Developed by the United Nations, World Environment Day marks an occasion for raising awareness and encouraging people to take action to protect the environment. For our international Earth Day & World Environment Day campaign this year, we set out to do just that - raise awareness and call people to action by ‘growing’ larger than life mango tree murals in 3 major European cities - Milan, Berlin and London.
We set out with an ambitious goal to grow 20,000 trees within just six weeks with the help of people across Europe. As World Environment Day comes to a close, we sadly did not reach that target, but we are pleased to say that our Earth has 6,000 more trees than it did before. This means that farmers, families, communities, wildlife and the planet will benefit from the trees we are now growing together, and we have made the planet that little bit greener.
The main purpose of launching such a campaign was to raise awareness of the positive impact growing trees has on people and the environment. As part of the campaign, Treedom also surveyed 7,000 consumers across the region to further understand what sustainability truly means to them – as part of their everyday lives, but also how sustainability and climate action is affecting our career choices as well. We’ve discovered that there is an undeniable thirst and need for knowledge about how we can all make a lasting change. According to Treedom’s research, 78% of consumers globally are concerned about the future of our planet and 68% want to know more about what they can do to help. However, despite this eagerness to find out more, almost half of consumers don’t participate in any sustainable initiatives - and this is partly due to the fact that many don’t know how.
By growing trees with Treedom, consumers and businesses have an accessible, cost effective route to be more sustainable - 41% agreed that price was shown to be an important factor. In addition, our customers can also learn about the environmental and social impact of their tree in their own time through the online diary. It is our transparent mode of communication that doesn’t over complicate what it means to be green, and learn more about the benefits of their tree.
What is clear here, is that sharing more knowledge is vital in the fight against climate change. Unfortunately, only 12% of consumers believe that planting trees makes a significant impact on the planet when in fact, growing trees has a holistic positive long-term impact. It is more than just putting seeds in the ground and hoping they grow to absorb carbon emissions. Trees do reduce global CO₂ levels but they also benefit local communities by boosting economic trade, providing food security and offering invaluable training and career development. They also promote biodiversity - providing much needed habitats and food sources where animals and other wildlife need it most.
World Environment Day provides the opportune moment to connect with friends, family and colleagues about sustainable goals and get the conversation going about what action we are all taking.
We aim to continue to raise awareness, educate and inspire. We must continue to share our knowledge on how to green the planet in an effective and sustainable way, demonstrating that growing trees is more than throwing seeds in the ground. Growing trees means absorbing carbon emissions, providing a source of food and income for local communities and promoting biodiversity. It also addresses 10 of the 17 sustainable development goals outlined by the UN. We have a responsibility, as do others in our sector, to pave the way for consumers and businesses alike to make sustainable choices.
Together we can encourage action and together we can truly make a difference. To date, Treedom has grown 3.2 million trees and we’re not slowing down. Over the last year, we have grown over a million. By increasing awareness we can only do more. Our pledge is to green the planet, but to also be educators, facilitators, partners and mentors towards a more sustainable future for all.