SIMON MUNTEMBA writes
@SunZambian
STANDARD Chartered Bank employees have planted 100 fruit trees at the SoS Children’s Village in Lusaka to contribute to national efforts to tackle climate change.
Head of corporate affairs, brand and marketing Christine Matambo said in a statement yesterday the bank’s employees had planted over 6,000 trees across the country in the last three years.
Ms Matambo said in keeping with its commitment to contribute to national efforts to tackle climate change and to kick off annual World Environment Day activities, Standard Chartered Bank employees planted 100 fruit trees at SoS in Lusaka on Friday.
She said deforestation was considered to be one of the contributing factors to global climate change, with Zambia having one of the highest rates of deforestation in Africa.
It was for this reason the bank thought of planting trees to help tackle climate change.
Ms Matambo said according to research, it was estimated that the country loses between 250,000 hectares of forest annually, through charcoal production, amongst others.
“We recognise the full extent of deforestation in Zambia. That is why we plant trees every year to demonstrate our continued commitment to helping to address this national challenge.
“An integral part of our tree-planting campaign involves bank employees, whom we challenge to plant at least one tree every year as their personal commitment to tackling deforestation,” Ms Matambo said.
“While financial services is our core business,” she said, “we are equally committed to the environment and communities where we operate from.”
She said the bank’s employees planted trees in places such as SoS Village and schools, to ensure that the Zambian youth understand the challenge of deforestation.
“They, in turn, are educated to care for the trees planted and serve as Ambassadors in our communities,” Ms Matambo said
