In the Enel Green Power forest

In 1368, the German city of Nuremberg was enduring a severe shortage of wood and coal – and that’s when merchant Peter Stromer developed a technique to replant the woods that people had chopped down: he scattered large amounts of conifer tree seeds on the ground and, in doing so, started the first documented experiment in reforestation. Today, similar methods, albeit based on planting saplings rather than seeds, have been used across the world to breathe new life into lost forests and to combat the effects of global warming. Trees, in fact, capture carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and thus reduce the negative impacts of that particular greenhouse gas on the planet, improving air quality. They also help reduce soil erosion, make woods more fire-resistant, and protect local flora and fauna, encouraging biodiversity. EGP’s forest with Treedom Reforestation is, therefore, hugely valuable today not just to restore lost habitats but also to offset the negative effects of human activities. For quite some time now, Enel Green Power has been running a long list of reforestation projects in many different countries worldwide. The most recent and innovative one uses digital technologies to monitor the trees – planted in large areas in Colombia, Guatemala and Kenya – and is being carried out in partnership with Treedom, a platform that is able to activate reforestation initiatives worldwide. Every single sapling is first grown in nurseries – which also create jobs in the local areas – and then geolocated with precise GPS coordinates after being planted: this means its growth can be monitored online, sending out regular development updates. Working with Treedom, EGP has contributed 1,200 plants to a reforestation project in the Magdalena Department in northern Colombia, 800 going to the district of Petén in northern Guatemala, and further 1,000 trees in Kenya. All specimens belong to local varieties that can also represent a business opportunity for communities living in the area. Along the Bogotá River in Colombia In 2012, we launched in Colombia another major initiative to restore and protect 690 hectares of forest in the RENACE Forest: the name comes from the Spanish verb “renacer” which means “to revive” or “bring back to life”, but is also the acronym for Reserva Natural Codensa-Emgesa, the latter being the two companies from our Group that are present in this Latin American country. The area is now devoted to the conservation of native animal and plant species and to the protection of water resources that then flow down into the Bogotá River. Various native tree species were planted in this forest with help from our Group’s employees and their families, as well as students, foundations and even customers. At local communities’ side in Chile In Chile, we signed an agreement in 2016 with the Universidad de Concepción to plant 2 million trees as part of a series of activities connected to the building of the Ralco power station, in the regions of La Araucanía and Biobío. Smaller-scale reforestation projects, designed to allow locals to take back their woods, were later launched in the La Isla Salto La Olla park in the Los Ríos region, specifically benefiting the Mapu Pilmaiquén indigenous people. Between Mexico and Panama In Central America, we worked with Mexican organization Ectagono to replant a large area of forest in Mexico City, called Barranca de Tarango, which is considered to be of huge environmental value to one of the world’s largest megalopolises – which has scarcely any green areas at all. In this case, we donated 450 plants for the reforestation drive that added a massive 4,000 trees to a 3.6 hectare plot in just six days. This new forest will sequester 560 tons of carbon dioxide every year. In Panama, on the other hand, reforestation and planting of herbaceous species to contrast soil erosion were carried out in the large protected area of Fortuna, which covers 19,500 hectares around the country’s largest hydroelectric plant. We have also begun building two large photovoltaic farms in Panama: one in Esperanza in the province of Chiriquí, and one in Jaguïto in the province of Coclé. Not far away, in an area spanning the two provinces, a nursery complete with adjacent laboratory will also be built for the local communities, including a 16-hectare reforestation project. Reforestation projects in Europe In Europe, the largest reforestation projects driven by EGP are in Greece and Spain. In the former, the most notable initiative was designed to clean up the ancient woods at Kastanologgos on the island of Euboea, where around 30,000 new trees will help return 64 hectares of centuries-old chestnut grove to their original splendor. In Spain, there have been two major projects: one spanning over 60 hectares in the area of Valdemaqueda, near Madrid, and one in the historical Doñana National Park in the Huelva province. Both were designed for the reforestation of areas hit by fires, using local plant species. A similar initiative will start by the end of the year in a 20-hectare area in the province of Teruel in Aragon. Once again, the goal will not just be to recreate woods destroyed by fire but also to help mitigate climate change, slow down desertification, and bring economic and social benefits to local communities. Proving our green contributions don’t stop at renewables. Lastly, in Italy, a major environmental project was completed last year at the Forest Complex at Monte Arci in the province Oristano: an area formerly occupied by a wind farm with 34 now-demolished wind turbines, which had been lying idle for two decades after decommissioning. We brought in 1,870 plants, all native apart from the ones used to upgrade the former construction site. They included, specifically: holly oaks, strawberry trees, mock privets, cork oaks, cherry and chestnut trees. In Sardinia, EGP has also loaned the Regional Forestry Agency for the Local and Environmental Development (Fo.Re.S.T.A.S) over 220 hectares of land around Lake Gusana for reforestation activities, plant maintenance and preventative silviculture work to boost rural and environmental tourism and prevent fires.

{{ currentMenugamenu.label }}

{{ currentSubMenugamenu.label }}

{{ card.title }}

{{ currentSubMenugamenu.numbers.title }}

In the Enel Green Power forest

In the Enel Green Power forest

Related content

{{article.title}}

{{article.title}}

{{article.title}}