It’s reported on average that 70,000 acres of tropical rainforest are lost to deforestation every day. From logging and mining to oil and gas extraction and agriculture colonisation, it’s a statistic that should stop us in our tracks. Why? Forests are the lungs of our planet, releasing oxygen and storing and removing CO2 from the atmosphere. If destroyed, it would take the planet hundreds if not thousands of years for these forests to regenerate. And it’s currently estimated that by 2050, most of our existing forests will have degraded past a recoverable tipping point. This makes protecting trees a more productive target in the fight for climate certainty than planting new ones. 

In 2020 ESSEN joined the United Nations Framework for Climate Change to adopt the UN Sustainability Goals. In doing so, we joined One Tribe, a global movement of businesses reducing their carbon emissions and certifying their climate impact. With every purchase made, ESSEN donates on your behalf. From there, funds are allocated to rainforest projects that help reduce and store CO2 from our atmosphere as well as supporting broader nature-based solutions, Indigenous communities and biodiversity. 

Today, we’re celebrating a significant milestone: 50,000 trees saved. It’s proof that there’s power in your purchase and that even as individuals, we have the chance to create real, lasting change. 



So, what exactly does this look like in CO2 tonnes?

How Does OneTribe Protect Forests?

Land Titling 
It’s common for Indigenous communities to live on their ancestral land without acquiring the legal ownership rights as developed by civil Western governments. Because of this, the land is unfairly exposed to climate risks including logging, mining, oil and gas infrastructure and agricultural developments. That’s where land titles come in. Creating land titles for Indigenous groups in these areas helps grant them the legalities to live on their land without encroachment and preserve the land.

Designation
One Tribe’s partners protect forests through the creation of National Parks and other certified conservation projects. Through these projects, scientific tools and data are used to assess the value of an area based on the surrounding biodiversity. This plays an important role in protecting native plant and animal species.
 
Purchasing
Purchasing land is the most expensive way to protect rainforests and is generally used for smaller areas that have critically endangered species. In this case, the land is purchased and then monitored and managed, ensuring its protection long-term. 

Carbon Offsetting
One Tribe specialises in sourcing high-integrity nature-based carbon offsets produced by world-leading voluntary carbon standards. This includes the world’s leading registries such as Verra, Gold Standard and American Carbon, and enables businesses to fund carbon offsets as part of their journey to Net Zero.

Is there actually a link between climate change and deforestation? 

To put it in perspective, according to The World Resources Institute, if deforestation were a country it would rank third in carbon emissions following the US and China. Our forests contain roughly 80 per cent of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity and are home to Indigenous tribes and endangered species. Destroying them not only destroys these communities and species but also releases the carbon dioxide they store back into the atmosphere, directly contributing to climate change. 

Why is carbon storage so important?

Data from One Tribe’s 2022 Impact Report suggests that globally, “forest pathways offer nearly half of the lowest-cost climate opportunities, while grassland and agriculture pathways account for a quarter and wetlands nearly a fifth.” Natural solutions hold the key, carrying enormous promise when it comes to preventing global temperature rises and increased emissions. Further, if natural climate solutions were mobilised over the next 10 to 15 years, they could provide 37 per cent of the needed mitigation for global climate targets. This alone is proof that forests and wetlands are arguably the best carbon capture technology, irrespective of technological advancements. 

Protecting our planet’s future is vital. And while it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the task at hand, organisations like One Tribe make the smallest of actions mean something. By empowering us to understand as well as give back to a greater cause, we’re reminded we’re in this together.