Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, led by CEO Pascal Soriot, has issued a warning about the detrimental effects of climate change and biodiversity loss on both the planet and human health. In response, the company has unveiled a groundbreaking plan to invest $400 million&nbsp;in planting 200 million trees by 2030.

Expanding on their existing tree-planting initiative, AstraZeneca aims to contribute significantly to global reforestation efforts.

The company had previously pledged to plant and maintain over 50 million trees by the end of 2025, with successful plantations already established in Australia, Indonesia, Ghana, the UK, the US, and France, reported the Guardian.&nbsp;

The newly announced program will see AstraZeneca's investment focus on reforestation, ensuring the long-term survival of the trees.

Plantations will be established in Brazil, Vietnam, Ghana, Rwanda, and India, with a particular emphasis on countries with tropical forests, such as Brazil and Indonesia, known for their carbon absorption capabilities crucial in the fight against global warming.

The urgency of these efforts is underscored by the alarming rates of deforestation observed in recent years. Despite world leaders pledging to halt deforestation at the CopP26 summit in 2021, an area equivalent to the size of Switzerland was cleared from pristine rainforests in 2022.

The tropics alone experienced a 10 per cent increase in forest loss compared to the previous year, resulting in a staggering 2.7 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions—equivalent to India's annual fossil fuel emissions.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/data-lab-making-sense-of-indias-forest-cover-change-both-gains-and-losses-579663">Data Lab: Making sense of India's forest cover change, both gains and losses</a>

<h2>Carbon offset programme aims to remove 30m tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere</h2>

AstraZeneca estimates that its tree-planting program will remove approximately 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, playing a significant role in the company's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2045.

To ensure transparency and prevent double-counting of carbon credits, AstraZeneca will share the credits with the governments of the respective countries where the trees are planted.

While carbon offsetting initiatives have come under scrutiny for their effectiveness, AstraZeneca's tree-planting projects aim to create tangible benefits.

The company plans to generate employment opportunities for local communities, supporting up to 80,000 livelihoods. Collaborating with NGOs and subjecting the projects to independent audits and assessments by experts, including the European Forest Institute, AstraZeneca demonstrates its commitment to responsible and impactful reforestation efforts.

Also watch |&nbsp;Symbolic 'cotton tree' destroyed in storm

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/symbolic-cotton-tree-destroyed-in-storm-597906/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Emphasising the importance of ecological restoration and biodiversity, CEO Pascal Soriot emphasised that AstraZeneca's program goes beyond planting identical trees in straight rows.

With a diverse range of 300 tree and plant species, the company aims to restore forests to their original state, adapting the approach to the unique characteristics of each country and region.

To ensure the success of these projects, AstraZeneca will employ innovative techniques such as drone assessments and high-resolution satellite imagery to monitor tree growth, health, and their impact on water, soil, and carbon stocks.

&nbsp;

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Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, led by CEO Pascal Soriot, has issued a warning about the detrimental effects of climate change and biodiversity loss on both the planet and human health.

Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, led by CEO Pascal Soriot, has issued a warning about the detrimental effects of climate change and biodiversity loss on both the planet and human health. In response, the company has unveiled a groundbreaking plan to invest $400 million in planting 200 million trees by 2030. Expanding on their existing tree-planting initiative, AstraZeneca aims to contribute significantly to global reforestation efforts. The company had previously pledged to plant and maintain over 50 million trees by the end of 2025, with successful plantations already established in Australia, Indonesia, Ghana, the UK, the US, and France, reported the Guardian. The newly announced program will see AstraZeneca's investment focus on reforestation, ensuring the long-term survival of the trees. Plantations will be established in Brazil, Vietnam, Ghana, Rwanda, and India, with a particular emphasis on countries with tropical forests, such as Brazil and Indonesia, known for their carbon absorption capabilities crucial in the fight against global warming. The urgency of these efforts is underscored by the alarming rates of deforestation observed in recent years. Despite world leaders pledging to halt deforestation at the CopP26 summit in 2021, an area equivalent to the size of Switzerland was cleared from pristine rainforests in 2022. The tropics alone experienced a 10 per cent increase in forest loss compared to the previous year, resulting in a staggering 2.7 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions—equivalent to India's annual fossil fuel emissions. Also read | Data Lab: Making sense of India's forest cover change, both gains and losses Carbon offset programme aims to remove 30m tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere AstraZeneca estimates that its tree-planting program will remove approximately 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, playing a significant role in the company's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2045. To ensure transparency and prevent double-counting of carbon credits, AstraZeneca will share the credits with the governments of the respective countries where the trees are planted. While carbon offsetting initiatives have come under scrutiny for their effectiveness, AstraZeneca's tree-planting projects aim to create tangible benefits. The company plans to generate employment opportunities for local communities, supporting up to 80,000 livelihoods. Collaborating with NGOs and subjecting the projects to independent audits and assessments by experts, including the European Forest Institute, AstraZeneca demonstrates its commitment to responsible and impactful reforestation efforts. Also watch | Symbolic 'cotton tree' destroyed in storm Emphasising the importance of ecological restoration and biodiversity, CEO Pascal Soriot emphasised that AstraZeneca's program goes beyond planting identical trees in straight rows. With a diverse range of 300 tree and plant species, the company aims to restore forests to their original state, adapting the approach to the unique characteristics of each country and region. To ensure the success of these projects, AstraZeneca will employ innovative techniques such as drone assessments and high-resolution satellite imagery to monitor tree growth, health, and their impact on water, soil, and carbon stocks. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

