There’s a growing trend in India – tree planting. This surge in “green consciousness” is driven by various factors, including earning carbon credits and combating deforestation.
Entrepreneurs are capitalizing on this trend by offering tree planting services. These services go beyond traditional occasions like birthdays; they now cater to events like Valentine’s Day, Women’s Day, and even religious ceremonies. For instance, a popular website recently offered planting trees to commemorate the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The cost of planting varies depending on the occasion and number of trees. Typically, a single sapling costs ₹199, with prices increasing for bulk planting. For birthdays, 75 trees cost ₹14,925, while on Valentine’s Day, the price jumps to ₹299 for one and a whopping ₹2.99 lakh for 1,000 trees.
Corporations are also actively participating in tree planting initiatives. This is often driven by a combination of factors like utilizing their CSR funds, adhering to ESG compliances, and pursuing carbon credits.
One such company, Grow Billion Trees based in Pune, caters to a diverse clientele, including CarDekho, Tata AIG Insurance, Pernod Ricard, and Concept Public Relations. They offer three types of forestry projects:
- CSR-funded agroforestry: The produce benefits farmers and is financed by companies through CSR initiatives.
- Managed plantations: Private companies and individuals pay to plant and own the produce.
- Government and forest land projects: These focus on biodiversity and are funded by corporations.
Grow Billion Trees currently has projects across India, in states like West Bengal, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
The Indian government is also promoting tree planting. The Ministry of Environment is actively supporting these efforts. The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) has significantly increased its allocation to state authorities for tree planting initiatives. The funds rose from ₹6,771.59 crore in 2019-20 to ₹8,980.04 crore in 2021-22.
Since 2020, Delhi has used the Miyawaki technique (a method for creating dense, native forests) to develop abandoned spaces.
India’s private sector is contributing as well. In 2020, the World Economic Forum’s 1t.org initiative garnered support from over 100 global companies. These companies collectively pledged to plant over 12 billion trees across more than 100 countries by 2030. This initiative aligns with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), highlighting the global commitment to restoring and conserving our natural environment.