Corporate Center Supports Reforestation Project In India

Business trips are part of the daily routine for an international media company like Bertelsmann. While video conferences on the Internet now often offer a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative, sometimes business partners have to meet face to face – and make long business trips by plane to do so. At least the harmful environmental effects of such flights can be counteracted - as the Corporate Center in Gütersloh is now doing.

To mark this year’s "be green Day" the management chose to offset all CO2 emissions from its employees business air travel in fiscal 2011. In cooperation with the renowned climate consultants Climate Partner, Bertelsmann is supporting a reforestation project in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. "Climate protection is becoming an integral part of value creation at a rapidly growing number of companies," says Moritz Lehmkuhl, founder and CEO of Climate Partner. "We are pleased to be supporting the Corporate Center in its efforts to promote climate protection."

The project selected involves planting more than 210,000 saplings on 282 hectares of degraded soil at five locations. These bind harmful carbon through photosynthesis and convert it into oxygen. In addition, the project creates 150 jobs, and thus secures the livelihoods of local people. Modern farming methods are also taught to the local population as well as a better awareness of the efficient use of available agricultural land.

"Due to the increasing internationalization of our business many business trips by plane cannot be avoided," says Bertelsmann Corporate HR Chief Immanuel Hermreck. "The project with Climate Partner is an example of the many other options that we nevertheless have to make very concrete contributions to environmental and climate protection.