There is no denying that natural forests are important watersheds, habitats for wildlife, reservoir of biological diversity, carbon sequestration and regional climatic amelioration.
As such conservation, restoration and continued protection of these forests will ensure the sustainable provision of these ecological services.
Cognizant of the foregoing and the opportunity afforded to private sector to play a role in advancing the same, East African Breweries Limited (EABL) and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry have embarked on a collaborative framework to rally all Kenyans into a massive tree planting campaign to accelerate actions towards the achievement of 10% tree cover by 2022.
In this regard, a Private Sector Working Group comprising of KCB, Safaricom, NCBA, Absa, Kengen Foundation, among others has been established led by EABL.
The working group has embarked on ministerial engagements having held its first meeting with Dr. Chris K. Kiptoo, CBS Principal Secretary (PS) for the Ministry of Environment and Forestry on 19th August 2020. During the meeting the different corporate representatives highlighted some of the progress and achievements attained thus far in the race to achieving 10% national forest cover.
While appreciating the efforts made by Private Sector thus far, the PS noted that in order to achieve the objectives set out in the National Strategy for Achieving and Maintaining Over 10% Tree Cover by 2022 a long term multi-stakeholder approach emphasizing that seedling planting was the initial step and more is needed to ensure the sustenance and growth of the targeted 2 billion trees between 2020-2022.
