Aviva

The exciting partnership between Aviva and The Wildlife Trusts is the start of an ambitious 100-year journey to restore and reconnect the remaining fragments of temperate rainforest across the British Isles. These new woodlands will sequester an estimated 800,000 tonnes of carbon over the next 100 years and will also help to slow down the flow of water in local catchments, reducing flood risk, and provide cool and shaded habitats for a range of wildlife. These habitats are home to some very rare species such as wood warbler but now cover less than 1% of the UK land area. 

Going beyond traditional habitat restoration, the programme will work to establish entirely new woodlands across eligible sites totaling more than 2,000 hectares. Aviva’s £38.9m donation, one of the largest ever private sector donations for nature-based solutions, is enabling The Wildlife Trusts to secure land and establish rainforest (with area-appropriate native trees), forever.  These new sites provide authentic additionality and are being seen as a win for conservation, as well as being important hubs for collaboration. Local communities will be offered numerous opportunities to get involved, including employment, training and volunteering.  

The programme meets multiple environmental, social and good governance goals (ESGs), including biodiversity improvements, climate change adaptation, improved flood resilience and community benefits. It also demonstrates the power of using nature-based solutions to tackle societal issues, improving systemic resilience to drive a much greater suite of benefits. 

Amanda Blanc, Aviva Group Chief Executive Officer:

“The fact that Britain’s native rainforests will take carbon out of the Earth’s atmosphere is reason enough to restore them. But on top of that, they’re incredibly rare and beautiful. This vital work we are undertaking with The Wildlife Trusts will give communities access to these sites, improve wellbeing and show how biodiversity fights and reduces the impacts of climate change.”  

Rob Stoneman, Director of Landscape Recovery at the Wildlife Trusts:

“We’re delighted these first rainforest restoration projects can now get started. They’ll provide vital habitat for wildlife in a time of nature crisis, store vast amounts of carbon, and benefit local communities for generations to come. Restoring this gorgeous habitat will also allow adaptation to climate change, reduce threats from extreme heat, flood and drought, and enable local people to reap the benefits.”