One million trees planted

The Global Attenborough Forest

By The Perfect World Foundation. Photo: Lelle Sparringsjö

In the Botanical Gardens of Gothenburg, Sweden, during The Perfect World Foundation’s climate conference in 2018, Sir David Attenborough planted the symbolic first tree of the organization’s tree planting initiative ‘The Attenborough Forest’. The project aims to plant one million trees to reduce the pressure global warming puts on our planet.

Planting trees is one of the most effective ways to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere.

EFFECTIVE AND NATURAL WAY TO ABSORB CARBON DIOXIDE. CO2 is a greenhouse gas and contributes to global warming. One of the ways the gas is released into the atmosphere is through burning fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas. Fossil fuels are formed from the remains of dead plants that once absorbed CO2 from the atmosphere. New ways of absorbing CO2 are being researched constantly, but planting trees and biomass are still the most effective and natural way to absorb the gas to date.

The Perfect World Foundation's tree planting initiative ‘The Attenborough Forest’ is a global project focusing on planting trees to reduce atmospheric CO2. But trees don’t just absorb CO2, they also bind soil, thereby reducing desertification and the risk of the soil eroding and being discharged into oceans via rivers and streams. Another positive effect of planting trees is that they create better conditions for biodiversity to flourish and provide habitats.

THE GLOBAL ATTENBOROUGH FOREST. In Kenya, The Perfect World Foundation has already planted close to 100,000 trees. Besides absorbing CO2 the planted trees form protected areas for orphaned young elephants, and preconditions for thousands of other species. On Borneo, another project is being prepared that focuses on helping endangered orangutans by restoring their habitat. In Mexico another project is focusing on reducing desertification, and in Zimbabwe the organization has planted fruit trees in areas close to schools, to provide food for the students during their long school days, as some students have an over two-hour walk to and from school. In other words, The Perfect World’s global tree planting project ‘The Attenborough Forest’ has many aims and one common goal – to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere to counteract climate change and global warming.

Our Chief Editor MARIE KJELLSDOTTER, planting trees in Zimbabwe

THE ART OF PLANTING TREES. Tree planting is almost a whole science in itself, as there are about 30,000 different species of trees that all have different properties and varying abilities to absorb CO2. As we all know, trees grow in various places on earth with different climates and growth conditions. Because of this it is not possible to state exactly how much CO2 a tree absorbs, but it is possible to produce an approximate answer.

To calculate the cost of reducing atmospheric CO2 through tree planting we use the following assumptions: one tree absorbs about 10–20 kilos (22–44 lbs) of CO2 per year – we count it as 10 kilos, and one tree can live for many hundreds of years – we count it as 15 years, as there is also some wastage in the planting process. One tree costs between 1.00–6.00 US dollars to plant, depending on tree species and location – we count it as 3.82 US dollars. Calculating with these assumptions offset approximately 39 kilos (86 lbs) of CO2 per US dollar.

YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT. The average carbon footprint per capita in the world is approx. 5,000 kilos (11,000 lbs) of CO2 per year, but varies depending on where you live. Since most of our supporters live in the west, we estimate 10 US dollars per month to compensate for your carbon footprint – equivalent to 120 US dollars and approx. 5,000 kilos (11,000 lbs) of CO2 per year. You can use the ‘Tree Planting Form’ on our website to help us plant trees and compensate for your carbon footprint monthly, or for a whole year at a time. On our website you can also use the ‘Flight Emission Calculator’ to accurately calculate the carbon footprint for your flights… but don’t forget, Business Class costs twice as much as you take up twice the space – the calculator will help you get it right.