Project highlights: Restoring and protecting forests 

Uganda

The most advanced project, now in its third year, has initiated the restoration of 726 hectares of tropical forest with an estimated more than 290,000 native tree seedlings. Alongside the forest protection and restoration work, 382 local community members have been supported with alternative livelihood activities, such as agroforestry, beekeeping, and village loan associations. 

Madagascar

Initiated in 2023, this project has already initiated the restoration of 60 hectares of mangroves by planting more than 24,000 native seedlings from community-led nurseries. Collaboration with local authorities and communities is at the heart of this effort, ensuring both ecological and social benefits. 

Viet Nam

In its early stages, the forest project in Viet Nam has secured government approval and is preparing for implementation. It aims to protect and restore local ecosystems while supporting local communities.

Validation and verification

All three forest projects are aiming to be validated under Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and Climate, Community, and Biodiversity Standards (CCB). We expect to share the first verified carbon impact figures from Uganda in the next couple of years. 

Triple-benefit projects: Supporting climate, nature, and people

The partnership’s forest projects are all triple benefit, focusing on climate, nature, and people. Project activities, therefore, include alternative livelihood activities to provide the local communities with alternative income sources through activities such as beekeeping, agroforestry, coffee growing, village loan and savings associations (VSLA), and goat rearing. These activities are well underway in Uganda and similar alternative livelihood activities will be implemented in Madagascar and Viet Nam. 

In addition to alternative livelihood activities, the three forest projects seek to establish a sustainable supply of wood products, needed by the communities. Busobozi Moses, a resident of the Kibaale district in Uganda and father of 11 children, is an example of one of the community members who is being supported in his effort to establish a woodlot on his land. 

Like many tree growers in the area, he has received 7,000 seedlings, which have been planted on 12.5 acres of land – creating an alternative supply of forest products and reducing the dependency of communities on the forest that the WWF-VELUX partnership works to protect and restore. He hopes to generate profit to construct a maternity hospital in the area and he would like one of his children to become a doctor. 

Second visit to the partnership’s forest project in Uganda

In August 2024, the VELUX Group’s Vice President for External Relations & Sustainability, Fleming Voetmann, along with representatives from WWF Denmark, visited Uganda to witness the forest project's impact. They observed forests where restoration has been initiated, met local families, and visited schools where the importance of forest conservation is being taught. The visit highlighted the partnership’s tangible results, from newly built homes to thriving small business initiatives.

Expanding awareness: “Plant a Tree” campaign

As part of the partnership between WWF and the VELUX Group, VELUX contributes to tree planting in Uganda in connection with WWF's involvement in Børnenes U-landskalender 2024. The campaign, "Plant a Tree," will see 1,200 native trees being planted at Danish schools, mirrored by the planting of 12,000 trees in Ugandan schools. The initiative is set to launch in October 2024.

Looking ahead: Future goals and campaigns

The next large partnership milestone is for the project documents to be validated for all three projects in Uganda, Madagascar, and Viet Nam according to the Verra Verified Carbon Standard (VCS).