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Forest conservation projects

Reducing and removing our historical emissions

We are committed to reducing and removing 4.5 million tonnes of CO₂, reflecting the scale of our estimated historical carbon emissions (Scope 1 and 2) since the company’s founding in 1941 and up until 2041 – our 100th anniversary. To help us deliver on this commitment, in 2020 we entered a 20-year partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to protect and restore tropical forests in some of the world’s most biodiverse landscapes.

Through this partnership, the VELUX Group finances forest projects designed to protect existing forests (thus avoiding the release of stored CO₂) and restore degraded areas (so new trees can absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere as they grow).  

The restored or protected forests are carefully monitored, and the CO₂ reductions and removals will be registered as verified carbon units.   

The partnership aims to contribute the verified carbon units to the host countries’ national climate targets under the Paris Agreement. The verified carbon units will be retired and will not be traded or used for offsetting by the VELUX Group or any other organisation. 

Young plant growing in garden soil surrounded by grass and leaves.
Photo: WWF Uganda

Our CO2 impact target

By 2041, it is expected that the forest protection and restoration projects will have reduced and removed 4.5 million tonnes of CO2 – reflecting the estimated scale of CO₂ emissions from the VELUX Group (Scope 1 and 2) since it was founded in 1941.

How we are progressing

4 projectsare currently in implementation in the partnership with WWF
1,576 hectaresof natural forest have begun the process of restoration in the Kagombe Central Forest Reserve.
VELUX Group and WWF partnership for CO2 reduction through forest conservation.
Forest conservation projects with a focus on people, nature, and climate
Sunset over a lush landscape with rolling hills and distant mountains.
Photo: Jonas Lysholdt Ejderskov / WWF Denmark

The challenge of calculating historical emissions

No standard methodology exists today on how to calculate a historical carbon footprint. Therefore, we developed a method to calculate our historical carbon emissions based on the recognised Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard and applied this to our historical data. This unique methodology, including the underlying assumptions, was independently verified by Carbon Trust and reviewed by scientific experts at WWF.

Carbon reductions and removals are calculated using standards created by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the leading international body for the assessment of climate change. It is a key source of scientific information and technical guidance to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. The partnership will ensure ongoing monitoring of all forest projects and include third-party verification according to internationally recognised standards.

The forest project portfolio

Uganda: Natural forest regeneration in the Albertine Rift
The project in Uganda is located in one of the world's most biodiversity-rich landscapes, the Albertine Rift, which stretches over six countries in East Africa. This area is severely affected by deforestation and forest degradation. The project aims to restore degraded forests, plant new trees, and protect the existing natural forests.
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Two people in a forest clearing discussing conservation efforts.
Photo: Jonas Lysholdt Ejderskov / WWF Denmark
Madagascar: The Green Shores Project
The mangroves in the Manambolo-Tsiribihina landscape in western Madagascar are classified as wetlands of international importance due to their unique coastal biodiversity. Mangroves in this landscape are critical for supporting small-scale fisheries and crab fishing which sustain the local population, and for providing vital natural protection against storms and cyclones that hit the island nation. The project aims to protect mangroves and related hydrological systems as well as restore degraded and deforested areas, improve biodiversity and increase the resilience of local communities.
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Two people in a forest clearing discussing conservation efforts.
Photo: Jonas Lysholdt Ejderskov / WWF Denmark
Viet Nam: The Saola Project - Reviving the silent forests
Located in the mountainous Central Annamites Landscape of central Viet Nam, one of the largest remaining contiguous forest areas in Southeast Asia and home to incredible biodiversity. Forest cover is under heavy pressure due to encroachment for acacia plantations and the harvesting of non-timber forest products such as medicinal plants, bamboo, and rattan. Shifting agricultural practices and illegal logging add further to the pressures that threaten the area’s rich biodiversity and people’s traditional ways of living. The Silent Forest Project is part of a landscape-based approach to forest restoration, climate mitigation, and community development.
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Two people in a forest clearing discussing conservation efforts.
Photo: Jonas Lysholdt Ejderskov / WWF Denmark
Madagascar: Vanilla Forests Project
The Vanilla Forests Project operates in the Northern Highlands Landscape of Madagascar, one of the country’s most important regions for biodiversity. The landscape holds exceptional ecological value, with over 1,580 species of flora and fauna, most of them endemic and many classified as threatened. The area is under increasing pressure from deforestation and forest degradation driven by agricultural expansion, unsustainable resource use, illegal logging, and mining. The Vanilla Forests Project aims to deliver an integrated, landscape-based approach to forest protection, climate mitigation, and community development.
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Two people in a forest clearing discussing conservation efforts.
Photo: Jonas Lysholdt Ejderskov / WWF Denmark
Two people in a forest clearing discussing conservation efforts.
Photo: Jonas Lysholdt Ejderskov / WWF Denmark