Timberland Commits to Plant 50 Million Trees Over Next Five Years

STRATHAM, N.H., September 6, 2019 /3BL Media/ – Global outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland today announced a new commitment to plant 50 million trees around the world by 2025 as part of its pursuit of a greener future. This bold goal builds on Timberland’s longstanding commitment to make products responsibly, strengthen communities, and protect and enhance the outdoors. One key area of focus has been tree planting; since 2001, the brand has planted more than 10 million trees worldwide.

According to new research led by Swiss University ETH Zürich, the restoration of trees remains among the most effective strategies for climate change mitigation, and a worldwide planting program could remove two-thirds of all the emissions that have been pumped into the atmosphere by human activities. Trees help to clean air by removing carbon and releasing oxygen into the air; cool the air through evaporation; prevent erosion and save water, and more. Over the next five years, Timberland will support multiple re-forestation initiatives around the world in support of a greener future.

“At Timberland, we’re conscious of the impact our modern way of life has on the planet. And we believe as a global lifestyle brand, and as individuals, we have a responsibility to make it better,” said Jim Pisani, global brand president, Timberland. “Trees and green spaces help improve the quality of our planet as well as individual wellbeing. Our commitment to plant trees is a real, measurable way to act upon our belief that a greener future is a better future. We encourage people everywhere to join the movement by taking their own actions - small or large - to be heroes for nature.”

To kick off its pledge, Timberland has launched its largest-ever global campaign, “Nature Needs Heroes,” calling on consumers around the world to join the movement by taking simple, small actions for a healthier planet. Harnessing the brand’s passion for nature and the energy of fashion, the campaign celebrates 12 eco-heroes who are making lasting, positive change for the environment and their communities. Each hero dons new styles from the fall 2019 collection, with city greenscapes as the backdrop.

The campaign will come to life through robust media activations across print, digital, out of home, social media and PR. The brand will also engage the global community to be heroes for nature through a series of tree planting and greening events, including:

• A three-day pop-up park and urban greening event in New York City where consumers can meet the heroes, make pledges to live a greener life and enhance their local community
• A REMADE workshop in Shanghai, China featuring Timberland’s Global Creative Director Christopher Raeburn and APAC eco-hero, Will Pan to advocate responsible design and call on consumers to take simple actions for a better future.
• Greening events in London, Paris, Milan, Berlin and Amsterdam where Timberland will work together with the communities on local greening projects and call on consumers to take their own actions for change.

To help realize its 50 million tree commitment, Timberland will partner with a range of organizations that support the environment through large-scale regreening and tree planting efforts. These organizations include the Smallholder Farmers Alliance, GreenNetwork, TREE AID, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, Connect4Climate – World Bank Group, Justdiggit, Las Lagunas Ecological Park, Trees for the Future, American Forests and Treedom.

Projects in year one will focus on Haiti, China, the Dominican Republic, the United States, Tanzania and Mali – including support of the Great Green Wall, an African-led movement to grow an 8,000km line of trees across the entire width of Africa to fight climate change, drought, famine, conflict, and migration. 

“We are thrilled to have Timberland join the Great Green Wall movement – an emerging new world wonder that promises to grow hope for millions of people in the face of the 21st century’s most urgent challenges,” said Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. 

“I believe anyone can be a hero for nature just by doing something small on a daily basis,” said Inna Modja, international musician, activist, and ambassador for the Great Green Wall. “Recycle every day, buy fair trade products, research clothing, food, and coffee — at every step you can do something. If you are aware of these little things you can do, you will find yourself doing more and more.” A native of Mali, Modja is one of the eco-heroes being featured in the Nature Needs Heroes campaign.

To learn more about Timberland’s tree planting commitment and Nature Needs Heroes campaign, visit the brand’s responsibility site. 

About Timberland

ounded in 1973, Timberland is a global outdoor lifestyle brand based in Stratham, New Hampshire, with international headquarters in Switzerland and Hong Kong. Best known for its original yellow boot designed for the harsh elements of New England, Timberland today offers a full range of footwear, apparel and accessories for people who value purposeful style and share the brand’s passion for enjoying – and protecting – nature.

