Nestle announced during COP27’s Biodiversity Day it aims to plant 10 million trees in Australia, in partnership with Greening Australia, Canopy, and One Tree Planted.
The trees will be a biodiverse mix of native species that will sequester an estimated 2.1 million tonnes of CO2 over a 25-year carbon-crediting period – equivalent to the fuel emissions from more than 25,000 cars each year.
The initiative is part of the company’s Global Reforestation Program which aims to plant 200 million trees worldwide by 2030 and meet net-zero emissions by 2050.
Sanda Martinez, CEO of Nestle Oceania, said the company’s long-term commitment is more than just planting trees. It also aims to conserve local biodiversity and advance regenerative food and farming systems – delivering environmental and economic benefits to communities.
“Climate change is possibly everyone’s greatest challenge – and a significant risk to the future of our business,” said Martinez.
“We have set the net-zero emissions target by 2050 and laid out an ambitious roadmap to achieve this. However, we cannot do this alone – collaboration is key.”
Together with local communities and landholders, the trees will help restore local biodiversity, improve water quality, and boost degraded soils.
The company explained that it would plant the trees in regional areas where it sources its raw materials and registered by Greening Australia’s environmental markets business, Canopy, for carbon credits with Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator.
“This is not just about planting trees; it’s about working together to solve complex environmental problems – restoring our diverse and iconic ecosystems, building habitat for native fauna, improving biodiversity, sequestering carbon and investing in local communities and economies to help people and nature thrive,” added Brendan Foran, CEO of Greening Australia and Canopy chair.
Nestle’s Reforestation Project in Australia has already commenced, with plantlings underway with private landholders in the Strzelecki Ranges and East Gippsland, Victoria. The company said it is on track to planting 200,000 trees across an estimated 100 hectares – equivalent to more than three times the size of the Sydney Royal Botanic Garden.
