The Swiss Pharmaceutical maker Novartis International AG has planted the first batch of 12,000 trees in Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, in Southwest China's Sichuan province.
It is part of the third carbon-offset project initiated by Novartis worldwide. The Sichuan Carbon, Community and Biodiversity project was jointly carried out by the Sichuan Forestry Administration, The Nature Conservancy - a US-based international environmental organization - Daduhe Forestation Bureau and Beijing-based Shanshui Conservation Center.
"We chose Sichuan as the location to implement our carbon-offset project in China because it is a fantastic place for biodiversity," said Keith Saveal, head of corporate health, safety and environment at Novartis International AG. He added that local people had great experience because they used to work with the United Nations on a forestry program.
Offsetting greenhouse gas emissions is part of Novartis' long-term campaign to reduce its carbon footprint globally. It started in 2005.
A total of 10 million trees are expected to be planted in Sichuan over four years, covering 4,328 hectares of deforested mountains.
It is estimated the project will help sequester 1.2 million tons of carbon dioxide over 30 years and has the possibility of registering as a Clean Development Mechanism program under the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change.
"This is our first cooperation project with Novartis International AG," said Zhang Xingsheng, managing director of The Nature Conservancy's North Asia division, at the tree planting ceremony.
"As a comprehensive ecological restoration project, its significance not only lies in the scale of plantation area, but also the economic contribution to be made to the local community."
Local villagers will receive training in land care, tree planting, forest maintenance and management as well as enjoying an increase in average income.
The 30-year project requires the active participation of local communities.
"Planting trees is just the first step of the whole project. We hope that it will lead to healthy economic exploitation in the future," Zhang said.
In order to better meet the target of the green project, all the trees selected for planting are native to the area. They include spruce, pinus armandi and birch.
In addition to carbon sequestration, the project will reduce the risk of soil erosion, landslides and flooding.
"I was just informed that this place used to be covered with thick forest 50 or 60 years ago, and I hope that its deforested look will vanish in 30 years as the project proceeds," Zhang said.
Chen Zongqian, deputy director of Sichuan Forestry Administration, said: "This is just a small project in terms of its scale, but it plays a tremendous exemplary role in society."
Chen also said that he was confident villagers will develop huge active enthusiasm in the project because of the benefits they will obtain when the trees are fully grown in 30 years.