Brembo, Treedom to Plant 14K Trees in Kenya in Sustainability Push Creating 'Brembo Forest'
More than 14,000 trees will be planted in a Kenya forest by Italian automotive brake systems manufacturer Brembo in partnership with Treedom, a remote planting operation, in honor of the 60th anniversary of its foundation.
The initiative aims to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and support local farming communities.
In 2018, Brembo signed up to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Goals. The installation of the Brembo Forest will contribute to the achievement of 10 of these, producing both environmental and social benefits.
"This forestry project sits with the objectives of COP26 in Glasgow and demonstrates that sustainable growth is possible through co-operation between different sectors of society," says Cristina Bombassei, Brembo's Chief CSR Officer.
"At Brembo we have a strong sustainability culture, which is reflected in our use of resources, recycling of materials, reduction of emissions, and in our strategy to develop greener products. The forest represents just one aspect of our wider global commitment, following the lead of the United Nations to engage not only governments and individuals, but also companies to play an active role in the battle against climate change."
The Brembo Forest will grow near Lake Victoria in Kenya, where the roughly 14,000 trees will capture more than 7,000 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere over 10 years, supporting Brembo's goal of becoming a carbon neutral company by 2040.
Kenyan forests are considered some of the most diverse in the world thanks to the country's wide variety of geographic features.
Among the trees being planted in the Brembo Forest are fruit and non-fruit species appropriate to the local environment and the needs of its population. The project will also involve about 1,300 farmers who will take care of the forest with the support of nonprofit organizations.
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's forest resource assessment in 2020, the net loss in forests globally was 4.7 million hectares per year over the last decade, however, deforestation rates were much significantly higher.
Net forest loss measures deforestation plus any gains in forest over a given period while deforestation only accounts for the loss. The UN FAO estimated that 10 million hectares of forest were cut down each year.
Deforestation rates reached its peak in the 1980s clearing 150 million hectares, roughly half the size of India, in a single decade. This was the decade that cleared the Brazilian Amazon forest for pasture and croplands.
Since then, deforestation rates have steadily declined, to 78 million hectares in the 1990s, 52 million in the early 2000s and 47 million in the last decade.
