Technology company Continental celebrated its 150th anniversary by launching a 150,000 tree plantation drive across India, spread over locations with manufacturing footprint – Bengaluru, Pune, Gurugram, Kolkata, Sonepat, and Modipuram. 

The activity, which kicked off on October 8, 2021, was inaugurated by veteran environmentalist and Padmashri recipient Saalumarada Thimmakka. Continental is working with multiple NGOs and local government departments to complete and sustain the project.

Speaking about the initiative, Prashanth Doreswamy, Country Head Continental India said, “We are delighted to celebrate 150 years of Continental through a sustainable eco-friendly program. Nature-based solutions such as this, is one of the means by which we can fight climate change and build resilient landscapes for future generations.”

The project focuses on improving biodiversity, afforestation in reclaimed forest land and greening of suburban areas. Indigenous varieties of trees are being planted to ensure there is no negative impact on hydrology. 

Tree’s company and more
Trees are valuable for carbon sequestration. Research shows that a typical mature hardwood tree can absorb about 45 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. However, it takes years before a tree sequesters a significant amount of carbon, making forest conservation of vital importance. Towards achieving this, the majority of Continental’s special project focuses on afforestation of reclaimed forest land. For instance, in Bangalore, Continental’s NGO partner is working closely with the forest department on this project. The larger share of the project will follow the Miyawaki approach of tree planting, which allows for growing dense, native forests, with faster sapling growth rate, and a resultant plantation that is several times denser than regular plantation.