Plant-for-the-Planet
We work closely with one of the world’s leading charities planting trees worldwide. Plant-for-the-Planet are continuing the legacy for UNEPs Billion Tree campaign, responsible for planting over 14 billion trees across the world. The have also educated tens of thousands of children to become climate ambassadors in their local community.
Plant-for-the-Planet is a student initiative founded in January 2007. It has its origins in a school report on the climate crisis by the then nine-year-old Felix Finkbeiner. Inspired by Wangari Maathai, who had planted 30 million trees in Africa, he outlined a vision at the end of his report that children could plant a million trees in every country in the world as a way to create a CO2 balance.
In the years since, Plant-for-the-Planet has developed into a global movement: over 46,000 Climate Justice Ambassadors have been appointed across the world. They think of themselves as an initiative of global citizens who support climate justice through an overall reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and an equal distribution of these emissions across all of the people in the world.
Plant 1,000 billion trees
Tree planting initiative raising awareness of the climate crisis. Over 14 billion trees have been planted globally since 2008.
Leave fossil fuels in the ground
Plant-for-the-Planet has taken on the legacy of UNEP’s Billion Tree Campaign.
Tackle poverty through climate justice and educating our children
800 tree-planting academies reaching 46000 children in 51 countries have been held.
Staples will host 9 Academies per year across Europe.
At a Plant-for-the-Planet Academy, children learn all the important details about the climate crisis and global justice. They hear from children who are already involved in the project about what children can do to develop their own projects and they learn to give presentations and organize planting parties.
"Attending the first Plant-for-the-Planet/Staples Academy was a really great experience. As a supplier it was great to see this project bought to life.
The great enthusiasm and passion the children expressed towards "sustainability" demonstrated this very important topic and the depth of their knowledge. This was made even more meaningful through the joint planting of trees."
Janina Singer, 3M.
As part of our new Environmental program, Easy on the Planet, Staples is hosting Plant-for-the-Planet Academies across Europe to educate children in the importance of climate change and the actions needed to reduce harm to the environment. In October and November, we organised two Academies in Germany – one at the Rhineland-Palatinate monastery Karthaus in Konz ,and the other at the Sachsenwaldschule Gymnasium Reinbek.
A total of 90 children from more than 25 schools were educated about the climate crisis, encouraged to create ideas for their own climate projects and empowered to become ‘Climate Justice Ambassadors’.
The children also participated in planting 13 fruit trees, which will be providing the local community with fresh fruit for many years to come. This hands-on experience showed them that even a small positive change can have a lasting impact on the environment.
Staples Business Advantage Norway, Plant-for-the-Planet and Skogselskapet worked together to the first ever Norwegian Plant-for-the Planet educational workshops. Over 50 local school children joined the event near our Head Office in Oslo. As part of our new Environmental program, Easy on the Planet, Staples is hosting Academies across Europe to educate children in the importance of climate change and the actions needed to reduce harm to the environment. Staples Advantage Norway is working with our partners and our customers to reduce the environmental impact of our activities and find new ways to serve and support our local communities.
“We had a great day and we are sure the kids will remember that they planted their own tree to mitigate climate change. The presentation was very informative and suitable for the age group. Thank you for a great day!” – A teacher at Jessheim primary school
Staples Business Advantage France, Plant-for-the-Planet and Survilliers Municipality came together to host two educational workshops for over 100 local schoolchildren near our Head Office. The event marks the beginning of our partnership and the Staples Easy on the Planet program. This Academy was held to educate children in the importance of climate change and the actions needed to prevent harm to the environment. Staples and our partners are our committed to minimising the environmental impact of our activities and provide a service to our local communities.
The Academy also provided an opportunity for Survilliers Town Hall to organise a week-long event based on the theme ‘Protect the Planet’ with local schoolchildren. Many participants came to clean the local park at the Town Hall and plant flowers for the next spring. The Academy helped create real awareness of environmental issues throughout the city.
“We joined the project with great enthusiasm. It was easy to convince our school to be part of this event. Over 2 days, more than 100 school children enjoyed an exciting event. The high quality of the program and Plant-for-the-Planet speakers has helped the school children to become Ambassadors in the community.” – Jean-Noël Moisset
In Lindlar, Germany - Staples Business Advantage Germany held an Academy workshop with Plant-for-the-Planet to mark the beginning of our Easy on the Planet program.
Academies are particularly special, as children encourage other children to get involved. From their peers, participants learn important background information on the climate crisis and they see for themselves how much fun it can be to plant trees and to get involved.
Academies are aimed at children between 8-14 years, and participation in an Academy is free for children!
Plant-for-the-Planet Academies are recognized as an official project of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) – an education concept that imparts sustainable thinking and acting to children and adults. We have to learn that: My actions today will affect the lives of my children and the children of people in other parts of the world. With the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, the United Nations has committed itself to strengthening this educational approach.
Borås, Sweden – Staples held the first ever Academy workshop in Sweden. The event was hosted together with Plant-for-the-Planet in September to mark the beginning of our partnership and the Staples Easy on the Planet program. The Academy marked our commitment to minimize our environmental footprint and educate our customers and the local community to take action to on their environmental impacts.
Johan Linderstad, Enviromental communication at Borås Stad – one of the participants at the Academy:
”I think it was a very good and commendable initiative of Staples raising climate and sustainability issues with school children by organizing Sweden's first Plant-for-the-planet Academy today. More knowledge but first of all, practical action is needed on climate change, which is one of the major decisive factors facing humanity and which we need to take action on. Everyone should contribute for their society to be more sustainable, meaning us as individuals, municipalities, county councils and not least companies. "
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