AstraZeneca launches $400mn tree-planting initiative to combat climate change, biodiversity loss

A farm in South Australia has become the site of an ambitious project to plant 3,50,000 trees covering a third of the 550 hectare property. The re-vegetation initiative aims to capture carbon and reduce harmful gases in the atmosphere that causes global warming.

WION Climate Tracker | Farm in Australia becomes site of re-vegetation project

The Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is leading a campaign to plant six billion trees across the country this year. This is a part of his 'Green Legacy' project to promote ecotourism and tackle climate change. The initiative emphasizes his focus on the environment ahead of the elections

Ethiopian PM plants trees for 'Green Legacy' project

Indian Railways has planted?13.26 lakh trees over 1,300 km of its network from September 15 to October 2, as part of the celebrations to mark the 149th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, an official statement said Tuesday.

The Railways ministry was observing 'Swachhta Hi Sewa Pakhwada' across its network during the period. On Tuesday, Railways administered Swachhta (cleanliness) pledge to its personnel.

Two days each were proposed to be devoted to Swachh Station, Swachh Train, Swachh Neer, Swachh Parisar, Swachh Samwad, Swachh Awareness across the entire network of Indian Railways, the statement said.

It said detailed guidelines for the 'Pakhwada' (fortnight) were formulated and circulated to each unit of Indian Railways.

During the Swachchta Pakhwada, tree plantation on over 1,300 km on railway network was done, the statement said.

Cleaning of 43 stations associated with Mahatma Gandhi and 28 stations near iconic places and golden triangle Delhi, Agra, Jaipur was undertaken during the fortnight, it said.

Railway stations associated with the father of the nation were painted thematically. The Swachhta logo and the national flag were displayed on all coaches, the statement said.&nbsp;

Swachh Bharat Mission is the Centre's flagship programme that aims to clean up the streets, roads and infrastructure in the country.

Indian Railways has planted?13.26 lakh trees over 1,300 km of its network from September 15 to October 2, as part of the celebrations to mark the 149th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, an official statement said Tuesday.

Indian Railways has planted?13.26 lakh trees over 1,300 km of its network from September 15 to October 2, as part of the celebrations to mark the 149th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, an official statement said Tuesday. The Railways ministry was observing 'Swachhta Hi Sewa Pakhwada' across its network during the period. On Tuesday, Railways administered Swachhta (cleanliness) pledge to its personnel. Two days each were proposed to be devoted to Swachh Station, Swachh Train, Swachh Neer, Swachh Parisar, Swachh Samwad, Swachh Awareness across the entire network of Indian Railways, the statement said. It said detailed guidelines for the 'Pakhwada' (fortnight) were formulated and circulated to each unit of Indian Railways. During the Swachchta Pakhwada, tree plantation on over 1,300 km on railway network was done, the statement said. Cleaning of 43 stations associated with Mahatma Gandhi and 28 stations near iconic places and golden triangle Delhi, Agra, Jaipur was undertaken during the fortnight, it said. Railway stations associated with the father of the nation were painted thematically. The Swachhta logo and the national flag were displayed on all coaches, the statement said. Swachh Bharat Mission is the Centre's flagship programme that aims to clean up the streets, roads and infrastructure in the country.

Railways plants more than 13 lakh trees over 1,300 km of its network from Sep 15-Oct 2

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