At the heart of the Timberland® brand is the core belief that a greener future is a better future. This comes to life through a decades-long commitment to make products responsibly, protect the outdoors, and strengthen communities around the world. To share in Timberland’s mission to step outside, work together and make it better, visit one of our stores, timberland.com or follow us @timberland. Timberland is a VF Corporation brand.

About the Great Green Wall

The Great Green Wall is an African-led movement to grow an 8000km line of trees across the entire width of Africa to fight climate change, drought, famine, conflict, and migration. Timberland is partnering with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and Connect4Climate - World Bank Group as part of the UNCCD-led campaign 'Growing a World Wonder’ which supports the Great Green Wall.  TREE AID - an international development organization that focuses on unlocking the potential of trees to reduce poverty and protect the environment in Africa – is planting trees in Mali as a key partner in the campaign.

About Smallholder Farmers Alliance

The Smallholder Farmers Alliance (SFA) works to feed and reforest a renewed Haiti using a new agroforestry model in which smallholders plant trees to earn credits that they exchange for seed, tools, training and other agricultural and community services. Timberland has supported this SFA ‘tree currency’ approach since 2010, resulting in farmers planting 7.5 million trees, crop yield increases averaging 40%, and household income increasing between 50-100% for participating farmers. More recently the SFA has used tree currency to reintroduce cotton to Haiti, resulting in a high value export crop that is directly linked to planting even more trees.

About Trees for the Future

Trees for the Future revitalizes land by providing farmers with tree seeds, technical training, and on-site planning assistance. Timberland is working with Trees for the Future in Kenya and/or Senegal to educate and empower farmers to plant trees around their crops. This helps smallholder farming families increase their yields to make a better living and send their children to school.

About Green Network

Since 2001, Timberland has partnered with Japanese NGO Green Network, to plant trees in the Horqin Desert, quelling sandstorms and improving the air quality for the East Asia and Pacific region, including Japan. Green Network is a grassroots environmental NGO headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. It is committed to cultivating environmental awareness and enhancing the consciousness and enthusiasm of the public to participate in the prevention and control of desertification. Since 2000, Green Network has carried out a multitude of projects related to sand control and greening. And since 2014, they have been working in Mongolia to green the lost grassland.

About Justdiggit

Justdiggit makes dry lands green again at scale to positively impact climate change. Through its partnership with Timberland, nearly 10 million trees will be grown in Tanzania. Together with its partners, Justdiggit regreens degraded lands through rainwater harvesting and FMNR techniques by empowering local communities in Africa. Regreening dry lands and bringing back millions of trees has strong benefits to nature, biodiversity, food security and climate (8 SGDs). Justdiggit inspires, educates and activates millions of smallholder farmers to start regreening, supported by its international media partnerships reaching tens of millions of people globally. Justdiggit is supported by its Patron Desmond Tutu, is initiator of The Raindance Project, official partner of UN Environment, AFR100 and member of the Evergreening Global Alliance.

About American Forests

Founded in 1875 as the American Forestry Association, American Forests is the oldest national conservation organization in the U.S. Today, American Forests creates healthy and resilient forests from cities to wilderness that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water, and wildlife. Timberland has partnered with American Forests to plant trees in six key ecosystems in the United States. In addition to making a financial contribution, Timberland also invites consumers to support American Forests and donate a dollar to plant a tree to protect, preserve, and improve our collective outdoors.

About Treedom

Treedom is an EU-based company that promotes the implementation of agro-forestry projects around the world. Since its foundation in 2010 in Florence, more than 600,000 trees have been planted in Africa, South America and Italy through Treedom. All trees are planted directly by local farmers and bring environmental, social and financial benefits to their communities Timberland is partnering with Treedom to plant trees in Ghana as part of Africa’s Great Green Wall project.

Timberland
200 Domain Drive
Stratham, NH 03885
603.772.9500

Molly Speed/Cone Communications
mspeed@conecomm.com
(617) 939-8445

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