World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 each year. This year, Greenfleet is celebrating a climate milestone - we have now planted enough native forests to remove 5 million tonnes of carbon!
This day recognises the importance of protecting our planet and we're thrilled to reach this milestone with our supporters.
Greenfleet has been restoring native ecosystems and building legally protected native forests for over a quarter of a century. World Environment Day is an opportunity for us to reflect on the authentic climate action we’re delivering on behalf of our supporters.
This World Environment Day, learn how Greenfleet is working to protect our climate and how you can take steps to making a better future for our Earth.
5 Million Tonnes Offset
Greenfleet restores native ecosystems to remove carbon on behalf of our supporters. While we are now removing 5 million tonnes from the atmosphere, our work is making a significant impact for our environment, wildlife, communities and landscapes.
Greenfleet's General Manager Revegetation, Alex Paddock says that the 5 million tonnes milestone is testament to the climate action the organisation is delivering on behalf of their supporters. "5 million tonnes offset through native reforestation is significant for our climate, but more importantly it reflects the environmental benefits that will be felt beyond this century because of Greenfleet's work."
Pictured is our forest called Wurneet Laang Laang on Boonwurrung Country in South Gippsland, Victoria. This project was restored in 2016 and forms part of the Strzelecki Nature Link which is removing more carbon while creating a 3.5 kilometres of contiguous koala habitat in the region.
What is World Environment Day?
Since 1973, World Environment Day, led by the UN Environment Programme, has helped to
drive action on some of the planet’s most pressing environmental problems.
World Environment Day raises awareness about critical climate issues, from rising temperatures to the depletion of the ozone layer. The day has helped spur governments, businesses, civil society groups and individuals to take action, and address these environmental challenges.
World Environment Day Theme 2024
This year, World Environment Day focuses on land restoration, halting desertification and building drought resilience with the theme “Our land. Our future. We are #GenerationRestoration.”
This theme is of significance for Greenfleet as we continue restoring legally protected native ecosystems in Australia that address deforestation and deliver climate action.
Ecosystems across the world continue to be threatened by climate change, extreme weather and deforestation. In Australia, we have felt these threats directly with an onslaught of bushfires, floods and droughts in recent years. These events are impacting our fragile ecosystems, while affecting our precious wildlife habitat and unique plant species.
Environmental changes affect all of us. The disappearance of biodiverse ecosystems are creating adverse weather patterns and triggering these threats to the planet. Understanding that each person can take positive steps to mitigate these effects is the key to making a difference.
How Greenfleet Protects Our Environment
Since 1997, Greenfleet has planted more than 10.8 million native trees and created over 550 forests that will remove 5 million tonnes of CO2-e across their lifetime.
We are an active part of the Generation Restoration, legally protecting our forests for up to 100 years. This ensures the climate benefits from these native forests will continue beyond our lifetime and be felt by the next generation.
The forests we plant sequester carbon from the atmosphere to offset emissions on behalf of our supporters. They also improve soil and water quality and build habitat for our precious wildlife.
Koalas are now considered endangered at a federal level in three Australian states, making our work in habitat restoration even more important. Last year, Greenfleet restored over 493 hectares of protected koala habitat that will grow for decades to provide homes for future generations of these animals. To find out more about our work in 2023, you can read our Annual Impact Report here.
With over 550 forests planted across Australia and New Zealand, you can view our interactive forest map to find out exactly where our forests are growing. Click here to see the map.
Take Climate Action This World Environment Day
This World Environment Day you can take climate action with Greenfleet and help restore native forests to protect the one Earth we have. You can also demonstrate the action you’ve taken by sharing one of our World Environment Day social media tiles - download here.
Together, we can grow our forests and grow climate hope for the next generation.
To learn more, visit the World Environment Day website.
