A plus to greenery: Advans Ghana plants over 1,500 trees

A prominent savings and loans company, Advans Ghana Savings and Loans, has cultivated more than 1,500 seedlings across Accra and Tamale as part of its dedication to ecological sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

The initiative, titled “Greening Ghana: Growing for a Greener Tomorrow”, engaged management, staff, the Forestry Commission, local volunteers and clients of the company.  Together, they planted acacia, shea and teak trees in the Chipa Forest Reserve, located in Accra, and at the Zugu Forest Reserve at Tamale in the July of 2024.

Accra and Tamale got selected for this tree-planting initiative due to their high risk for climate change impacts, explained Guillaume Valence, Chief Executive Officer. “This year, we decided to plant 1,500 tree seedlings in Accra and Tamale as these cities are at high risk in terms of climate change, and we need to be contributing toward building resilience among both clients and the community”. When fully matured, these trees will serve as natural purifiers, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and enhancing air quality.

This initiative will help mitigate the effects of urban heat islands and flooding. In light of this, the institution plans to invest in the maintenance of these trees, striving to surpass the 90% survival rate achieved in their 2023 tree-planting endeavor.

“In recent times, we have all observed and experienced the climate crisis hitting Ghana like many other parts of the world, with significant and sometimes devastating impact for many people. These negative impacts will be even stronger in the years to come and affect our way of living,” Barbara Odei, Chief Sales Distribution Officer at Advans Ghana, stated.She emphasized the importance of integrating climate change effects and impacts into the company’s core business model, since small and medium-sized enterprises as well as farmers are the most vulnerable and will be the most affected. Advans Ghana believes that afforestation plays a crucial role in mitigating the impact of climate change.

Advans Ghana Savings and Loans Limited, a subsidiary of the Advans Group, has its headquarters in Paris, France, serving over 1.3 million clients and operates in nine countries spanning across Africa and Asia. Advans has over 130,000 clients that it serves in the country. With 19 branches spread across eight regions – Greater Accra, Ashanti, Brong, Ahafo, Volta, Northern, Central, and Eastern – the company primarily focuses on micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises while also attending to individual clients.