As part of its sustainability philosophy, textiles producer Dibella has committed itself to offsetting the CO2 emissions caused by its business trips. To this end, the company has launched a reforestation project in Nachikuppam in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu to create a species-rich forest with up to 10,000 trees on a fallow area of around 8.5 hectares.
After just five years, they will be able to reduce up to 80 tonnes of CO2 and after ten years up to 310 tonnes of the harmful greenhouse gas.
The location for the reforestation project is directly linked to the sustainable "Dibella+" product line, which is made from Indian organic cotton. "In our audits, the organic farmers tell us about rainfall of unknown proportions, which has increased in recent years," said Ralf Hellmann, CEO of Dibella group. Rivers overflow their banks at unimaginable speed and flood the surrounding fields. "Climate change has arrived in India. With our forest project, we want to make an active contribution to climate and environmental protection.”
After completion of the preparatory work at the beginning of 2018, 4,000 tree seedlings have already been planted. Within the planned duration of the project, an additional one thousand young trees are to be planted each year. Their planting as well as the care of the forest is in the hands of the farmer family Baireshan, who come from the region and generate an additional income.