Covid-19 vaccine maker AstraZeneca has revealed a £2m plan to plant more than one million trees across the º£½ÇÊÓƵ by 2025.
The drugs giant, which has a major base in Macclesfield and is headquartered in Cambridge, has teamed up with the Forestry England and Borders Forest Trust alongside its global partner, One Tree Planted.
The initiative is part of the global AstraZeneca Forest programme to plant and maintain 50 million trees worldwide by 2025.
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The scheme is also part of AstraZeneca's commitment to be zero carbon across its operations by the end of 2025 and carbon negative across its entire value chain by 2030.
The £1.9m investment into these partnerships will see over one million trees planted and maintained in locations across England and southern Scotland.
Professor Jason Snape, head of environmental protection at AstraZeneca, said: "As a company that puts the health of people and our communities at the forefront of everything we do, we are committed to ensuring we do right by the planet.
"We are proud to work in partnership to accelerate action against climate change, promote biodiversity, and raise awareness of the value reforestation brings to society and human health.
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"This reforestation initiative in the º£½ÇÊÓƵ is an important part of our commitment to plant 50 million trees worldwide by 2025, with planting already underway in Australia, Indonesia and France."
Mike Seddon, chief executive of Forestry England, added: "Tree planting and woodland creation have a fundamental part to play in helping tackle the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss we are urgently facing.
"Resilient woodlands, well-adapted to the changing climate conditions we now expect, will help us capture carbon, improve air quality, alleviate flooding, and create beautiful places for wildlife to flourish and people to connect with the natural world.
"The commitment of businesses like AstraZeneca is vital in enabling us to plan for the long-term, designing, planting, and caring for woodlands now which will mature and flourish decades ahead. And thanks to this partnership funding, we’re able to focus not only on creating new woodlands but also on helping the recovery of forests affected by tree disease."
AstraZeneca's main º£½ÇÊÓƵ operation is based in Cambridge.
