PRESENTATION OF THE CO2MPENSATING BY PLANTING PROJECT

THE FIRST PROGRAM IN CROATIA THAT OFFSETS CO2 EMISSIONS BY PLANTING TREES

On Wednesday, 21 April 2021, on the occasion of Earth Day, a new and unique environmental project called CO₂MPENSATING BY PLANTING, the first program in Croatia that offsets CO₂ emissions by planting trees, was presented at the Zagreb Botanical Garden.

The CO₂MPENSATING BY PLANTING project has been launched by the Scout Association of Croatia, the HEARTH agency and Hrvatske šume as an innovative response to the effects of climate change, recognised as one of the greatest threats to humanity today. This is the first program of this kind in Croatia, and the entire region, and it is intended for companies and other organisations that want to offset the CO₂ emissions they produce by planting trees and thus neutralise their own carbon footprint, while setting a positive example of how we should care for the environment and the community.

The project is implemented in cooperation with the Croatian Forest Research Institute and the Hrvoje Požar Energy Institute.

The first project partners are Coca-Cola HBC Croatia and Raiffeisenbank.

The CO₂MPENSATING BY PLANTING project allows companies, organisations as well as individuals to plant trees, or even an entire forest, in various locations across Croatia, and thus offset the CO₂ emissions they produce, and by doing so either partly or entirely neutralise their carbon footprint.

“The participating companies receive a special CO₂MPENSATING BY PLANTING certificate. As holders of this certificate, they prove that they offset the CO₂ emissions they produce by planting trees and, what is even more important, show that they care for and assume long-term responsibility to protect the environment in which they live and work, as well as demonstrate their commitment to making that environment better and greener for all of us,” said Damir Ciglar, Director of HEARTH.

The entire CO₂MPENSATING BY PLANTING project, including the reforestation and education activities, is funded by the project partners. The fact that the program has attracted Coca-Cola HBC Croatia and Raiffeisenbank, the first two large companies that have joined the effort, confirms that companies are very much aware of their responsibility to build a better and greener future and to protect the environment, and also shows that they are ready to set an example by reducing their CO₂ emissions in general, as well as by offsetting any remaining emissions by planting trees in Croatia.

“Coca-Cola HBC Croatia regularly establishes and maintains collaboration with others, whether for the purpose of its own projects or to support other initiatives aimed at promoting positive social and environmental values in the community. By collectively embracing the vision of a sustainable future, we drive our business forward, and this drive helps us deliver on our sustainability goals, including reduction of the impact of our production processes on the environment. The results presented in our Sustainability Report for 2019 confirm that we have reduced our CO₂ emissions by 14 % in a period of two years, and we estimate that, by introducing innovative solutions in our manufacturing and packaging operations, we will manage to reduce our carbon emissions by 400 tonnes this year. We are also proud of the fact that 100 % of the electricity we use comes from renewable sources. This project therefore builds naturally on our continued efforts to reduce our own carbon footprint, and we are grateful to the organisers for this innovative idea and for recognising our company as an indispensable partner,” said Mirjana Brlečić Bujanić, Head of the Public and Regulatory Affairs Department at Coca-Cola HBC Adria.

“As a sustainable bank, we want to reduce our carbon footprint and have a leading role in initiatives with a positive impact on the environment. According to our calculations, our company’s carbon footprint in 2019 amounted to 303 tonnes. Having firmly decided that action was necessary, we commit to planting 2000 trees through volunteer work this year. We aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, and to become a leading bank in sustainable development and the associated initiatives. To that end, we have decided to fund the investments that combine economic and environmental development. Sustainability is integral to our business, and it is the most important filter through which we will run all our business decisions. We have already stopped funding the initiatives which are associated with coal. And it is precisely we, the companies operating in the finance industry, that can contribute considerably to decarbonisation of the economy and our lives. Through our Yellow goes Green initiative, we actively support our clients in green investments, and we educate our colleagues on how to be sustainable in their workplace,” said Sara Foršek, Head of Sustainability Department at Raiffeisenbank.

The organisers have announced that the planting and educational activities will start already this autumn. Such activities will be held in spring and autumn each year, and it is expected that many local and foreign companies, as well as citizens, will join the program.

More information about the project is available on: www.compensatingbyplanting.com.