The Uffinger Foundation Plant-for-the-Planet has had turbulent times.
Because well-known partners had distanced themselves according to critical media reports.
The tree planting initiative now wants to become more transparent.
However, some ex-partners continue to let the cooperation rest.
Uffing
- After it was founded in 2007, the children and youth initiative Plant-for-the-Planet went uphill for years.
Awareness and media presence increased.
The tree-planting organization took one prize at a time.
Last year and this year, however, the Uffing-based foundation was thrown a little off track.
Numerous supporters distanced themselves after critical media reports.
Plant-for-the-Planet started a transparency offensive and changed the structures.
"We have seen for ourselves how easily enormous efforts for a good cause can be called into question if they are not fully understandable," write board members Sagar Aryal, Felix Finkbeiner and Caroline Gusinda (management) in a transparency report published in the Summer was released.
Cooperation continues
The Tagblatt asked well-known former cooperation partners what it looks like with a renewed cooperation with the Uffinger Foundation.
Result: The cooperation with the Bitburger Brewery Group, Develey, Procter & Gamble and Hochland is still on hold.
A spokeswoman for Eckes-Granini Germany says: The company "decided in December 2020 not to continue the cooperation with Plant-for-the-Planet".
As a corporate group, they work internationally with the ClimatePartner organization.
Frithjof Finkbeiner, formerly the chairman of the foundation and now a consultant to Plant-for-the-Planet, emphasizes that many partners have resumed their collaboration. Who that is remained open yesterday. Stefan Zeiner from the Foundation's press team asks for understanding "that we will not comment on this: our partners should decide for themselves when and whether they will go public with it."
Board member Felix Finkbeiner could not be reached on the phone. He is currently in Mexico, where the foundation is organizing planting campaigns. In an interview, the founder of the initiative explains: “We have big plans for this year and next. Firstly, it is about becoming more transparent, that we show our supporters exactly what work we are doing where exactly, especially to show where we reforest and when. ”The foundation has significantly expanded its team of ecologists, now there are“ nine Colleagues who do the entire renaturation planning and then also monitor the implementation ”. There is also an external monitoring body with three ecology professors from the USA, Germany and Mexico and an economist. One is in the process of revising the statutes "in order to improve our supervisory bodies".The communication team will also be expanded.
Annual transparency report
How does the foundation intend to get former partners back on board?
"Clearly, primarily through transparency," says Stefan Zeiner from the press team.
“Through press releases, blog articles, videos, photos, active social media reporting and in the future also through podcasts.” In addition, according to his statements, the transparency report will now be published annually.
"At the same time, we would like to point out that companies are still very interested in working together and we are getting a lot of inquiries." We will continue to follow developments, ”explains Stella Macri, PR consultant at the food company.
The TreeMapper app should serve as a building block for more transparency.
This means that everyone can see every day how many trees of which tree species were planted where and on which day.
The app has proven itself "very", says Zeiner.
Sagar Aryal, Felix Finkbeiner and Caroline Gusinda describe the overarching goal as follows: "We want to motivate as many people as possible to plant trees, as a generational, peace-building activity that gives us hope and gives us valuable time."
Former board member Frithjof Finkbeiner puts it this way: "Trees are not a solution for a clean climate, but a smart time joker."
Also interesting:
Plant-for-the-Planet as a cooperation partner out of the running
