Commitment to nature-based carbon removal part of Aviva's net-zero by 2040 ambition
TORONTO, Dec. 6, 2023 /CNW/ - Aviva plc has committed to a $6.2 million partnership with Edmonton-based Wild + Pine to restore degraded and marginal land back to a forested landscape, rebuild habitats, and remove greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere. Wild + Pine is a Certified B Corporation that develops verified carbon removal assets through afforestation to achieve corporate climate goals by restoring landscapes and improving the biodiversity in the region.
This is Aviva's first partnership in Canada, as part of a £100 million program of nature-based projects to help address climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Aviva conducted a request for proposals from charities and other organizations in Canada and is proceeding with funding to selected organizations, beginning with Wild + Pine.
Overall, Aviva's contribution to the Wild + Pine project, called StoneWoods Forest Carbon, will cover 520 hectares (1280 acres) of land in Alberta, Canada, the equivalent of over 971 football fields and over 50% larger than the Toronto Islands. Current projections estimate that the project will sequester nearly 275,000 tonnes of carbon over 60 years while supporting regional biodiversity, including enhancing valuable habitat for many local species including moose, elk, whitetail and mule deer, black bears, and great grey owls.
"Nature is the best climate change solution we have and Canada has the opportunity to harness the power of nature to help us fight climate change and biodiversity loss. While we know that removing carbon from the atmosphere, particularly by using nature, takes many years, we understand the value of nature-based climate solutions like those offered by Wild + Pine," said Paul Fletcher, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Aviva Canada. "It's about more than reducing carbon—these projects also address the concurrent nature and biodiversity crises while creating climate resilience for local communities. At Aviva, we'll continue to explore more such partnership opportunities to help support the removal of carbon in our environment."
"Aviva's climate leadership has set a precedent of sophisticated and holistic leadership in carbon removals that address the dual crisis of climate change and biodiversity loss. We are delighted to partner with them on our StoneWoods Forest Carbon Project to demonstrate the power of Canada's forests at a global scale," said Chris Kallal, CEO of Wild + Pine. "Aviva has recognized that funding the restoration and protection of nature isn't just a sound business decision as it looks toward its own net-zero goals, it is a recognition of the true value of nature itself. Together, we're steadfast in our mission to build the old-growth forests of our future while taking a leadership role in the development of sound, credible, and transparent carbon removals."
As part of its innovative approach, Wild + Pine is able to grow a wide variety of seedlings inside its high-tech, Bioprism Advanced Vertical Greenhouse — an artificial growing environment for the production of trees and shrubs — allowing the company's reforestation and afforestation projects to bolster biodiversity by planting a community of native species representative of the natural ecosite. This afforestation approach ensures that its projects are always additional by nature, with environmental impact meticulously verified using advanced technology and rigorous scientific methodology.
Previously, Aviva has announced a €5 million donation to the Nature Trust in Ireland to help accelerate its native afforestation project, a £10 million donation to the Woodland Trust in the UK to support its Woodland Carbon Scheme, a £21 million donation to the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) to restore up to 250 hectares of saltmarsh in the UK, and a £38 million donation to restore Britain's lost temperate rainforests in the UK.
Aviva Canada is one of the leading property and casualty insurance groups in the country, providing home, automobile, lifestyle, and business insurance to 2.4 million customers. As a subsidiary of UK-based Aviva plc, Aviva Canada has more than 4,000 employees focused on creating a sustainable future for our people, our customers, our communities and our planet. In 2021, Aviva plc announced Aviva's global ambition to become a net zero carbon emissions company by 2040.
For more information, visit aviva.ca or Aviva Canada's blog, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages.
Wild + Pine is an architect of intergenerational Canadian forest projects, and the pioneer behind the largest afforestation carbon removal project in Western Canada. By harnessing advanced technologies, rigorous scientific methodology and forestry expertise, Wild + Pine is building permanent and truly additional carbon removal assets, providing an opportunity for sustainability leaders to invest in forest restoration projects that leave a long-lasting legacy. Founded in 2011 by a Professional Forester and now a group of environmental professionals, Wild + Pine has helped restore, manage, and maintain thousands of acres of land for some of Canada's largest organizations. As a Certified B Corp, Wild + Pine is committed to seeding restoration projects that are always in service to our climate, biodiversity, and the environment. Learn more at: https://wildandpine.ca/
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*Notes:
Wild + Pine images for media use can be found here
Media may arrange interviews by contacting:
Media Contact:
Aviva:
Parveen Singh
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 437-221-3492
Wild + Pine:
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Tel: 604-928-9419
SOURCE Aviva Canada Inc.
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