the tree, but cause impact for each system that supports the tree individually and collectively as a forest. Tree planting is part of the solution, but without protecting, managing, and helping to restore the remaining area of degraded forest is equivalent to fighting for defeat.
We realize that it is possible to bring about change - and that change is taking place. China is ambitious in 2020, about 23% of its territory is covered with trees which means they have to replant around 500,000 km2. Since 2000, Brazil has reduced more than half the rate of deforestation they face. Saving the intact trees in considerable numbers, nearly half a billion tons of carbon emissions have been prevented from entering Earth's atmosphere. It is important for us to keep this momentum going.
What can you do to help?
Unilever and WWF are trying to make it happen, but we can not do it alone. In order for every society to grow and enable farmers to sustain their livelihoods, governments, corporations, communities and individuals must come together and join in the struggle to preserve the future of our planet, not only for our children, but also for future generations.