- It has planted over 40,000 seedlings covering about 36 hactares of the park.
- The park has a significant role in providing water to the 80 per cent of the Kenyan capital city
Image: HANDOUT
Old Mutual Group has committed to planting three million trees within the next decade as part of the company's broader climate action and sustainability strategy.
This year, the Group intends to plant a minimum of 20,000 trees in the Aberdare National Park and monitor their progress, which will contribute to rehabilitating 60 hectares of the park through a partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service that dates back to 2017.
To date, the Old Mutual has planted over 40,000 seedlings covering about 36 hactares of the park.
The initiative aligns with President William Ruto ambitious target to increase Kenya's forest cover to 28 per cent from the current 8.8 per cent by 2030 as part of efforts to curb the country’s exposure to climate change.
Addressing the public during Jamhuri Day celebrations on December 12, Ruto said that his administration plans to grow 15 billion trees on 11 million hectares of land across the country to offset lost trees and shield communities from the adverse effects of the harsh climate.
"The State will rely on public administrators to plant at least 3,000 trees weekly to achieve the ambitious plan that is part of the country’s Vision 2030 which targets to move Kenya to a middle-income nation,'' Ruto said.
The park has a significant role in providing water to the 80 per cent of the Kenyan capital city, including other counties such as Nyeri and Nyandarua and is also a habitat for wildlife.
Speaking during the tree planting exercise at the park, Old Mutual Group EA CEO Arthur Oginga said that the move to rehabilitate the park has so far registered an 80 per cent success rate, visible through the natural regeneration of the site.
"Through this tree planting exercise, we hope to restore the park's ecosystem and preserve its biodiversity, making it a vibrant natural habitat for wildlife and a source of livelihood for surrounding communities."Oginga said.
Old Mutuals' targets are guided by the Group’s Climate Change Action Strategy which considers the social and economic implications of initiatives taken, the urgency articulated through the science of climate change, as well as responsibility toward appropriate risk and opportunity management.
He added that Old Mutual’s response to sustainability is shaped by the firm's core business activities and competencies, the ESG issues impacting business and stakeholders, and a deep commitment to acting responsibly and treating all stakeholders fairly.
Speaking during the tree planting exercise, Dickson Ritan, KWS director Wildlife and Community Services said that the partnership is a testament to the power of collaboration in achieving shared goals of a sustainable future for Kenya.
“As partners in this tree-planting exercise, we at KWS are committed to ensuring that these trees are not only planted but are also monitored and maintained to guarantee their long-term survival," he said.
Besides having a great impact on the environment, the exercise is set to positively impact Old Mutual’s entire business value chain from customers, shareholders communities and all the countries in which the company has presence.
Old Mutual Foundation Chairperson Susan Omanga said the tree planting exercises is an example of the Foundation’s efforts to make a positive impact on the environment and help mitigate the effects of climate change.
"We are proud to be leading this effort and look forward to working with our partners and stakeholders to achieve our goals,''Omanga said.
As part of its broader climate action strategy, Old Mutual has so far planted approximately 200,000 trees not just in the Aberdare Range, but as well in other regions across Kenya.