Sky and WWF launch campaign to save rainforest trees

Sky Rainforest Rescue aims to protect three million hectares of rainforest in the state of Acre, Brazil, to help combat climate change and preserve the unique habitat and species of the Amazon.

The campaign wants the British public to donate money, with every £10 saving 500 trees. To kick-start it, Sky is matching donations pound for pound, up to a joint £4 million target.

Currently in the Amazon alone, an area of rainforest the size of three football pitches is destroyed every minute and deforestation is causing more greenhouse gas emissions than all the planes, trains, ships and cars in the world put together. Loss of tropical forests is also threatening the habitat of over 50 per cent of the world’s species.

"Rainforests are crucial to the fight against dangerous climate change," commented Jeremy Darroch, Sky’s chief executive. "We’re asking everyone to join us to help stop this destruction by donating to Sky Rainforest Rescue."

The initial phase will comprise research and consultation with local groups, before a pilot project is launched in early 2010, which will then be grown to scale.

Working with the State Government of Acre, Sky and WWF aim to create economic incentives for the local communities that help make the trees worth more alive than dead.

The project will enhance Acre’s monitoring capabilities against threats including illegal logging and forest clearance. It will also help local producers secure fair prices and find new market opportunities for sustainable goods, as well as establish payments for environmental services, including support for community enterprises.

Binho Marques, State Governor of Acre, said Sky Rainforest Rescue was critical to the region's ability to develop a sustainable model for the protection of the rainforest and the needs of the 2,000 isolated rural forest local communities. "With 88 per cent of Acre covered by rainforest, we are the stewards of a precious global resource," he said.

David Nussbaum, chief executive of WWF-UK, added: "Deforestation is not only threatening the survival of species and habitats, but is also exacerbating the devastating effects of climate change. WWF and Sky together with the help of the public, can take real steps to halt rainforest destruction, benefit communities and provide a blueprint for future forest management."

WWF and Sky are already in discussions with potential funding partners in the hope of securing further financial support for the campaign.

As well as Sky Rainforest Rescue, Sky has also committed to cutting the total energy consumption of newly installed Sky+HD boxes by 30 per cent by 2012, and will be working with 50 of its most carbon intensive suppliers to help them measure their carbon footprint and reduce emissions further.

Both initiatives form part of a new set of commitments from Sky to help tackle climate change, including an overall target to cut CO2 emissions by 25 per cent (per £m/turnover) across its business by 2020.