For the past two years ITB Berlin News has been partnering with Click A Tree, advancing towards a carbon neutral future by supporting sustainability projects such as the Oti reforestation initiative in Ghana
Click A Tree actively combats climate change by planting trees and helping companies achieve their CSR and ESG goals. Last year, ITB Berlin News helped Click A Tree plant 1,300 trees and collect 1,300kg of plastic in the Philippines.
ITB Berlin News caught up with Founder and CEO Chris Kaiser to discuss Click A Tree’s reforestation project in the Oti region in Ghana, one of the country’s poorest areas. Running since 2019, the project is not only improving the environment through reforestation, it is also contributing to social responsibility by providing local communities with a much needed source of income.
Unlike past endeavours that delivered temporary aid to the region, Click A Tree has stayed the course, reinvesting in the community and ensuring the continuity of its support. “What we experienced in the past was that some companies would come along and hand over a bag of money saying here is our support for your development. Now go do something with it. And then they disappeared and never came back,” says Mr Kaiser.
Click A Tree’s approach is different and looks to foster continuing trust and collaboration, particularly with the local women who form the backbone of the project. “The reforestation group consists mostly of women, which is very good for women’s empowerment,” underlines Kaiser.
One important aspect of the Oti area project, which includes planting, nursing, and protecting trees, is that besides enhancing the environment, it is also helping to provide the local community with a reliable source of income. “You have reforestation on one side and then a very high social sustainability factor on the other,” says Kaiser.
Education is another cornerstone of the initiative. To help local collaborators get off the ground, Click A Tree supports two local entrepreneurial schools where unemployed young people learn how to create a better future for themselves and obtain the necessary skills to create their own business. “The project’s participants learn the basics of marketing, accounting, and how to write a business plan. And then they can go out and start their own business.”
The Oti project is involved in planting over 60 different tree species, and also integrates fruit trees within its reforestation efforts. Known as a “food forest,” this blend of forest and fruit trees including banana, papaya, and mango varieties, provides both ecological benefits and food security. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this innovative approach proved invaluable, offering a steady supply of food and a source of income to local communities.
The reforestation project in Ghana’s Oti region is a powerful example of sustainable development in action. By combining environmental restoration with social empowerment, it is proving that what is good for the environment can also transform lives.
To learn more about Click A Tree, visit www.clickatree.com
