AZ Forest

Our reforestation and biodiversity initiative

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What is AZ Forest?

AZ Forest is our global reforestation and biodiversity programme. A key part of our climate and nature action, AZ Forest helps mitigate the effects of climate change, protect biodiversity, strengthen natural ecosystems and build sustainable livelihoods.

Projects are designed to maximise the co-benefits of reforestation including: supporting livelihoods and local economies, purifying and cooling the air, building local climate resilience, restoring and connecting habitats to support species diversity, reducing the risk of natural disasters such as floods and landslides and protecting and improving local water sources.

Through a continued focus on quality projects and working with local communities and partners, we aim to contribute to landscape restoration that supports livelihoods and natural ecosystems.

Key highlights

66 million

Trees planted across six continents since 2020*

*As at end December 2025. Source: Sustainability Data Annex 2025

Explore our AZ Forest projects*

⬤ Our local tree planting initiatives support landscape restoration but are not part our global AZ Forest programme.

Americas

In Brazil, we’re partnering with the Instituto de Pesquisas Ecologicas (IPE) on the “Corridors for Life” reforestation initiative, working towards planting 11 million trees in the West of São Paulo state. The project is focused on connecting remaining fragments of the Atlantic Forest to create habitats for vulnerable and endangered species, while also providing local employment opportunities, with an estimated 600 new jobs.

Through our partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) in the US, we’re supporting efforts to plant up to 1 million trees by the end of 2027. Reforestation, including within the Delaware River Watershed will contribute to the restoration of water quality and wildlife habits.

Africa

In Central Ghana, we’re working in partnership with iNovaland to support a community-led project combining natural forest regeneration and agroforestry. The project seeks to build capacity around fire prevention and resilience.

We’re collaborating with Reforest’Action on the MuLaKiLa project in Rwanda, aiming to support 28,000 smallholders and strengthen livelihoods through agroforestry models. Terraces are also being built to prevent soil erosion.

Asia

In Indonesia, we worked with One Tree Planted to plant over 13 million trees, supporting 60,000 smallholders with agroforestry and sustainable timber models. The project is part of a wider multi-stakeholder initiative to rehabilitate the Citarum River catchment in West Java.

In India, we’re aiming to restore degraded land and help develop sustainable value chains. Over 19 million trees have been planted using a diverse mix of agroforestry species.

Europe

In the UK, we planted over 1.2 million trees in partnership with Forestry England, One Tree Planted and Borders Forest Trust, including over 450,000 trees close to our sites in Cambridge and Macclesfield.

In France, we supported the planting of 450 rare oak trees lost in the devastating storms of 1990 and 1999 at the Palace of Versailles, helping to restore the iconic Palace gardens.

Oceania

We planted over 7.9 million trees in Australia with our partners One Tree Planted and Greening Australia. The project, which aims to restore degraded land and create habitats for endangered species, also harnesses local knowledge and aims to provide economic opportunities for Traditional Owners and rural communities through seed collection, planning, and long-term stewardship.

Our AZ Forest Guiding Principles

Our AZ Forest Guiding Principles establish a science-based project framework for sustainable tree planting to support long-term forest health and maximum co-benefits. these principles help to shape AZ Forest project design, whilst working within the local contexts:

  1. Engaging local stakeholders, including farmers, landowners and communities, to establish shared goals.
  2. Selecting diverse, locally appropriate tree species to maximise climate resilience, biodiversity benefits and reduce risks from pests and diseases. 
  3. Assessing potential project risks, developing a mitigation plan and ensuring there is a long-term strategy to protect the area and trees.
  4. Considering land ownership and ensuring project objectives fit the local socioeconomic context. N.B. We do not purchase land for reforestation. 
  5. Designing projects to yield positive social, economic, and environmental benefits, while assessing and mitigating any potential negative impacts.
  6. Adhering to local and national regulations; and seeking to complement policy goals and initiatives where possible.
  7. Monitoring and reporting metrics from AZ Forest projects, such as number of trees planted and surviving, species planted, as well as community and biodiversity impacts.

CBA Principles for Landscape Restoration

Alongside our AZ Forest Principles, thorough due diligence addresses local risk and opportunity. As projects scale and ambition grow, so do our assessments.

We've partnered with the European Forest Institute (EFI) and the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) to create the CBA Principles for Landscape Restoration – a framework for sustainable, resilient, and locally suitable landscapes and bioeconomy value chains. This framework, has been adopted by the CBA for its “Living Labs for Nature, People and Planet,” to be applied across its global network of landscape restoration projects.