by Rebecca McNamara, Community & Digital PR Manager UK, Treedom
Treedom is one of the only platforms that combines its environmental mission with a social one. It is proud to be contributing to the achievement of 10 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set out by the United Nations development programme to end poverty.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the blueprint to achieving a better and more sustainable future for all. With objectives such as zero hunger, quality education and economic growth, they are designed to address global challenges like poverty, inequality, environmental degradation, deforestation and the many impacts of climate change. Since its foundation in 2010, Treedom has built these SDGs into the core foundation of its business, by focusing on launching reforestation activities in projects with a strong social value for communities around the world.
These projects are small, sustainable agroforestry projects, with organic tree nurseries, created in collaboration with NGOs and local communities. The first step is the training of the communities, bringing quality education to the farmers and their families. Treedom then finances the planting of the trees, supporting the trees’ care in the first years of their life, when they are not yet producing fruit. Once the trees are productive, their fruits belong to the community, allowing them to diversify and supplement both their diet and their income, in some cases launching micro-entrepreneurship initiatives.
In this way, Treedom has worked with over 43,000 farmers to plant over 740,000 trees across 14 countries, offsetting over 248 million tons of CO2.
As well as the obvious environmental and social benefits, incorporating the SDGs into the identity and foundation of the company has also made great business sense. Treedom is unique in this sector for this combination of environmental and social benefits and when coupled with the transparency of geolocating and photographing each individual tree, it makes the company a formidable competitor in the space.
More than ever, it is imperative that we as consumers are putting our money where our mouths are. Demand for brands that practice sustainability, or have a purpose that serves people and the planet, has increased. The Global Climate Strike attracted an estimated 7.6 million people worldwide and more than two thirds of consumers consider sustainability when making a purchase.
Where sustainability is such a broad, all-encompassing term, the SDGs serve as building blocks that can form the foundation of more sustainable businesses. These also act as indicators for consumers to see and understand the values of the businesses with whom they spend their money.
Consider Christmas, for example. According to the Bank of England, household spending in the UK increases by 25 per cent in the run-up to Christmas. That’s over £500 extra per household. The collective spending power at this time of year is staggering – imagine if each household chose to spend their money with brands who were not only operating sustainably, but who were committed to the SDGs and therefore committed to ending poverty and mitigating the effects of climate change.
By making the planet a key stakeholder in every decision (both in business and in our personal lives), together we can ensure a brighter, greener future.
Find out more about Treedom and plant a tree at www.treedom.net/en.
Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com. References: www.hbr.org, www.ey.com, www.globalclimatestrike.net, www.cgsinc.com, 1) www.nielsen.com, 2) www.nielsen.com, www.bankofengland.co.uk
