When it comes to preserving what matters, there are few things more important than trees.
Trees are essential for maintaining biodiversity on our planet. They benefit us by purifying water and air and creating better overall living conditions, and they also benefit the Earth by providing homes for various life forms, helping biodiversity, as well as cooling our climate. So, what better way for Corbion to demonstrate our commitment to a healthier future for planet and people than to plant new ones? Lots of them! In 2021 we partnered with Tree-Nation: an initiative to reforest the world by giving businesses and individuals the opportunity to donate trees that seed community projects. Tree-Nation has planted more than 24 million trees across 33 different countries to date. As of October 2022, our Corbion Forest reached 38,029 trees and counting! These trees will offset ~4831,3 tons of carbon annually.
From little acorns…
It all began in 2021 (appropriately enough) on Earth Day. Each of our employees were offered a tree to plant. The Corbion Forest is not one single clump of trees; rather a very real woodland spread across different locations worldwide to help conserve natural forests and fund community projects. We therefore decided, when there is
an option, we plant trees in regions where we source our raw materials: notably Brazil and Thailand.
Had the story ended there, it would have been another great example of how our company champions preservation (by benefitting not only the planet but also people in local communities. But once the initial seeds were sown…the Corbion Forest took on a momentum all on its own.
We continued to support Tree-Nation on Green Friday (the sustainable alternative to Black Friday) in November 2021 by planting 10,000 saplings. Then on Employee Appreciation Day in March 2022, every colleague at Corbion was once again offered a tree to plant. On September 30 we added 20,000 trees to our Corbion Forest.
“As part of our new policy on business travel, which also includes guidelines to reduce air travel, we are offsetting the emissions of our annual business travel. Much like our Corbion Forest – our ambitions have grown. In a short amount of time, we are already contributing to several reforestation efforts around the world.”
Diana Visser, Corbion's Senior Director Sustainability.
Preserving the planet!
When it comes to preserving what matters, there are few things more important than trees. Trees contribute to a healthy planet, which is essential to our survival. Forests support roughly 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. Trees give us oxygen, store carbon and enhance soil health.
“We partnered with Tree-Nation, as they offer reforestation projects in many areas of the world, including the countries where Corbion has plants, labs and offices. Tree-Nation offers nice tools for employee engagement as well,” adds Diana.
Trees offered to employees through Tree-Nation support our Advance 2025 strategy, in which we are focusing on three of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals – SDG 2 (Zero hunger), SDG 3 (Good health and wellbeing) and SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production). These are the areas in which we can make the most significant positive impact with our business activities. The trees we plant through our partnership with Tree-Nation contribute directly to SDG 12 (preserving the planet), as it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Visit the Forest of Corbion
More than just a forest
Our Tree-Nation partnership is like the icing on the cake, a bonus on top of everything else we are doing to preserve what matters. Corbion has been participating in the CDP Climate Change and Supply Chain programs since 2016 to provide transparency to our customers, investors, and stakeholders. Through a rigorous process, we are able to measure and manage our environmental impact, with a focus on climate change, water security, and deforestation. We started participating in the Forests questionnaire in 2018 and with the Water questionnaire in 2020. In 2021, we also made our response to the Water questionnaire publicly available. See our ratings.
“A sustainable agricultural supply chain is essential for our business. At Corbion, we partner with our suppliers to promote sustainable agriculture and protect forests.”
Belinda Roberts, VP Procurement
Learn more about Forests and biodiversity
