Inditex Commits €3 Million To Conservation Efforts In Eastern Himalayas
Inditex, a global fashion retailer, has pledged €3 million to support The Great People’s Forest initiative, one of South Asia’s most extensive restoration projects. Led by Conservation International and a coalition of organizations from Bhutan, India and Bangladesh, the initiative aims to conserve and restore the Eastern Himalayan region, which harbours over one-twelfth of the planet’s biodiversity.
The initiative’s goal is to plant one billion trees and protect one million hectares of land across the Eastern Himalayas, benefiting approximately one billion people reliant on this interconnected ecosystem. Key partners include the Balipara Foundation, Friendship NGO, The Energy and Resources Institute, The Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bhutan Ecological Society, and Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation.
The Eastern Himalayan region spans Northeast India, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh, encompassing diverse landscapes from mountains to mangroves. Despite its ecological significance, the region faces environmental and social challenges, including climate-related displacements and forest loss.
Dr M. Sanjayan, CEO of Conservation International, emphasized the importance of the initiative in preserving this vital ecosystem and praised Inditex’s contribution as a significant step towards achieving the project’s ambitious goals.
Inditex’s CEO, Óscar García Maceiras, affirmed the company’s commitment to biodiversity conservation and climate action, highlighting their pledge to protect, restore or regenerate five million hectares globally by 2030.
Inditex’s partnership with Conservation International extends beyond this initiative, as the company previously allocated €15 million to support regenerative farming and breeding practices through the Regenerative Fund For Nature.
The funding for these initiatives is sourced from proceeds generated by charging for paper bags and envelopes, part of Inditex’s efforts to promote reusable shopping bags. Remaining funds will be invested in various environmental projects worldwide, including sanitation network improvements by Water.org and ecosystem recovery initiatives with WWF.
