Planting trees where they have the most impact
neon goes green: we have created an everyday, sustainable account to make sure it’s as easy and effective as possible for you to do your bit for climate protection. In other words: with neon green, you’ll be planting a lot of trees and offset 300 kg of CO2 with each tree. All thanks to our tree-planting partner Eden: People + Planet – read all about the non-profit and how their work is much more than just planting trees.
Why trees?
Before we get into our partnership with Eden: People + Planet and their impact around the globe, you may think: Why trees? We’re glad you asked. First of all: Trees are real all-rounders, since they actively contribute to our well-being, prevent soil erosion, filter our drinking water and contribute to species diversity in the animal and plant world and much more. But most importantly: Nothing can combat climate change as effectively as planting trees. According to researchers at ETH Zurich, planting trees and reforestation has the potential to absorb two thirds of the climate-damaging CO2 emissions caused by humans.
We calculate this figure using a conversion factor of 300 kg of neutralised CO2 per tree. This calculation is based on the total amount of CO2 neutralised by an average mangrove tree during an average life span of 25 years. Why mangroves? The mangrove absorbs a particularly large amount of CO2, making it one of the tree species preferred by our tree planting partner Eden: People + Planet.
Eden: People + Planet – effective and sustainable reforestation
The non-profit Eden: People + Planet is contributing to the fight against climate change by restoring and planting trees all around the world. Conceptualized in 2005 in Ethiopia, the non-profit has expanded over the years and is now planting trees in eight countries and over 200 project sites. Since its establishment, Eden has planted almost 1 billion trees across project sites in Madagascar, Haiti, Nepal, Indonesia, Mozambique, Kenya, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
However, Eden: People + Planet is doing much more than just planting trees: With their work, they provide sustainable, durable support to local people since they are employed to plant and look after the trees. In other words: Eden’s global restoration network is creating livelihoods for people living in extreme poverty by empowering them to restore and protect forests on a massive scale. Thus, by addressing the link between deforestation and extreme poverty, Eden has developed an effective and sustainable model for reforestation.
From Mahajanga to 1 billion trees
Famous for its unique biodiversity and lush forests, Madagascar has some of the rarest animal and plant species - seventy-five percent of species found on the island do not exist anywhere else in the world. Unfortunately, more than 90% of Madagascar’s original forests have been destroyed, impacting not only the plant and animal life, but also the local communities’ ability to live sustainably off the land and sea.
In 2007, Eden formed a local workforce that began to restore mangrove forests in the Mahajanga area, a province West of Madagascar. It started with 200'000 trees planted in the first year of the project and by the end of 2020, more than 407 million trees had been planted. Thousands of Madagascans now have consistent employment and can send their children to school, provide food and clothing for dependent family members, and launch innovative microenterprises.
In the Mahajanga region, we planted 659'617 trees from May 2022 to December 2024 in our very own neon forest, the planting area is called «Ankarafantsika 3». We are doing the same in the «Tudor Creek» planting area in Kenya. Find out more about our neon forests here.
The evolution of Eden
Our long-standing tree-planting partner Eden underwent a transformation in 2024, moving away from a focus on reforestation and adopting a more comprehensive approach. This includes, for example, compliance with additional international standards – such as the Principles for Forest Restoration – the expansion of objectives to include other environmental aspects (e.g. biodiversity) and socio-economic indicators (income diversification).
This strategic realignment entails a number of changes, including higher reporting standards (and thus more resources). In this context, Eden decided to temporarily discontinue its cooperation with the local tree-planting organisation that manages the «Ankarafantsika 3» area in Madagascar. Since May 2022, we have planted 659'617 trees there with Eden. Eden has also assured us that the trees already planted in Madagascar will continue to be cared for by local organisations. You can read the report here.
To read more about Eden: People + Planet work and impact, head over to their website.
For more information about other advantages your neon green account offers, head over here.
And here you can find the certificates for the trees planted.