International Day of Forests 2026: How thoughtfully restoring nature can rebalance economies
- ZEERO Group
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
March 21st marks the International Day of Forests. This year’s theme, “Forests and economies,” calls on us to recognise forests as living systems that sustain not only nature and the communities that care for them, but also provide the foundations of human wellbeing and global economic stability.
Forests are not just clusters of trees and shrubs, nor are they isolated ecosystems. They are intertwined with human lives, supporting the livelihoods of over 1.6 billion people worldwide and contributing significant social and economic equity.
They also prop up our collective wellbeing in less visible ways: the world’s forests provide more than 25% of modern medicines, are home to around 80% of terrestrial biodiversity, and quietly regulate our climate by absorbing approximately 30% of global CO₂ emissions each year.
Yet, we have already lost around half of the world’s forests.
Research has confirmed that by protecting existing forests, together with reforestation, where trees are left to mature, could capture 226 billion tons of carbon and could provide another third of our carbon drawdown goals.
Nature remains one of the most powerful and cost-effective climate solutions we have available to us and where 55% of the world’s GDP depends on nature this makes conservation and reforestation not just of environmental importance, but economically significant too.
Through our suite of emissions monitoring and climate solutions for businesses and events, we enable organisations to take responsibility for their environmental impact by contributing to high-integrity climate projects. To date, our hybrid climate contributions include the planting of 1.75 million trees across verified global projects, helping to restore ecosystems while delivering tangible benefits for their local communities.
Our approach to reforestation is grounded in a few essential principles. We only partner with verified, localised organisations who understand their local environmental and socio-economic systems deeply to ensure projects are developed with full consideration and consent of communities. We are also only interested in projects that prioritise diverse, native species that conscientiously restore natural ecosystems and support the growth of thriving future forests.
Introducing the Ankilahila Madagascar Project
This International Day of Forests, we are proud to announce our support for the Ankilahila Coastal Restoration and Conservation Project in Madagascar.
Spanning 1540 hectares, this is not a single forest, but is a connected landscape of mangroves, raffia swamp, dune forest, and dry forest. It is a place where fauna and flora thrive, and where the people are deeply intertwined with their natural surroundings.
Local communities guide planting, monitoring, and protection efforts, ensuring that restoration is rooted in local knowledge and long-term stewardship. Through an ‘Employ-to-Restore’ approach, the project provides stable employment and fair wages in a region where economic opportunities are limited.
Madagascar is one of the poorest nations globally, over 69% of the population lives below the international poverty line, yet it is also home to endemic species found nowhere else on Earth. Supporting restoration here is not just about carbon, but is about climate justice for those who have contributed least to climate change and who are often those most affected by its consequences.
The restoration of mangrove ecosystems in the project area has led to improved fish and shrimp catches, directly supporting local fishermen’s livelihoods. Mangroves provide nursery and feeding habitat for numerous commercially important species, making these ocean forests essential for food security.
Mangroves are some of the most powerful trees on our planet. Mangrove soils are also highly effective carbon sinks. They are among the most carbon-rich tropical ecosystems globally and can contain more carbon per square metre than tropical rainforests - an acre of mangroves can store 5 to 10 times more carbon that an acre of rainforest.
This is what regenerative systems look like: ecological restoration and economic opportunity working together.
If you'd like to add a climate contribution to your travellers bookings, products, or policies, please join us on this journey and reach out by emailing us here.
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