The largest pledge by an Indian corporate to 1t.org
Announcement made at World Economic Forum, Davos
16 January 2023, Ahmedabad, The Adani Group, India’s largest and fastest growing portfolio of diversified businesses has pledged to grow 100 million trees by 2030. This pledge was made on 1t.org the “Trillion Trees Platform” of the World Economic Forum. Adani Group's commitment to growing 100 million trees by 2030 is the largest 1t.org pledge in India so far and among the most ambitious corporate pledges globally (https://www.1t.org/pledges/growing-100-million-trees-by-2030). The 100 million would include mangroves as well as terrestrial trees.
1t.org is a multi-stakeholder platform serving a global movement to conserve, restore and grow 1 trillion trees by 2030, in support of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. This initiative specifically seeks the engagement of the corporate sector. The broader trillion trees movement aims to slow down climate change by removing large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, providing much-needed progress towards climate, biodiversity and SDGs.
"The sheer scale of ambition of 1t.org to plant a trillion trees is simply inspiring. It is a reflection of the resilience of humanity and what can be achieved through the collective power of likeminded people that are determined to fight for a cause" said Gautam Adani, Chairman, Adani Group. "Restoring ecosystems, reversing loss of biodiversity, and reducing soil erosion are all essential for building a greener world and in this context, I am pledging that the Adani Group will plant 100 million trees by 2030 as part of India's declaration to take a leading position in its commitment at Paris COP 21 to create additional carbon sinks of 2.5-3.0 billion tons of CO2.”
“The global goal to conserve, restore and grow 1 trillion trees is ambitious but achievable,” said Nicole Schwab, Director, 1t.org and Nature-Based Solutions at World Economic Forum. “The Adani Group is at the forefront of this ambition to tackle the climate and nature crises. The 1t.org India Platform is growing, with more businesses, ecopreneurs, community groups, and youth joining the movement. Conservation and restoration is critical to mitigate the effects of climate change that threaten the livelihoods of millions who depend on forests and agriculture.”
Growing trees is one of the best nature-based solutions for removing CO2 from the atmosphere and is essential for a healthy planet and healthy people. It is noteworthy that the Adani Group has already planted 29.52 million trees, which it pledges to conserve. A number of the Group’s projects focus on mangroves as many businesses are located along the coast. The Group aims to have 37.10 million mangrove trees by 2030. This includes conservation as well as afforestation. Mangroves protect coastlines, enhance marine biodiversity, provide local livelihood, prevent saline water ingress, provide breeding ground for fish and other aquatic organisms, and offer many other benefits. The Group targets terrestrial plantations of 63.08 million trees by 2030. These trees would offer benefits in terms of reducing air pollution, providing thermal comfort, recharging the groundwater tables, and preventing soil erosion.
The Adani Group’s approach is to plant native species that are able to survive in local climatic conditions and enrich biodiversity while creating employment opportunities for local communities in this initiative. The execution entails application of cutting-edge technology for seeding, watering and monitoring, and employs Sustainable Forest Management leading to natural regeneration.
